The 6 Rangers debuts against Kilmarnock rated as Michael Beale changes shape but can’t get best out of new boys

We’re only one game into the season and first blood has already been drawn in the Premiership title race.

Rangers fell to defeat away to Kilmarnock and Michael Beale’s team already have a gap to bridge at the top. For all the big name debuts in the Ibrox ranks, it was Killie’s dependable Brad Lyons who swept in the winner and Beale said he could understand the fans’ frustrations after the game as the boos rang out from the visiting support in Ayrshire.

Furious supporters expected more as their team ran out in a new shape that promised much in pre-season. In a change from last season’s 4-3-3 with two ‘wide 10s,’ Beale deployed something closer to a 4-2-2-2 with Abdallah Sima and Cyriel Dessers through the middle. But the latter looked largely ineffective up against a Killie back line that featured former Ger Lewis Mayo, who defended like he had something to prove against his old employers.

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In the end Sima was the only of the four new signings who started that finished the game. Dessers went off on the hour mark alongside Kieran Dowell, whose start in the place of Todd Cantwell came as something of a surprise. After 60 minutes of toiling to break down the home side’s robust back five, though, he was hooked for his former Norwich teammate shortly before Lyons dealt the killer blow.

Sam Lammers started off the right after Beale’s declaration that he doesn’t see him as an out-and-out number nine but in truth he didn’t look like a 10 or a winger either. It’s a new role for him and one he’ll need to learn fast or risk losing his spot in the team with Kemar Roofe, who replaced him for the final six minutes of regulation time, breathing down his neck.

Debuting off the bench was Brazilian signing Danilo who is being made to wait to strike up the Dessers partnership that’s been tipped to bear fruit. He replaced his former Feyenoord teammate for the final 30 but it was Sima he joined as Beale stuck to the system which Derek McInnes looked to have sussed out from the first whistle.

New shotstopper Jack Butland didn’t have a whole lot to do – though was alert to deny Kyle Magennis who might have thought he’d doubled the home side’s lead. He mostly looked the part between the sticks though would have been frustrated not to end the game with a clean sheet.