I’ve been saying for quite a few weeks that we must be patient and allow this rebuild time to develop.

With that mantra very much in mind, I somewhat went against my own advice at full-time on Tuesday evening. Even if Rangers navigated their way beyond Servette, securing a vital extra €5million in the process.

On the surface of things, Rangers had done everything asked of them - the issue I had was a fragmented performance in parts.

I want, and need, to see more in a bid to afford our new signings' time. But, as anyone who knows me will confirm, I don’t do patience when it comes to football. I’m basically arguing against myself in this week’s column because my natural reaction contradicts everything said thus far.

Here’s the objective truth - this team needs time to gel. With that in mind, it’s also fair to be concerned by elements of the performance in Geneva. Those two statements are not mutually exclusive. It’s possible to be critical and concerned in isolation while also refusing to jump on any bandwagon as soon as Rangers concede a goal.

For the points that proved concerning in that 1-1 draw with Servette, there were also promising glimpses individually and collectively. Essentially, it’s the good, the bad and the ugly. Rangers have contrived to produce all these moments in every game so far this season. From the sublime to the ridiculous.

The first half in Switzerland was a carbon copy of what we saw against Hoffenheim this pre-season. An extremely narrow set-up saw our full-backs targeted and defensive laps naturally followed. Jack Butland had two big moments to keep the tie level at half-time, covering mistakes his teammates committed higher up the pitch.

That’s the negative thing for me and worryingly, you can identify defensive issues as a theme since the summer. Is it a case of players not quite clicking yet, or are we asking too much of them in this particular formation?

READ MORE: Nico Raskin's Rangers vs Servette performance analysed

Because quite clearly, this team are capable of looking far better in the same ninety minutes. Tuesday's second half was the standout from this season so far with full-backs pushing up aggressively and offering necessary width as Rangers played with more intensity off the ball.

Individually, Jose Cifuentes started to flourish and whatever changes were made in midfield allowed Nico Raskin to run the game. The Belgian must be sponsored by Duracell because his energy appeared boundless. Borna Barisic’s delicious cross, a third in the past week, was headed home at the back post by who other than James Tavernier to set up next week’s play-off tie with PSV.

Immediately after, a friend said to me, “They [the full-backs] are our biggest threat and equally our biggest weakness”. As a statement, that’s hard to argue with. Tavernier continues to provide huge moments regardless of the questions and doubts that come his way.

The frustrating truth is that even in spite of a nightmare first half, we should’ve won that game on the night after the break. So many moments in transition nearly possessed the final pass, so many finishes just evaded the target. Too often, it was poor decision-making that left these chances unfulfilled. Rangers bossed it and the uplift in performance was most welcome, even if a win on the night should’ve followed.

Raskin thrived, Cifuentes continues to show promise and Todd Cantwell once again demonstrated that he’s the heartbeat of this team.

Rangers’ frontline hasn’t clicked yet and by Beale’s own admission, he’s still waiting for a Ryan Kent replacement to offer the balance in the final third that’s not there at present.

On a more positive note chances are arriving. Danilo and Sam Lammers should’ve both scored excellent chances and Servette’s goalkeeper was forced into a few saves while Rangers also hit the post. Take those moments and the tie would’ve been over well before the second half on Tuesday. This Rangers team remain a work in progress. We’re still in a frustrating phase, but the point I want to emphasise is that progress is evident. I’m prepared to give the team time and hopefully, things click into place. Will a new signing do that? Will a slight positional change split the difference? Or will it just take time and a few bumps along the way?

One thing’s for sure, winning at the same time is non-negotiable.