THE prerogative right now is points over performances. John Lundstram is confident both will come together in time for Rangers.
Three wins from three represents a positive start under the guidance of new boss Michael Beale and the manner in which the victories have been achieved ultimately matters little at Ibrox.
Beale has learned different things from each of the fixtures with Hibernian, Aberdeen and Ross County and now has plenty of food for thought ahead of the visit of Motherwell on Wednesday evening and the biggest test of all against Celtic just days later.
It has been a case of evolution rather than revolution so far. Beale does not have the players or the time to rip it up and start again and the transition from the Giovanni van Bronckhorst era will be gradual.
There will come a point when supporters will expect to see more significant signs of change and progression from Rangers but that process can never become secondary to the requirement to win week after week as Beale's side attempt to keep themselves in the Premiership title race.
Victory in Dingwall was secured thanks to a first half effort from Lundstram. It was the highlight of a largely uninspiring 90 minutes but the outcome was the key factor once again following the dramatic come-from-behind wins over Hibernian and Aberdeen.
“That is it," Lundstram said of the importance of keeping winning games whilst Beale fine tunes his blueprint. "We are trying to implement the game style and win games at the same time and get better.
"And we have been carrying a lot of issues behind the scenes that you guys don’t always see. There are a lot of illnesses and a few niggles and injuries that we are playing with.
"So it has been good to get through those three games and a tough, tough week for us. To get the nine points is really satisfying.
“I think [we are only going to get better]. I think on Friday night you saw another step in the right direction.
"I really enjoyed it in the second-half, I thought we were really good for 35 to 40 minutes. The only negative was that we didn’t kill the game off.”
When Lundstram rifled the ball beyond keeper Ross Laidlaw with ten minutes remaining of the first half, Rangers gave themselves the platform to build on in Dingwall. The advantage wasn't added to, though.
The closing stages of fixtures like this naturally become nervy affairs, both on the park and in the stands, when the advantage is as narrow but Rangers were able to get the job done and ensure Beale had another win on his record.
“It was satisfying," Lundstram said when asked about his goal. "I had one on my left foot last week that I didn’t catch so it was satisfying to see that one go in.
“I thought I was better [overall]. It was a step in the right direction. I thought for 35 to 40 minutes in the second-half we were really good.
"We controlled the game, but we just didn’t finish the game off and get the second goal. If we had got the second goal it would have been comfortable.
"It was comfortable until the last 10 minutes and they threw the kitchen sink at it. Which they were always going to do at home.
"I was satisfied to get the clean sheet. It looked more like we wanted it to look in the second-half.”
Rangers returned back down the A9 with the game won and the job done. It has been a season of few positives, but there was at least some festive cheer to savour at the end of a difficult run that has seen Hibs visit Ibrox and the miles clocked up on the road to Pittodrie and Dingwall.
Lundstram has played through the pain barrier during both away fixtures as he continues to manage an ongoing issue. He is not the only one in that regard as Beale's walking wounded continue to dig deep to keep their season on track.
“I don’t know," Lundstram said when asked if taking injections shows his commitment to the cause. "I wouldn’t say that.
"At Rangers you do your best to get out on the park every week, that is your commitment to being a Rangers player. That is a given – if you can play you play and that is that.
“I still took an injection to play [on Friday night], so a couple of days off will probably do me good.”
Rangers will return to action against Motherwell on Wednesday evening as they attempt to add to the momentum once again and ensure there is no damage done to their title aspirations before the fixture that could make or break them just days later.
The clean sheet earned in the Highlands was one of the main positives for Beale to take and more must now follow as the Englishman seeks to resolve an issue that has plagued Rangers this term. In that regard, the timely returns of Connor Goldson and Ben Davies provide a proper foundation for Rangers.
“Against Hibs the other week Leon got ill so I had to fill in there," Lundstram said. "On Friday night it was just about where the space was in possession, just trying to drop down and create different tackles. It wasn’t necessarily about me playing in defence it was just about me dropping down just to try and get on the ball.
“I think [Goldson and Davies can build on that display]. It is more so about whoever plays there getting a relationship and a foundation of playing together, getting a run of playing together.
"Whether it is Sandsy and Connor or Sandsy and Ben. It is just about playing together and getting that relationship.
"The longer the centre back partnership plays together the more you can see the communication and the partnership build. That is what we really need to get.”
The coming days will determine just what Rangers can hope to achieve during the second half of the Premiership campaign. If Beale can make it five from five, a title challenge may be on the cards after all this term.
Beale has been careful not to raise expectation levels or get involved in Premiership predictions so far. Rangers are well aware of their position and know what must be done if the arrears are to be whittled down across the Old Firm divide.
Lundstram said: “You don’t think about that when you cross the white line, of course you don’t. Obviously we are nine points behind and we want to try and reduce that deficit as much as we can.
"But you don’t think about stuff like that when you cross the white line, of course you don’t. We go out to win every game and if that gets us closer to reducing the nine point deficit then that is great.
"But we are just concentrating on ourselves at the minute, trying to implement the gaffer’s style and getting better, that is really all we are trying to do. If that comes with reducing the deficit then great.”
