THE first run of fixtures for Rangers this season were something of a whirlwind but there was a satisfaction to be taken from a rather more low-key afternoon against Dundee.

The drama of late goals and the controversy around red cards make for great talking points but Steven Gerrard would surely have been pleased with a straightforward 90 minutes on Saturday.

There were areas of the performance that didn’t please the Ibrox boss but it was a match his side controlled and the three points earned were more than merited as Lassana Coulibaly, Ryan Kent, James Tavernier and Glenn Middleton found the net.

This was the type of occasion that Rangers haven’t had enough of in recent years and the kind that they will hope there are more of as they look to challenge for the Premiership title this term.

Against inferior opposition, they turned up and got the job done with relative ease and without any fuss. It wasn’t great, but it didn’t have to be and it was still more than good enough to overcome a Dundee side now without a point after five matches.

Amid the highs of the Europa League outings, every domestic match this season has come with a talking point or a controversy.

At Pittodrie, it was the red card wrongly shown to Alfredo Morelos and Aberdeen’s last-gasp equaliser that dominated the agenda, while the following week Rangers were denied the chance to really hammer home their advantage against St Mirren after Ross McCrorie was sent off.

Then there was the injury that Jamie Murphy suffered on the artificial surface at Kilmarnock and the six goal thriller against Motherwell as another two crucial points slipped through Rangers’ grasps.

Before the international break, the biggest test of them all so far was failed as Gerrard’s side slumped to an Old Firm defeat amid feelings of frustration and of what might have been.

It was always going to be a tricky start to the campaign for Rangers but Gerrard made no excuses last week when insisting that a tally of five points from four games wasn’t acceptable.

There was never any chance of their record being blotted once again here, though, and when Coulibaly opened the scoring inside four minutes the game was as good as won there and then.

The Malian’s return to action has been a longer time coming than Gerrard initially anticipated. He picked up where he left off and showed why he will be an integral part of the side this term.

After nicking the ball off the toe of Alfredo Morelos, Coulibaly rifled it beyond Elliot Parish to get Rangers off and running. They never looked back.

There were further positives for Gerrard to take as Kent capped arguably his best outing for the Gers with an incisive run and neat finish before Tavernier converted from the spot. In the final minutes, Middleton had a moment to remember as he scored from a tight angle to net his first goal for the Light Blues.

For the two wingers, the goals were hugely significant, and Gerrard will back both to go from strength to strength this season.

Middleton is now knocking on the door for a starting spot after making the most of his chance to impress this summer. He remains raw and unpolished but he excites supporters and causes defenders problems.

The task of dislodging Daniel Candeias, again an impressive and important performer on the right against Dundee, and Kent is no easy one, though, and the challenge will increase once Eros Grezda is up to full fitness.

Many supporters would have seen Kent as the one that would drop out of the side but the on-loan Liverpool kid now has a platform upon which to build after finally adding a finishing product to his attacking play on the left flank.

The goals were the moments that brought the Ibrox crowd to their feet but it was the final whistle and the confirmation of victory that was the most important one for Rangers.

Having seen Celtic slip-up at St Mirren the previous night, Gerrard’s side would have been well aware that nothing less than all three points would do on home soil.

And that will remain the case in the coming weeks as Rangers look to tick the games off and build some serious momentum in the Premiership.

St Johnstone are the visitors to Ibrox this Sunday before Gerrard takes his side to Livingston the following weekend. The meeting with Hearts, the surprise package of the season so far, will be the toughest of the lot and the final game before the next Premiership hiatus.

The lack of consistency – both in terms of results and performances – has cost Rangers dear in their last two top flight campaigns and that must change if they are to challenge and achieve this term.

On paper, the next handful of fixtures look like they will pose fewer problems than that first run this season and Gerrard’s side must now take full advantage by winning week after week.

All title challenges are built on the same relentless racking up of victories and Rangers have to prove they have what it takes to put that kind of sequence together in the Premiership while, of course, contending with their Europa League fixtures against Villarreal, Rapid Vienna and Spartak Moscow.

Matches like the one against Dundee may not always attract the headlines or the plaudits but if straightforward wins become the norm then Gerrard will have Rangers on the right course this term.

The fact that Gerrard demanded better in the aftermath of a 4-0 win will be a source of encouragement to supporters. Now his players must take the message on board.