Rangers' season suffered a huge blow after they returned from the international break to lose 1-0 away at Kilmarnock.

Philippe Clement's team were back in Scottish Premiership action after a two-week break and fell to a deserved defeat. On a day where they created little, Kilmarnock's edge eventually showed late on as a Marley Watkins strike won three points.

The Rangers Review picks apart the game's key talking points below.

A failure to change the narrative

At the start of the day, Saturday’s draw between Celtic and Aberdeen afforded Clement’s side the opportunity to close the gap at the top to three points in Ayrshire. At the start of a significant month with tricky fixtures in all competitions there was an opportunity here to change the narrative a little. When Rangers last travelled to Rugby Park they were carried high by momentum before a title tilt collapsed, could that be recaptured? A banner unveiled in the away end just after the interval concluding ‘The mismanagement of Rangers must stop and stop now’ tells of an atmosphere that was waiting to boil over. Sometimes a win in football is not only needed but necessary. The hosts had the more dangerous of first-half moments despite their frugal share of the ball in the final third. Playing here, on this surface, opponents are only ever a cross or set-piece away from danger. VAR ruled out a Robbie Deas header and a short Jefte backpass forced John Souttar to block an open goal among a few other shaky situations. Too much of the visiting side’s possession came in areas Kilmarnock were comfortable affording. In fact, it was only really when space opened up to play into, bar the odd James Tavernier run on the right, that injected pace into the Rangers attack. All day the visitors didn't nearly do enough to limit Kilmarnock's strengths and impose themselves on proceedings. 

Questions at either end

Robin Propper, the former FC Twente captain, has been steady since arriving this summer. Here the 30-year-old played a few neat passes through the lines demonstrating a comfort on the ball that is allowing Rangers to build up with a little more control. However, over the course this was something of a welcome to Scottish football up against Kyle Vassell. Propper won some duels while losing others and was ultimately replaced by Leon Balogun just after the hour mark when limping off the pitch - a knock sustained by bringing down Vassell to stop a one-v-one against Souttar. Propper has, in this writer’s opinion, generally adapted well to life in Scotland with his lack of pace one concern. This was a learning of the league’s more attritional facets from which he’ll have to improve. Meanwhile with links to Ryan Kent persisting, how Rangers could do with more pace and drive in their attack. Clement could call on no one to outrun the home defence and Kilmarnock knew it. Jefte’s final ball was poor but the left-back’s dashes were a welcome break for those watching from an attacking unit that often felt one-paced. Clement in the end resorted to pushing Tavernier up a line on the right. Rangers aren't missing chances at the moment, they're not creating them.

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Why Dessers 'isn't suited' to games like this

Following a 1-0 win over Dundee United at Tannadice last month: “For as promising as Igamane looked off the bench this weekend, the fact he is a different type of striker is what stands out. One who wants to move towards the ball and access the space ahead of a defence, who can take the ball on his chest and turn a dangerous pressing moment for Dundee United into the concession of a dangerous attack within seconds.” Copy and paste? Having watched Cyriel Dessers for well over a year most observers know what he is and what he’s not. The 29-year-old has scored at an impressive rate over the course of the last calendar year. He’s a forward who relies on movement, plays on the shoulder and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. The Nigerian is not a forward for all and every occasion and on a day like this, limitations are on show. Dessers has previously described himself as a forward who wants to face the goal and therefore, when tasked with linking moves and getting his side up the pitch Clement’s team suffer as a consequence.

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A sting in the tail, that was deserved 

Clement didn’t turn to his bench until the hour mark when Leon Balogun and Nico Raskin, who improved the midfield made an entrance. Then, with 20 minutes to go, Igamane finally made his to a cheer from the away support, some of whom did also sing Dessers’ song in return. Just before that juncture, Jack Butland was forced into a big one-v-one stop as Matty Kennedy stole the ball from Jefte following a corner and sprung through on goal with Tavernier doing well to close the angle. Come full-time Rangers’ real-time xG was 0.96 with their three best chances originating from corners. In fact, despite Kilmarnock’s chance valuation coming in slightly lower at 0.73 Derek McCinnes’ side would’ve been happier with the performance. Even in the final stages pressure from the visitors around the Kilmarnock goal was limited. The question those travelling Rangers fans are asking at the moment is this - is there enough evidence that things are and will get better? Days like today do little to address and answer that concern. The late goal scored by Watkins compounds matters. Did Rangers deserve anything from this? No. Was this a better performance than that offered up at Tynecastle on the opening day of the season? It's hard to say so. With a trip to Pittodrie just days away the pressure on Clement grew and belief in his project from the stands took a significant blow today in Ayrshire.