The Rangers 'shock' that everyone saw coming as Russell Martin team selection and substitutions tell a story

Three games into the nascent Premiership season and Russell Martin’s side are yet to win, this a third draw away to a St Mirren side who will feel frustrated that they didn’t claim a victory after leading through Jonah Ayunga’s first-half strike.

Rangers did at least show some fight to salvage something from the match thanks to Findlay Curtis’ drilled effort but this was another ultimately unsatisfactory afternoon. Even the travelling support didn’t have the heart to jeer too loudly come the end, no longer surprised to see their team toiling and struggling to produce anything of substance throughout the 90 minutes.

This was meant to be the most winnable match of a trying week and Rangers couldn’t even fulfil this part. Their next mission is one of hope over expectation when they head to Belgium looking to overcome a 3-1 first-leg defeat to Club Brugge and reach the Champions League. They will return from there to host the first derby of the season where a defeat would see them trail Celtic by nine points before August is even out. Few managers on either side of the Old Firm divide come back from that sort of deficit.

Eight of Martin’s signings started here but there exists a feeling of a manager still fumbling around trying to figure things out. He started here without a recognised centre forward – Thelo Aasgaard performed the role unconvincingly for 45 minutes – switched to a back three at the back at half-time, before throwing on replacements one after the other, hoping for some sort of inspiration.

Rangers were brighter at the start and end of the second period and probably deserved a point come the end but they never looked wholly convincing against a St Mirren that visibly tired from their physical exertions in pressing their opponents and never giving them a minute’s peace.

The goal Rangers conceded was an exercise in simplicity as St Mirren went from box to box in just two passes. Marcus Fraser mopped up another feeble Rangers attack then looked up to spot Mika Mandron had drifted away from Nicolas Raskin and picked him out with the perfect ball forward.

The St Mirren strike pairing, Mandron and Ayunga, were on the same wavelength all afternoon and the former’s pass sent Ayunga running clear of a dithering Emmanuel Fernandez. There was still work to do but the striker eased away from John Souttar before planting the perfect shot beyond Jack Butland.

Rangers were better after the turn-around – they could scarcely have been worse – and as St Mirren’s energy levels dropped they began to finally create chances. They drew level through a set-play with 12 minutes to go. James Tavernier’s corner was nodded out to the edge of the box where Curtis – who enjoyed a lively cameo – thrashed in a controlled low effort that beat Shamal George via a generous deflection.

Both teams had chances to win it at the end but the fact that St Mirren were disappointed at only earning a point told its own story about Rangers and the sorry predicament they find themselves in.