Rangers fell to defeat on the opening day of the season against Kilmarnock, with Brad Lyons' goal from a long throw-in earning all three points for the hosts.

In a performance that attracted criticism, Michael Beale's side struggled to find fluency in what the manager branded a "stuffy" performance.

A cause for concern? Or a one-off error on the opening day at a tricky venue?

Our writers answer your questions from social media below.

I'm concerned that during difficult games when teams put 10 men behind the ball, we have no other game plan than to cross the ball into the box full of 6-foot-plus defenders? (YouTube)

It's a legitimate concern after that showing at the weekend. Beale's side enjoyed a strong record domestically from last November, with a clear structure and greater level of control. In this writer's opinion, the reliance on crossing in the final third is something he tried to move away from as last season wore on. Beale's teams feel more positionally free than Steven Gerrard's in the final third, even if Saturday wasn't a fine example. It's this unpredictability that kept them effective against deep defences last season. 

Borna Barisic limits what you can do in the final third because, unlike Ridvan Yilmaz, the Croatian isn't able to move inside the pitch, invert or create from deep. There's no denying that the visitors, especially on the left, appeared one-dimensional. James Tavernier created a couple of chances, notably Cyriel Dessers' opening at the end of the first half. Looking at Tavernier's pass map in the final third (top) compared to Barisic's (bottom) demonstrates more interplay from the right side and almost three times the number of passes (57 to 22). Note, red indicates a successful action and yellow unsuccessful.

Joshua Barrie

Why does our management seem to think a squad without any wingers is capable of being successful given a large number of games will look like the one at Rugby Park? (Youtube)

Although Rangers didn't often play with wingers last season, they did on occasion use wide forwards, especially away from home. Abdallah Sima offers a different type of running threat in the final third - he'll look better over distance moving on the right side or against the block, making darting runs inside from the right. In comparison, departing striker Fashion Sakala offered Rangers drive and pace from the left flank with the ball at his feet. Nico Raskin was the only player capable of really running through the Kilmarnock defence on Saturday while Sam Lammers, the main one-on-one threat in the attacking line-up, struggled to get on the ball. More than needing a winger pinned to the touchline, the jury does perhaps remain out on whether Rangers have enough one-on-one profiles in their attacking make-up capable of bypassing defenders at pace. 

Joshua Barrie

Has Lammers been given Cantwell's position and will that impact the team negatively? (Youtube)

This is again a wider conversation than one 200-word answer. In short, it shouldn't because Rangers have room for more than one creative profile. Lammers is often at his best with his back to goal and that could allow Cantwell more freedom to run beyond, break from midfield and play facing forwards. Also, remember the January signing played some of his best football in that deeper midfield role after arriving from Norwich. Reflecting on Saturday's game in isolation, Beale may have some regrets about not starting Cantwell because of Lammers' limited impact and what he missed from last season's standout. On the basis of pre-season, the Dutch forward deserved his inclusion from the off but he wasn't able to influence proceedings. I'd be surprised if there are many teamsheets without Todd Cantwell's name in the starting 11 this season going forward.

Joshua Barrie

READ MORE: Analysing Todd Cantwell's game with his Norwich City coach 

Why does John Lundstram continually start under Beale? (Twitter)

Beale has stated on numerous occasions that he prefers to deploy two sitting midfielders to provide balance. The manager abandoned this strategy during one game last season when Malik Tillman, Cantwell and Ryan Kent played in midfield and was unhappy with the structure in midfield - insisting Rangers were too easy to play through. Although he improved at the tail end of last season, Lundstram endured a disappointing campaign following his standout displays on the run to the Europa League final. However, Beale trusts Lundstram and that, alongside his defensive tendencies, led to him starting at Rugby Park. The Englishman didn’t have a great game at Kilmarnock, but neither did Lammers or Kieran Dowell who struggled to influence the game as the side's creative outlets. Whether Beale needs to deploy two sitters in domestic games is a legitimate question and the Kilmarnock clash is exactly the time of game state in which Lundstram often struggles. He’s not the type of player to play penetrative passes that unlock a deep defence and therefore. a starting role on Saturday was a surprise.

Euan Robertson

When will we start playing with a sense of urgency? (Twitter)

Hopefully on Wednesday night against Servette in the crucial Champions League qualifier. Rangers need to show a reaction to the uninspiring display in Ayrshire and there’s no better stage to do that than under the lights at Ibrox on a European night. It will be important to make a good start, to ensure the crowd are right behind them. Rangers lacked urgency in their play against Kilmarnock and it was pedestrian at times as they recycled the ball. This lack of intensity allowed Kilmarnock time to get back in a defensive shape on too many occasions, highlighted by an example when Tavernier ran across the pitch to take a throw-in, rather than allowing Lundstram to restart the game quickly. Rangers played with a sense of urgency under Beale with the away performances against Hibs and Hearts last season and the Old Firm at Ibrox being notable examples. The artificial pitch at Kilmarnock can’t be used as an excuse for defeat but it did create a "stuffy" game - as Beale alluded to - and slowed down the tempo with the pitch being dry. 

Euan Robertson

Did Rangers miss someone like Ryan Kent to commit players? (Facebook)

Revisionism is often present in the immediate aftermath of a defeat when every angle of the performance is under scrutiny. Few bemoaned Kent’s departure in the summer as the general consensus was that it was the right time for all parties to seek pastures new. During his five years at Ibrox, Kent was Rangers’ most technically gifted player and he produced some high-level performances like his scintillating display against Borussia Dortmund in Germany. Rangers badly lacked a player willing to take on his marker on Saturday, with Lammers the only exception - despite not having his best game. Todd Cantwell’s omission was a surprise and he’s another player in the squad who is willing to commit a defender. Cantwell excelled last season but Beale claimed he was guilty of trying "too hard" after his introduction at Rugby Park and he completed zero successful dribbles while losing the ball on a number of occasions. Rangers’ squad composition lacks players willing to take their opponents on and many would relate this to a lack of natural wide options. It’s imperative to avoid sweeping judgements after one defeat but it was a major concern against Kilmarnock. Lammers, Cantwell and Abdallah Sima possess the skillet to move past defenders but Rangers do lack players with real one-on-one ability. 

Euan Robertson