Giovanni van Bronckhorst said it was “not important” how Rangers achieved three points last night “as long as we win”.

This, and the subsequent 1-0 victory against Hearts, perfectly encapsulates the situation he finds himself in, and the pressure he remains under a year on from becoming Rangers manager. Not due to the desire to get three points at all costs or the understanding, established in his playing days, of why winning at Ibrox is non-negotiable. Rather, the belief that how you get somewhere doesn’t matter as long as you do just that.

Van Bronckhorst’s Achilles heel during the last few months, which has featured a chastening Champions League experience, another Old Firm humiliation and more recently one point from six against St Johnstone and Livingston, has been this very argument. He hasn’t been able to point to underperforming strikers or a plethora of unfinished chances. His post-match diplomacy has been in contrast with a lack of visible progress.

While he argued Sunday was the most chances Rangers have created away from home this season, the quality of shot his side produced was the second-lowest in the entire division. Shots were attempted repeatedly from unlikely angles and St Johnstone gladly blocked the road to goal by piling their own penalty box with players.

Supporters can withstand rough periods if reaching the end goal of success feels achievable. If not, bad spells simply feel like wasted time. This is the attitude the manager must turn around if he is to bring success at the end of the season.

Van Bronckhorst got the points he needed last night and on the basis of performance, his side deserved it. They were nervy at points and once again struggled to generate chances against a set defence. Eventually, Ryan Kent twisted one way and the next, released the ball at the correct time, creating the space necessary for Malik Tillman to arrive onto a Borna Barisic cross.

And still, beyond confirmation of character it wasn’t an evening that taught us all that much or suggested a real turning of the corner. A step in the right direction of course, but Saturday’s trip to St Mirren will reveal more with last weekend’s result in mind.

“In the first half we had ball possession but when you’re playing from left to right with not the right speed against the low block, it’s not hard for them to defend,” van Bronckhorst said after the game.

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Until substitutions brought life and a reinvigorated Kent made the difference the home side created little of meaning in front of goal. The closest they came before the break occurred when James Sands pinched the ball and launched a counterattack, from which John Lundstram eventually fired over. They were rarely handed such opportunities to run into space and that was the issue.

At one point in the first half during an injury break, James Tavernier made a beeline for Kent and put an arm around his shoulder. The winger isn’t helped by the overreliance placed on him to create chances but his manager has admitted more than once this season the need for greater output from a player who showed the height in his capabilities on the road to Seville.

Initially, he tried without travailing, falling into old habits of taking an extra touch or making the wrong call. After half-time. alongside substitutions Kent was brighter and lighter, evading tackles and making the right decisions. For the goal, he drifted infield, beat three men and matched it with all-important timing – releasing Barisic who found Tillman.

The American was the matchwinner and still attracted criticism after putting his side ahead. Not only is he a young player who will go through “ups and downs” given his age according to the manager, but Tillman is also perceived to be a luxury player by some which can make him a lightning rod for criticism. For any qualms about his contribution, this was another match-winning goal.

At full-time Borna Barisic lifted his arms into the Ibrox air embodying sheer relief that was undoubtedly shared by every one of his teammates. 

Although Rangers needed to win and did, this like so many other games only matters if it can be sustained, starting against St Mirren.

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