On the back of a lengthy break due to an elongated international window, Rangers boss Derek McInnes insisted heading into this match with Kilmarnock that he was no fan of the new-look schedule.
McInnes claimed in his media conference on Thursday that the break had been too long and that the three-week lay-off had been far from ideal.
Yet, after signing off with six straight wins and back-to-back victories over Celtic, Rangers picked up exactly where they left off.
McInnes’ side never really missed a beat in this routine victory over Killie. They were 3-0 up by half-time thanks to two goals from Ryan Naderi and one from Kevin Kelsy.
It looked at one point like Rangers might run up a cricket score against a Kilmarnock team who sit bottom of the table and, at times, have shown an alarming habit of conceding goals by the bucketload this term.
But the second half became a strange affair. Rangers switched off and looked complacent at times, perhaps knowing – or feeling – that the job was done.
Kevin Kelsy celebrates scoring the second goal in Rangers’ 3-1 win over Kilmarnock
Ryan Naderi opened the scoring for the Ibrox men in a blistering first half
Kilmarnock actually had the better of the game in the second half and should have scored more than just the one goal had they not been so profligate.
But, over the piece, Rangers were by far and away the better team. The reward for McInnes and his players come full-time was seeing their name at the top of the table.
Rangers now sit one point clear at the summit. It is far too early in the season for any statements of intent, but it is nonetheless a clear sign of the progress being made under McInnes.
Celtic could reclaim top spot when they take on Motherwell at Fir Park this afternoon. But Rangers are ticking along nicely after reeling off a seventh successive win in all competitions.
With 13 players away on international duty over the past fortnight, McInnes was relieved to report a clean bill of health when they all returned to training earlier this week.
With his team looking like they were finally starting to find some rhythm and consistency, the Rangers manager stuck with the same starting XI from the 1-0 win over Celtic at Parkhead.
Kilmarnock, meanwhile, made two changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Hearts last time out. Defender MJ Kamson-Kamara returned to the team and Aaron Tshibola started in midfield, with Rangers loanee Bailey Rice unavailable.
Despite a terrible run at the start of the season which had seen them haemorrhaging goals all over the place, Killie arrived at Ibrox unbeaten in three matches in the league.
Neil McCann has tweaked the shape of the team over recent weeks in a bid to find a bit more balance and stability.
McCann, of course, has good knowledge of certain members of this Rangers squad from his time on the coaching staff a couple of seasons back.
Devising a game plan to try and frustrate Rangers and dig out a result, McCann’s side shaped up in pretty much a flat 4-4-2 – but the whole thing had gone out the window with little more than 20 minutes played.
Rangers manager Derek McInnes has seen his side hit a rich vein of form
Fresh from winning his first cap for the Czech Republic against England at Wembley, Naderi continued his good run of form when he met a James Penrice cross and glanced it into the net for 1-0.
His strike partner Kelsy also hit a notable landmark recently in the international break when he scored his first goal for Venezuela.
Kelsy made it 2-0 to Rangers when, after initially trying to chest the ball into the path of Naderi, he wound up turning away from a couple of defenders and firing into the net via a deflection.
Rangers were on cruise control. Knowing that they had the chance to go top of the table with a win, it was a chance they never looked like passing up.
Killie briefly threatened a fightback five minutes before half-time when two decent chances fell to Joe Hugill and Erik Ring, but the ball went sailing high over the bar on both occasions.
Rangers made it 3-0 right on the cusp of half-time when Djeidi Gassama cut inside from the left and fired towards goal, the ball deflecting off Naderi on its way into the net.
The goal was officially credited to Naderi but the performance of Gassama would have been hugely encouraging for McInnes.
The Mauritanian winger, so often a frustrating figure during his time at Ibrox, is starting to build some consistency and deliver more in the way of end product.
There were a couple of times when Gassama skinned his defender and created panic in the Killie defence – and likewise Minsu Kim on the opposite flank.
The third goal felt like it effectively ended this as a contest heading into the second half. From Killie’s point of view, this was now largely an exercise in damage limitation.
McCann’s side had started the season by shipping 13 goals in their opening three matches. The only realistic objective was to avoid another hammering.
From Rangers’ point of view, the only real danger was complacency. If they became too casual and careless on the ball, they might create needless stress.
There were certainly signs of that early in the second half when a few simple passes started going astray, much to the anger of McInnes on the touchline.
Out of nowhere, Kilmarnock looked like they had pulled a goal back through Tyreece John-Jules only for his effort to be flagged for offside.
Nonetheless, it was a warning for Rangers. A wake-up call. Despite his team holding a three-goal lead, McInnes cut a highly animated figure as he sought to ensure the performance and energy levels didn’t drop.
Yet, still, Killie caused problems. Tshibola bent a shot that looked destined for the top corner, only for Ivor Pandur to claw it away with an excellent one-handed save.
The crowd were growing restless. Rangers had gone to sleep. Far too slack and far too casual in everything they did, they had lost control of the game.
Kosta Nedeljkovic struggled after coming on at half-time to replace Dujon Sterling at right-back. After a couple of sloppy passes, he was booked for a clumsy foul on Greg Kiltie.
Credit to Kilmarnock. They could easily have crumbled at half-time. But they showed resilience and made a fight of this when it looked like it would be a canter for Rangers.
The visitors created several good chances but lacked a clinical edge to finish any of them off. Sitting bottom of the table, it is a problem McCann must find a way to remedy.
Kilmarnock did eventually pull back a late consolation through substitute Nicky Clescenco and it was no less than their efforts deserved over the second 45 minutes.
For Rangers, it was job done. But the slackness and complacency in the second half will be something that McInnes needs to stamp out moving forward.
