Five talking points as Rangers get off and running under Michael Beale

Rangers announced earlier in the day that Leon King and Ianis Hagi had both signed new long-term deals to commit themselves to the club. And the first three points of Beale’s tenure gave supporters more reasons to be cheerful.

RANGERS GET OFF AND RUNNING

Booed off at the break, cheered off at the end. If Beale needed a reminder about what life at Ibrox is like, it was encapsulated in this thrilling Premiership clash.

There will be queries about the quality at times, but there were few questioning the character as a rousing second half showing earned Rangers a deserved win to make it a happy homecoming for Beale on the night that he received a warm welcome from those that ventured out into the cold.

The manner of the goals that were conceded will be a source of concern for Beale but he had to be pleased with many aspects of the attacking performance. The strike from Sakala was clinical, a set-piece routine paid off and Morelos provided the finishing touch to a lovely move to complete the comeback.

It is, of course, still early days. Nobody will be getting carried away and Beale will know better than anyone the work that still needs done as he seeks to find the individual and collective gains required to salvage a season that went from bad to worse under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

It was crucial that Rangers didn’t falter at the first hurdle. It was a job well done in that regard and it is now onwards and upwards as Beale bids to deliver some festive cheer at Ibrox.

TITLE TALK WILL BE KEPT QUIET

Beale has been wary not to get involved too heavily in title talk and make bold predictions about what Rangers can achieve in the second half of the season. The nine point gap that he inherited was always going to be difficult to overturn regardless of how this first outing transpired.

The Ibrox boss admitted on Wednesday that his side will need a helping hand from their Premiership rivals if Celtic are to be caught and overtaken this term. The three remaining Old Firm fixtures offer Rangers hope, but the silverware was always going to be Celtic’s to lose given their lead from a dominant first few months of the campaign.

The cliché of one game at a time carries weight in the opening weeks of Beale’s reign but Rangers have to look slightly longer term as well and wins against Aberdeen, Ross County and Motherwell must now follow after this merited and entertaining victory.

All Rangers can do is take care of their own business and see how Celtic respond. Come January 2, that is when Beale’s side have their biggest chance to prove themselves in the Premiership.

BEALE GOES WITH TWO STRIKERS PLAN

The talk of a two-pronged attack was one of the main tactical takeaways from Beale’s pre-match press conference on Wednesday and the prospect certainly excited a support that had become disillusioned with the lethargic approach in the final stages of the Van Bronckhorst era.

Beale was true to his word here. There was no place for Antonio Colak in the match squad but that didn’t deter the boss as Sakala joined Morelos through the middle.

The support came from Ryan Kent and star man Malik Tillman. Both operated centrally, which led to a lack of width at times, as Beale sought to get four goal threats as close to the Hibernian area as possible.

Sakala was signed as a striker during his watch last summer but found chances to play in his preferred position hard to come by under Van Bronckhorst.

He made the most of his opportunity here and a fine finish across David Marshall showed what he can bring to the team. If Beale sticks with this approach, there will be more chances to come for the Zambian in what must be a revitalised front line.

DEFENSIVE ISSUES STILL TO BE ADDRESSED

The more things change, the more they stay the same in some regards it seems. Beale has only had a couple of weeks on the training ground but there will need to be far more time spent working on solving the defensive disasters that have plagued Rangers all season.

The imminent return of Connor Goldson will help in that regard and a partnership must be formed alongside Ben Davies, who returned late on, or rising star Leon King.

This shoddy display highlighted just how important those three players will be going forward as a makeshift combination of John Lundstram and James Sands toiled. Their attempts to deal with Nisbet were farcical as the striker restored the lead that Porteous had given Hibernian with a free header as whatever marking masterplan Beale had in place failed at the first test.

It set the tone for a sloppy first half showing. Josh Campbell hit the side netting and Allan McGregor saved well from Elie Youan as Hibernian came close to extending their advantage but the visitors posed few problems after the break.

IT HAD TO BE PORTEOUS

There is little love lost between these two clubs and the respective supports. From a blue perspective, Porteous is the man that they love to hate.

The animosity in that particular relationship has made suggestions of a summer switch from Easter Road to Ibrox such a topic of debate. Indeed, the defender admitted such a move ‘wouldn’t go down too well’ as he expressed his desire to move to England when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Porteous has so often found himself at the centre of the drama in these fixtures. On this occasion, he was at the heart of the action as boss Lee Johnson utilised him in an unfamiliar midfield berth.

His most telling contribution came early as he bulleted home a header from Joe Newell’s corner to give the visitors a lead that stunned Ibrox.

The marking from Rangers left a lot to be desired but the finish was emphatic and the 23-year-old, linked with a range of Championship clubs and a move abroad, ran the length of the pitch as a cupped ear and knee slide completed the celebration.

He would end the evening on the losing side, though. And the booking picked up after the break now rules him out of the Edinburgh derby.