THE 2022/23 cinch Premiership had been going so smoothly.
Some new signings had impressed, there had been a few entertaining and exciting games and everyone seemed content that Scottish football was up and running again.
Then Rangers played Hibernian at Easter Road on Saturday.
A controversial refereeing performance, a disputed penalty, a dubious ordering off, a blatant red card, a dramatic injury-time equaliser and a disappointing result for the visitors sent radio phone-ins, social media websites and internet message boards into meltdown.
The first three weeks of the new league season had simply been the calm before the storm.
So what did we learn from the 2-2 draw in Leith at the weekend? And what does the game and result mean for both clubs going forward? Here are five talking points to emerge out of the incendiary encounter.
AWAY DAY BLUES
The back-to-back defeats which Rangers suffered to Celtic last season damaged their defence of the Scottish title.
But a far bigger problem was their form away from home against opponents they should have beaten comfortably. No fewer than nine points were dropped against the likes of Dundee United, Aberdeen and Ross County. They finished four behind their city rivals as a result.
An opening day fightback and triumph against Livingston on the artificial pitch at Almondvale at the end of last month suggested that Giovanni van Bronckhorst had successfully addressed the costly failing.
However, the Glasgow club’s display in Edinburgh on Saturday showed that the Dutchman has not.
Their fans can complain about referee Willie Collum and the injustice of the decisions which went against them all they like. The bottom line is their heroes were nowhere near good enough on the road yet again.
Rangers have now failed to win six out of the 15 league matches they have played under the Van Bronckhorst since he was appointed last November. That is 40 per cent. It is also nowhere near good enough.
Their latest flat showing – their hosts had more attempts on goal, more shots on target and more corners despite having less possession – could have had something to do with the effort they put into the first leg of the Champions League play-off against PSV Eindhoven in Govan four days earlier.
Physical and mental tiredness, though, should not be an issue this early in the season. James Tavernier and his team mates, too, should be experienced enough to cope with the demands on them at home and abroad after their run to the Europa League final last term.
John Lundstram and Alfredo Morelos being dismissed in the second-half clearly contributed to the final result. However, Rangers did not, Tom Lawrence’s goal aside, exactly sparkle before the red cards.
Van Bronckhorst and his coaching staff must identify what went wrong and ensure that it does not happen again or this Premiership bid will have the same unsatisfactory outcome.
A significant improvement will be required against PSV in the Philips Stadium on Wednesday night.
VAR PLEASE
The debate which has raged since Collum awarded Rangers a spot kick for a Rocky Bushiri tug on Antonio Colak has underlined the introduction of VAR to Scottish football later this season will not bring an end to refereeing controversies or kill off conspiracy theories.
Some fans and pundits thought that Colak had dived after watching replays of the incident from a variety of different angles, others were convinced that Bushiri had been foolish. There were differing opinions about the Lundstram and Morelos red cards too.
So there will still be unhappiness and paranoia in the stands. But Collum would have been helped by modern technology at the weekend. The chances are that Lundstram would have remained on the field for the full 90 minutes if it was in place.
His cynical foul on Martin Boyle appeared no worse than the one Jake Doyle Hayes had subjected him to in the first-half. And the Hibs man only received a yellow. Greater consistency is required. VAR will help to provide it.
ON THE BOYLE
What a difference Martin Boyle has made to Hibs since returning from Al Faisaly in Saudi Arabia earlier this month. He came on and netted an injury-time equaliser against Hearts in his first game. He sparked a fightback against Rangers on Saturday with a superb close-range strike.
The Australian internationalist’s manager Lee Johnson was unsure if he would be able to start at the weekend. How influential, then, is he going to be for the capital club once he regains full match fitness and sharpness in the coming weeks? It is a tantalising prospect for Hibees.
Hibs have won one, drawn two and lost one of the four league games they have played this term. Their new signings need time to settle in. They are also missing several key men due to injury. But Johnson has shown he has a vision of how he wants his charges to play and high standards.
He substituted Paul Hanlon and Ewan Henderson in the first-half at the weekend because he was unhappy with how his team was playing and wanted to make both tactical and formational changes. The scoreline was 0-0 at the time. Not many coaches would be so bold.
With fans favourite Boyle back, it will be interesting to see how they fare in the weeks to come. This result augurs well for them.
MORONIC MORELOS
There’s no show without Punch. There was quite enough happening at Easter Road on Saturday without Alfredo Morelos getting involved. But the Colombian clearly felt the need to do something daft after replacing Colak. His ordering off was deserved, needless, stupid and costly.
The forward has been here many times before – looking a little overweight, lacking match sharpness and facing disciplinary action and a spell on the sidelines – and come back to prove his doubters wrong. He can do so again.
But a suspension is the last thing Morelos needed after so long out injured. His absence will also leave his manager with just one specialist striker at his disposal for two games. That could end up damaging Rangers’ title tilt further.
THE SANDS MAN
The absence of Ben Davies, Filip Helander and John Souttar has resulted in James Sands being fielded at centre half by Van Bronckhorst in four of Rangers’ last five games.
It is not a position the defender cum midfielder has a huge amount of experience in – but he has grown in confidence and effectiveness the more he has played there.
The United States internationalist could perhaps have done more to prevent Boyle’s equaliser. But that aside he impressed. His positional play and use of the ball were both excellent.
Sands’ latest showing against Hibs will, despite the final result, have lifted him ahead of the rematch with PSV.
