Rangers travelled to Paisley at lunchtime, knowing their clash with St Mirren was already a must-win.
New head coach Russell Martin and his side went into the match having drawn their opening two fixtures, already seven points behind Celtic, who had defeated Livingston the day before, ratcheting the pressure up to 100.
The support threatened to turn toxic after Tuesday evening’s home defeat to Brugge, prompting Martin to make changes to his team.
Mohammed Diomande and Danilo were dropped following a series of poor outings. Lyall Cameron came into midfield, while Thelo Aasgaard was handed his first Rangers start up front, unfamiliar territory for the Norwegian midfielder.
Emmanuel Fernandez also made his first league start, replacing the suspended Nasser Djiga, who had been sent off in the 1-1 draw with Dundee two weeks earlier.
Rangers started brightly, with Oliver Antman testing Buddies keeper Shamal George early on after an excellent driving run from the Finn.
Cameron also passed up a huge opportunity in the six-yard box following a pinpoint Jayden Meghoma cross from out wide.
Beyond those moments, the Gers were inept in attack during the first 20 minutes, consistently giving up chances to a St Mirren side that showed far more fight and determination.
A lack of heart and desire remains a real problem under Russell Martin. Alex Gogic and Mikael Mandron both found themselves free in the area, but thankfully for Rangers, neither converted.
Once again, the team failed to dominate opponents despite their superior resources and supposed effective style of play.
The players’ decision-making eerily recalled the poorer days under Steven Gerrard and Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Back then, when the chips were down, the ball would go to Ryan Kent or Alfredo Morelos, hoping they could conjure a moment of individual brilliance. Now, it is Djeidi Gassama who carries that responsibility.
The winger is electric and skilful, but he needs more support from teammates who often hide and pass the responsibility on to others.
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The team were once again punished for their slack play. A high defensive line was exposed when a simple pass from St Mirren found Mandron thirty yards from goal. His pass to Jonah Ayunga set the Kenyan international free, and with Fernandez and John Souttar trailing, he tucked it past Jack Butland.
Aasgaard would later miss an absolute sitter inside the six-yard area, one a natural striker would have tucked away, raising further questions over Martin’s selection as his side went into the break behind.
Martin made a duo of changes at the break in an attempt to turn the black-and-white tide, with Danilo and Mikey Moore replacing Meghoma and Antman, accompanied by a tactical reshuffle.
There was a slight upturn early in the half, but things quickly returned to type, slow, pedestrian, and bereft of ideas, while St Mirren continued to create the better chances.
Martin and his men were made to look more like relegation contenders than a side aiming to challenge for the title and compete in Europe.
With all the money spent and players recruited, it was the old head of James Tavernier from a corner that set up the breakthrough. The ball found teenager Findlay Curtis at the edge of the area, and he drilled home to grab his third goal in his last six games.
The youngster, brought on to replace the dreadful Joe Rothwell, scored almost immediately, contributing more in mere moments than the former Leeds man has in his entire Rangers career to date.
Curtis would come close again moments later, forcing an excellent save from George, as Rangers finally began to stir after three quarters of the match and kept the pressure on the Saints’ defence.
Danilo later forced a huge save from Saints stopper George, but the usual culprits, Souttar and co, continued giving away needless fouls and playing passes that simply weren’t on.
The game limped to its conclusion, with St Mirren coming inches away from a winner, only for Butland to pull off a superb save to deny a bullet Gogic header deep into stoppage time.
There is no more patience for Martin and his side. It’s time to change, and time to win. If not, it may already be time to leave.
Rangers are not a club that can shrink their ambitions or expectations. If Martin cannot meet the demands of the supporters, the experiment may have already run its course.