Rangers certainly rode their luck at home to St Mirren as Vaclav Cerny’s winner denied The Buddies a winning return following the announcement of Stephen Robinson’s new contract.
And talk about a mixed week.
After the low of that defeat at Kilmarnock and the soaring high of Rangers’ Europa League thrashing of FCSB came a tricky encounter with a St Mirren outfit emboldened by the loyalty of their head coach in the build up to Sunday’s trip to Ibrox.
And as Alex Gogic fired home to cancel out Mohamed Diomande’s early opener, a Rangers fanbase who have seen their fair share of false dawns in recent times could have been forgiven for suffering a vivid case of deja vu.
Especially with the physical Toyosi Olusanya bullying Robin Propper; the £1.5 million signing marking his return to the Rangers XI with a less-than-convincing display at centre-half.
Robin Propper struggles as St Mirren ‘scare’ Rangers defence
“We’re a team that presses the life out of people. We play in their half and we’re not embarrassed about that. And I got the reaction I wanted,” former Motherwell boss Robinson said at full-time.
“We’re on a sticky run, of course, but if we get performances like that, which is now the standard that’s set, and I’ll only play people that will run and die for the football club, and I got every ounce out of them today.
“And arguably there’s not many Rangers fans who will say we didn’t deserve something out of the game.
“The energy, the press, some of our quality of football as well. I mean, I don’t see too many teams pressing Rangers like that or creating the chances that we’ve done throughout the game. We were brave, we created chances, and we have ourselves to blame for not taking those chances, of course.
“I thought Toyosi was outstanding. He scared the life out of the Rangers defence. If he takes a couple of those chances, perhaps, he probably wouldn’t be playing for us at the moment.”
Olusanya stung the palms of goalkeeper Jack Butland in the second half after robbing an unwitting Propper inside his own penalty area.
Philippe Clement hails Neraysho Kasanwirjo after replacing Propper
Back on the team sheet after he was dropped for that FCSB clash – the Dutchman partnered Leon Balogun after John Souttar picked up an injury pre-match – Propper was hauled off on the hour mark with captain James Tavernier entering the fray and the versatile Neraysho Kasanwirjo shifting across.
Clement is not ruling out utilising Feyenoord loanee Kasanwirjo in the centre more often, either.
“I’m making changes for a reason,” Clement said when asked why he removed Propper from the fray. “I wanted to get some stability [due to] the way that St Mirren was playing.
“[Kasanwirjo] did a good job in that way, so we will see for the future. He was also [doing] a good job on the right full-back, although he could play more offensive in the first-half. Second-half was much better in that way.
“That’s why we brought him in also, because he’s still young. He’s only 22, with a lot of potential, and he can play all over the defence.”
Rangers winger Vaclav Cerny followed up his scintillating brace against FCSB at Ibrox with the goal which dragged Clement and co over the line versus St Mirren.
The Glasgow giants travel to early-season pacesetters Aberdeen on Wednesday night hoping to cut the gap at the top of the table.
