There would have been far easier matches for Michael Beale to make his debut as Rangers manager in.
The meeting with Bayer Leverkusen at Ibrox this afternoon might just have been a friendly that was arranged to give both teams some much-needed game time before club football resumes after the World Cup break.
Yet, getting a positive result against Bundesliga rivals was still a big ask for a man looking to make a favourable early impression on supporters who were not universally enamoured when he was appointed.
The BayArena outfit might be languishing in 12th place in the German top flight after 15 games. But they have still managed to get results against Atletico Madrid and Club Brugge in the Champions League group stages and qualify for the Europa League knockout rounds in the 2022/23 campaign.
And manager Xabi Alonso could named a raft of current and former internationalists in his starting line-up and on his bench.
Lukas Hrdacky (Finland), Jonathan Tah (Germany), Edwin Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), Moussa Diaby (France), Adam Hlozek (Czech Republic) all kicked off the encounter while Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast), Nadiem Amiri, Florian Wirtz and Nadim Bellarabi (all Germany) were among the replacements.
Rangers had not exactly fared well when they had met Leverkusen at home in the last 16 of the Europa League in their final game before football was shutdown because of the Covid pandemic back in 2020.
Steven Gerrard’s side was outclassed in that double header – they slumped to a 3-1 loss at home in the first leg and went out after being beaten 1-0 in the rematch five months later. Could his old colleague do any better and begin his reign on a positive note?
He could. His team strolled to a comfortable, deserved and morale-boosting 3-0 triumph thanks to a first-half Malik Tillman brace and late Scott Arfield strike. It was not a competitive fixture and the stadium was only half-full. Far greater challenges lie ahead. Still, the display and result augur well for Beale going forward.
So what could be gleaned events in Govan? How will Rangers line up when they take on Hibernian in the cinch Premiership at Ibrox on Thursday evening? What can be expected from “Bealeball”. Here are five things we learned from the 90 minutes?
Tactical tweak
Former Liverpool winger Ryan Kent enjoyed some sensational spells of form when Anfield great Gerrard occupied the dugout. He produced some outstanding showings under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, not least in Europe, too. But this term he has, despite no shortage of application, toiled.
Can the return of Kent’s fellow Englishman, who he first encountered when he was coming through the youth ranks down south, to Glasgow help the mercurial talent get his mojo back?
The wide man was certainly asked to perform a different role in the 4-3-3 formation which the former Chelsea, Liverpool, Sao Paulo, Rangers, Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers coach deployed when his charges were out of possession.
At times, he was wide on the left as usual. But he switched the right far more than he did previously. And he also drifted inside and played in the pocket behind twin strikers Rabbi Matondo and Antonio Colak in what amounted to a 4-3-1-2 set-up when his side had the ball. He was busy enough, but not brilliant.
Beale changed his goalkeeper and the front six at half-time; Allan McGregor, Ryan Jack, Glen Kamara, Tillman, Kent, Matondo and Colak came off and were replaced by Jon McLaughlin, John Lundstram, Steven Davis, Arfield, Scott Wright, Fashion Sakala and Alfredo Morelos. But the tactics remained the same.
The approach was nothing new. Gerrard had tried it with some success in the 4-1 victory which his side recorded over Celtic at the end of their title-winning season last year. The experiment was never repeated. But could it be a taste of what is to come?
Tavernier assists
James Tavernier has, like Kent and several other Rangers players, struggled to scale the heights of last season in recent months. The right back and captain has been poor at the back and far less influential offensively. But he set up Tillman for both of his goals today.
He picked up the Bayern Munich loanee with a pinpoint cross from wide on the touchline for the first and found the United States internationalist with a precise corner for the second. The playmaker’s finishes were clinical, but the deliveries were certainly decent.
The full-back, who also did well to slide in and deny Noah Pesch in the second-half before hitting the post with a penalty, will have benefitted from the rest he has had. But could working under a coach who he knows well and respects make a difference to him as well? On this evidence it will.
Defensive woes
The Rangers fans in the ground were pleased to see Leon King take his place in the side once again. The teenage centre half had been stretchered off in the 1-1 draw with St Mirren in Paisley last month after suffering a concussion. But he has now recovered.
Boy, did Beale need him. He is without Ben Davies, Connor Goldson, Fillip Helander and John Souttar just now. What he would have done if the youngster had been unavailable is anybody’s guess.
King played alongside James Sands, whose preferred position is in midfield, in the heart of the rearguard and acquitted himself well enough. McGregor saved well from Tah in the first-half. And Tavernier denied Pesch. Those moments aside, Rangers never really looked like conceding.
But Rangers, who have Viaplay Cup, Premiership and Scottish Cup games coming up, remain desperately short in an important area. Beale is hopeful that Davies and Goldson will be available to him on Thursday. He desperately needs them.
Devine inspiration
With Borna Barisic still involved with Croatia at Qatar 2022 and preparing for a semi-final against Argentina on Tuesday and Ridvan Yilmaz injured, opportunity knocked for young Adam Devine at left back.
The 19-year-old had only made a few first team appearances before today and was last sighted in the League Cup triumph over Queen of the South back in August. But he was decent.
He may not provide the threat which Barisic or Yilmaz does going forward, but he looked as if he will be more than capable of coping against Hibs in midweek and then beyond if required.
Lowry return
There has been huge excitement among the Rangers support about Alex Lowry since Van Bronckhorst brought him on in the Scottish Cup win over Stirling Albion at Ibrox last season. The skilful, slight, direct kid scored a goal that night and suggested he has much to offer in attack with his lively all-round showing.
This season, however, he has only played once. He came on in the Champions League mauling by Ajax last month. A serious injury has not helped his cause. But it was clear that his manager had certain issues with the playmaker.
Beale put Lowry on for Sakala midway through the second-half. The substitute went close to scoring after being supplied by Morelos and played a few defence-splitting through balls. Fans will be hoping he can build on his run-out.
