The late strike from Kyogo Furuhashi to rescue a point for Celtic meant Monday's pulsating draw could never be deemed a complete success for Rangers.
Boss Michael Beale has stressed on multiple occasions since taking the reins that winning trumps anything else at Ibrox. But punters and pundits alike are onside with Steven Gerrard's former key lieutenant now he is in the big seat. And Rangers' rousing comeback from 1-0 down before the late drama against the champions did little to quell the enthusiasm. Ibrox was in raptures after James Tavernier slammed home his penalty and the man in the dugout knows that feeling must become a common occurrence again if they are to unseat Celtic as top dogs of Scottish football.
But what next? A slew of big names have been weighing what Beale does next in terms of personnel, transfers and how he approaches the second half of the season.
Brian Laudrup
Laudrup is impressed but the Dane wants a real signing spark. Speaking in his Daily Mail column, he said: "Beale wants to be active. And Rangers cannot say they don't need reinforcements just because they went toe-to-toe with Celtic after a difficult first 30 minutes. Not at all. Every opportunity to recruit better must be explored. From goalkeeper up to centre-forward.
"Buying quality players is easier at the end of a season. That's a fact. But it's not impossible to do in January. Getting hold of the right signings at this point also means those players will obviously be a lot more prepared going into next season. As Beale has indicated, the club doesn't need any more squad players. It's about finding potential match-winners, players with a blockbuster factor who can go straight into the starting XI and make a major impact.
"To illustrate what I mean from another perspective, take the example of Malik Tillman. I see a fantastic future for him, I really do, but, at 20, he has come from a position of little first-team football at Bayern Munich to suddenly playing for Rangers in Old Firm games and the Champions League. There's no doubting his potential, but perhaps he isn't yet ready to control these big games in the way he would like, or that he might be able to do in two or three years' time. Rangers don't need another player at that stage of development. They need ones capable of quickly exerting their quality against Celtic and others. By doing so, those players will lead the younger ones around them."
Andy Halliday
The former Ibrox star reckons Beale will be letting Alfredo Morelos know what is expected after a derby day to forget for the Colombian. Probed if the boss will accept Morelos' current physical condition, he told the Open Goal podcast: "No. But see for the last five games, Morelos is the only striker they've had."No. But see for the last five games, Morelos is the only striker they've had.
"A lot's been said of Alfredo Morelos in the Old Firms because his goal record's not been great and misses chances, but I think some of his best performances have came in those games.
"But I thought yesterday, so many of Rangers' attacks broke down with him taking a loose touch or a poor pass. "To be fair I do think there's been an upturn in his performances under Michael Beale, he's been a bit better. But yesterday he wasn't at it."
Kevin Thomson
The former midfielder told the Scottish Sun: "If Rangers had won, there would have been more investment in January than there could be now. I don't know that for sure, I'm just saying what I think as my honest opinion. It's difficult to get the right players in during the January window at the best of times.
"So it might be better to hold on to their pennies and invest it in the right players come the summer. That's not being defeatist and writing off the season, because you can't do that at Rangers. I just think if they'd managed to hold on for the win against Celtic, there would be more financial backing than there could be now."
Barry Ferguson
The Record Sport columnist is loving Beale's approach and honesty and reckons his opening run of results bodes well for the long-term. He said: "Beale will be delighted with so many aspects of this display but after taking just one point, we know it’s going to be extremely difficult to claw Celtic’s nine-point lead back.
"I’ve always said it is going to be a hard task. But the manager will bank a lot of positives from Monday and so will his players. That second-half performance must now be the template for the way things need to be in the months ahead as it’s the way Beale will want his Rangers players to perform. If they can do that, then more often than not they will win games and pick up the points. That’s why there can be plenty of optimism as we move into a new year and era under a new manager.
"If you look at the last four matches leading up to this Old Firm game, it was 12 points out of 12. Were the performances amazing? No. What I’ve liked about Beale since he’s taken charge is that he’s honest when giving his assessment of how things are and have been. After every game he states there is still lots of work still to be done.
I am convinced that in the short four or five weeks he’s been in charge, there are clear signs of improvement while in the knowledge there is still a lot to be done. He has said he wants to bring new players in and there are ones he will need to move out. But as a Rangers fan, you have to feel encouraged by what you are seeing since resuming the season after the break for the World Cup."
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