Rangers just needed to win against St Mirren but in Zak Lovelace and Ross McCausland, there was something for fans to be optimistic about.
Players in the academy have to see a pathway to the first team and it is more than to meet UEFA quotas that it is a benefit towards.
Successful Rangers teams have always had a core of players who have come through the youth set up and Zak Lovelace and Ross McCausland have shown that they can be trusted.
Rangers point proven by Zak Lovelace and Ross McCausland
Unfortunately, it has taken an injury crisis for them both to have been given their chance.
Michael Beale and Steven Davis decided to go with Scott Wright who has done little to suggest that he is good enough for Rangers and was all but out the door in the summer.
The departed Gers boss spoke about having a more streamlined squad.
When Steven Gerrard was in charge, youngsters had no chance because players like Jack Simpson would be signed to be 5th or 6th choice, and it was the same everywhere else on the park.
Beale may have trimmed the squad slightly but he still brought in Leon Balogun when Leon King had just played more Champions League minutes than any other under 21.
Shading St Mirren, Rangers eventually ran out comfortable 3-0 victors but it shouldn’t have been down to Zak Lovelace to be our biggest threat on his starting debut or on Ross McCausland to make things happen when he was surrounded by internationals.
Lovelace’s run and cross led to the penalty whilst McCausland created 1v1 chances for both Nico Raskin and Cyriel Dessers.
They created more chances than Sam Lammers and Scott Wright have done recently despite one of them costing a reported £3m.
What they also both showed was intent.
They moved the ball quickly, looked unburdened by the pressures of failure and keen to impress.
And that’s exactly what they did.
