To say Michael Beale has been under pressure over the last fortnight would be an underestimate.
Following back-to-back defeats in big games before the international break against PSV and Celtic, there were calls from several areas that the job of rebuilding this Rangers squad was one too big for the Englishman.
Despite getting back to winning ways with a 2-0 away victory on Saturday at a tricky venue in McDiarmid Park, the jury still remains out over whether Beale has what it takes to turn around what has been a rollercoaster start to the season.
Why is that?
Well it goes beyond just winning and losing games. It involves fans wanting to see a clear roadmap of how this team and squad is going to develop as the season goes on.
Given the nature of the transfer activity over the summer, fans would accept a couple of losses early doors if there were clear indications that this side would eventually gel into the system the manager is wanting to implement.
The only problem is we aren’t fully sure what that system is on a game-by-game basis.
Given that we are now into September, it’s understandable that there is a level of concern in the air around Ibrox.
Against St Johnstone, whilst there were signs that the players were getting into something resembling a cohesive shape, the build-up play remain slow and turgid at points.
Not only that but, aside from Danilo is his 16 minute cameo before injury ended his afternoon following a goal, there still wasn’t much to shout about from the new additions, as Sam Lammers struggled to stand out again the more the game wore on, whilst Cyriel Dessers and Jose Cifuentes remained on the bench for the full 90.
Indeed, it took an injection of pace in the second period for Rangers to really turn the screw, and as that second 45 outlined, it’s not really the players Beale brought in to the club in the summer that are taking the game by the scruff of the neck YET for his side, but those who have either been out for long spells injured like Tom Lawrence and Kemar Roofe, or Gio signings who were much maligned but seem to be turning things around in Rabbi Matondo.
As it stands, Beale seems to be attempting to put square pegs into round holes in order to integrate his new players into the starting 11, and it just doesn’t seem to be fully working as of yet.
The challenge he faces is to get these players up to form, whilst also not presenting a disjointed tactical approach that leaves fans scratching their head more than raising their hands above them to celebrate goals galore.
It’s a challenge that would be tricky for an experienced manager, let alone one still only just over one year into senior management. That’s why the pressure is so intense on Michael Beale to turn it around quickly.
But that’s just part of life managing a club the size of Rangers.