Just as Philippe Clement appeared to be running out of road, an emphatic result which few truthfully saw coming ensures the Belgian’s Ibrox journey goes on for now.
After being subject to savage criticism in the wake of a dismal defeat at Rugby Park on Sunday, a victory and a performance were pretty much non-negotiable for the Rangers manager here.
By the end of a highly satisfying night, Clement could rightly claim that both boxes had beenresoundingly ticked.
They were markedly the better side throughout and rarely looked in danger from the moment Vaclav Cerny added to Tom Lawrence’s early strike in the first half.
A much-changed visiting team rarely threatened thereafter and were done for the minute Cerny found his second sumptuous finish of the night early in the second period. A fine evening all round for Clement was completed when Hamza Igamane climbed off the bench to claim his first goal for the club late on.
Rangers were good value for their second victory in this revamped Europa League and will feel they are now in a decent position to advance to the knockout round.
While the trips to face Olympiacos and Nice can now be approached with a greater sense of optimism, it remains to be seen if this is the turning point Clement has been looking for. Bluntly, we’ve been here before.
Until his side can rid themselves of the staccato form that brings displays like the one at Kilmarnock just as often as the ones we witnessed here and in Malmo, the Belgian will have his cynics to win over. This was a start, but it was no more than that.
On nights like these, Clement must wonder why his players can’t replicate this level more often.
Having been passive and predictable at the weekend, they played with tempo and belief. And that remains the key issue; from one match to the next, you just don’t know what version of this Rangers side will walk out of the tunnel.
For the next couple of days at least, though, the storm clouds have been blown away.
Those Rangers fans who feel that their own club has become dysfunctional should be careful what they wish for.
In the build-up to this match, Steaua owner and president Gigi Becali claimed to have picked a weakened team after going out with all guns blazing in the win over city rivals Dinamo. And lo and behold, no fewer than eight of the second stringers he promised would play did so.
Frankly, it showed. Rudderless and lacking any form of cohesion, they performed like a side who’d met for the first time at breakfast.
After a dismal start to the season, Clement plainly did not have the luxury of playing a reserve side.
He largely tasked those players who’d got themselves into the hole on Sunday with digging their way out of it. From the side which began the defeat in Kilmarnock, only Leon Balogun and Nicolas Raskin displaced Robin Propper and Mohamed Diomande.
Lawrence, who admitted that every word of criticism after Sunday had been merited, retained his place in behind the much-maligned Cyriel Dessers and would have a telling early say in the match before succumbing to injury at its midway point.
An indication of the current feeling towards Clement now was seen in the spare blue seats dotted around the stadium.
With the Romanians bringing a sizeable and boisterous support, the atmosphere was decent if not quite electric.
It was a night when Rangers had to give their supporters something to cheer. And, to their credit, they eventually did.
Inside two minutes, though, the recent fragility of the Ibrox side was again exposed. Jack Butland’s footwork after taking in John Souttar’s routine pass was cumbersome.
David Miculescu picked his pocket and rounded him to net. Fortunately for the keeper, Italian referee Marco Di Bello blew for an infringement.
Rangers’ response came via a Raskin shot that was well-fielded by Stefan Tarnovanu and a Cerny strike that earned a welcome corner.
The early scare aside, there was much more about Clement’s men initially than was witnessed down the M77.
Coming on 10 minutes, the opener was well-worked and not ill-deserved. James Tavernier’s clipped pass in behind the Steaua defence sat up for Cerny. The Czech weighed up his options and pulled the ball back to the lurking Lawrence.
The Welshman didn’t hit the ball as cleanly as he would have liked but he didn’t have to. His shot from 14 yards still had enough accuracy to find the net after clipping the inside of Tarnovanu’s post.
Rangers still made too many errors in possession. The difference from Sunday was that they made up the ground and atoned for them. Raskin and Connor Barron were particularly adept at extinguishing fires in midfield. They denied the visitors a chance to settle into a rhythm.
A cheap foul conceded by Balogun on the left side of his box gave the Romanians a potential route back into the game.
Marius Stefanescu took it short to Luis Phelipe with Butland’s reflexes sending the strike over the top.
Having cursed his luck on that occasion, Phelipe would soon be filled with a sense of self-loathing as Rangers went two goals up just after the half-hour mark.
A woefully slack pass turned the ball over to Cerny with the Rangers winger immediately driving at goal and setting himself for a shot on his right foot. It was measured to perfection, starting outside the post but bending into the net for a superb finish. Clement punched the air with delight. This was more like it.
The contest was certainly meaty. Di Bello produced his yellow card five times in a combative opening half although no infringement was worthy of a second look from VAR.
With Steaua’s unfamiliar line-up at sixes and sevens at the back, Rangers might well have been out of sight by the time the official put the whistle to his lips for the interval.
The third goal was always going to be vital. A fine goal-line block by Balogun at the start of the second period ensured it didn’t go Steaua’s way with Tavernier’s rising strike keeping the visitors believing for a few minutes more.
The game was up on 55 minutes. Diomande, who’d replaced the stricken Lawrence at the break, released Cerny with a gem of a ball from inside his own half. The Czech still had a lot of work to do but slalomed his way from left to right before burying the ball in the far corner.
Cerny was excellent throughout here, his movement and skill reminding you what he’s capable of when he’s at it.
You could say the same for many others in Clement’s squad.
Eradicating their tendency to follow dazzling performances with diabolical ones is now his challenge.
This collective display was certainly up there with any Ibrox has witnessed in recent times with a fourth goal deservedly arriving 18 minutes from time.
Substitute Igamane showed great guile to turn Joyskim Dawa inside out and find the far corner with a low strike. His first Rangers goal will assuredly not be his last.
