The first of what I hope will be many for Derek McInnes. Sunday's win was emphatic, the team collectively and individually played well and, more importantly, it was exactly what Rangers needed. A strong win, a strong performance; everything went well.
But why has it taken five games? Well, it was never going to be easy. The squad lacks quality, but slowly it seems to be getting there in certain areas.
Andrew Cavanagh said we were still active for three to five players and, since then, we have signed James Penrice and are closing in on Kosta Nedeljkovic from Aston Villa. Rangers want two attacking full-backs capable of bombing forward and adding another dimension on the ball. Both have the profile, pace and strength to do that and, given Penrice's impressive debut, we can at least look forward to the possibility of contributions from the defence.
If they can get that right and add another winger to provide more attacking dynamism, along with a No.9 following the injury to Youssef Chermiti, then Rangers will look a much stronger prospect. But undoubtedly, at the centre of defence, Rangers still lack that presence and, if they can get a Carlos Cuellar or Madjid Bougherra type of quality, they won't be far away.
I realise that's no small task, especially when ten players have already come in the door this summer.
Cavanagh's prediction of three to five signings could take Rangers close to where they need to be. Penrice, Nedeljkovic, a centre-back, a winger and a No.9 would make up the five and would take Rangers much closer to where they need to be.
However, McInnes needs to find his preferred formation and settled team as quickly as possible. He will have learned a lot from the first five games and even more from the victory on Sunday. Will it now be a 4-3-3 instead of a 4-4-2 moving forward?
I have been a broken record all summer. The business done needs to be tied together by genuine quality and it is that genuine quality which could make the difference. Interestingly, the bigger-money signings, Ivor Pandur, Olwethu Makhanya, Vanja Dragojevic and Daisuke Yokota, all look the part.
The smaller deals, Cammy Devlin, Ross McCrorie, Dan Neil, Lawrence Shankland and Ben Godfrey, are increasingly looking like squad options. They will all need to play their part and they will all get significant game time, so squad status still carries huge importance. Maybe they will become regular starters; we will see. I am, of course, only surmising. Penrice and Nedeljkovic will be starters without a doubt for me.
If the three remaining signings from Cavanagh's prediction arrive and are of genuine quality, then perhaps we will feel differently about the recruitment. The issue, I believe, is that everything has been done back to front and that's why there has been so much dismay.
But we can't keep looking back. The start hasn't been good enough, but Sunday has to be the catalyst for improvement. Thursday's European double-header is massive because group-stage football is a necessity, regardless of the competition, and the Conference League still offers the prospect of some glamour ties.
For McInnes and Rangers, it has to be one game at a time. The Celtic double-header, Aberdeen and Motherwell are all huge fixtures, but they can wait. One game at a time.
Read more:
- James Penrice interview: Pushing like mad for move and nearly joining in January
- What McInnes tried for the first time vs St Mirren and why it caused 'ironic' upturn
We can't repair the start, we can only improve upon it. The level of performance and result we saw on Sunday now has to become the standard. That has to continue on Thursday.
As for recruitment and those still to come in, the three to five has to become five and the three remaining additions have to be of real quality. Mr Cavanagh, we continue to watch.
Quality may just be the defining factor in the weeks ahead.
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