SINCE arriving at Rangers, Steven Gerrard has led his team through copious memorable European nights – fittingly then, the first he was absent for was arguably the most forgettable, despite its favourable outcome.

Gerrard’s team, after all, have made it into the Europa League group stage for a fourth successive year. That in itself is huge for the club financially.

Much of the reaction and emotion at the final whistle was that of dissatisfaction however, another below-par performance to give oxygen to the suggestion that this Rangers team haven’t got going in season 21/22 quite yet.

The club has had a disruptive lead-up to the game. It was only 5 days ago that Gerrard was speaking with hindsight of the squad disruption present throughout the start of the campaign. But a Covid outbreak this week meant he, along with a number of others, were unable to travel due to related issues.

The line-up was one lacking pace, something that undeniably slowed down potential transitions and turnovers. Still, this was a starting XI who were more than capable of defeating Alashkert.

There were faint bright sparks in the first half. Ianis Hagi was able to inject some intensity through intelligent receiving and playing through, Joe Aribo clipped the post and was a ball-carrying option while Nathan Patterson played as high as possible to insert the prospect of a threat behind the home defence.

With that were sloppy efforts when through on goal from Alfredo Morelos and a home side enjoying more prosperity going forward than viewing supporters back in Scotland were comfortable with.

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Rangers rarely press teams with sustaining intensity in Europe and it made sense on the surface to preserve energy in a defensive shape at times, however against a team considered far weaker they could have been more emphatic without the ball.

The hosts were brave in possession and, aside from one or two occasions, bypassed a lethargic Rangers in their defensive third. They also managed to play through the mid-block through clever rotations from the full-back area - dragging the midfield out of position. 

Then, as debutant Robby McCrorie came rushing out of his goal to latch onto a through ball, Santos was sent off for kicking the goalkeeper on the head as he simmered over a missed opportunity. In almost perfect symmetry to last week when John Lundstrum was dismissed, the visitors given a man advantage.

It was a dose of adversity that had shot the team into life after half-time at Ibrox last week. A man down, they rallied along with the crowd to put in a much-improved second-half performance, but here when momentum was given to them, they didn’t capitalise.

It instead made the prospect of a home win even greater and a situation all the nervier.

Slack defending from Scott Arfield and Connor Goldson allowed a cross to flash across the box on 55 minutes that could have so easily been prevented and when opportunities were forthcoming for the former and Morelos, neither was finished.

While the temperature likely restricted intense pressing, the sight of Alashkert playing out with 10 men would have caused plenty of frustration to be directed at TV sets in Glasgow.

Speaking to RangersTV post-match, Gary McAllister commented: “It wasn’t pretty tonight, but we’ve had a difficult two or three days.”

He also added on conditions: “It was incredibly hot, at the start of the game we’re talking 33 degrees and I think it cooled down to 29.”

The Ibrox team’s play was indicative of an uncomfortable atmosphere for the most part. A lack of pace was a prerequisite given the absence of Fashion Sakala, Ryan Kent and Scott Wright but poor intensity on the ball was again too common a theme.

As The Rangers Review has written before, given this is a team that is designed and conditioned to create central overloads and possession can become stale if the ball is moved side to side and not vertically with intention through the lines.

Borna Barisic’s final ball was nowhere near the consistent standard he has delivered and on a night where Morelos could have left with the match ball to reach 100 Rangers goals, the Colombian look jaded and off the pace. His goal of course did send the team through – that ought to not be overshadowed.

“We came here to get a result and we go back with a result,” was the conclusive opinion of McAllister and he is not wrong. This game didn’t have the adversity of UFA, the atmosphere of Legia or the thrill of Galatasaray but it has delivered the same end result – a place in the Europa League group stage.

What supporters will demand now is a performance that they know this side is capable of on Sunday.

The weekend will see the return of Kemar Roofe, a player who seems to improve any team and constantly delivers in front of goal.

READ MORE: Kemar Roofe constantly delivers for Rangers - Adam Thornton

While others remain in isolation, only Sunday will tell if any are able to re-join the squad due to the changed regulations this season. McAllister certainly seemed confident of good news after the match.

A win against Celtic and all will be well. Football is a game in which narratives are constantly spun to try and explain ever-changing circumstances.

A more tumultuous opening month has played out than the script suggested would be the case – with European football confirmed, Sunday will ultimately dictate whether crisis or redemption is the story of the season so far.