Kevin Muscat given big Rangers concern as stars booed off in Dundee United struggle

There's a staggering 6000 miles between Shanghai and Glasgow. If Kevin Muscat stayed up late in his Chinese residence to watch the team he's about to take over at Ibrox, he would have seen firsthand just how far this Rangers side are from their desired position.

Under 19 manager Steven Smith stepped in as caretaker for the 2-2 draw with Dundee United - and once again, amateurish defending cost Rangers dearly as they crumbled under pressure. Thelo Aasgaard's debut goal for the club was overshadowed by two spectacular strikes from Dundee United's Kristijan Trapanovski and Craig Sibbald, before James Tavernier salvaged a last-minute point.

Rangers are now lagging significantly behind in the Premiership with just one victory from eight league games and none at Ibrox.

If Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell believed that sacking Russell Martin would alleviate the pressure on them, they were quickly proven wrong by fans.

The match started promisingly as they took the lead in the 25th minute.

Djeidi Gassama's superb flick inside his own half set up the towering Norwegian who charged into the United box beyond Luca Stephenson before cutting back onto his right foot to outwit Bert Esselink and curl a fantastic shot high past Yevheni Kucherenko.

Rangers dominated the first half. However, their slim lead meant anxiety began to creep in as the second half progressed and their control of the game waned.

United seized their opportunity. Remarkably, Trapanovski, fresh from the bench, equalised with a powerful 20-yard strike into Jack Butland's bottom corner after receiving a pass from Zac Sapsford.

The situation improved further at the 75-minute mark when United took the lead.

Butland seemed to have thwarted the danger with a significant one-on-one save against Sapsford, but Rangers failed to clear the ball, and Sibbald launched an impressive 25-yard shot into the top corner.

Ibrox was left in shock. It appeared as though another three points were about to be lost.

However, Tavernier - who else - stepped up to score an equaliser in the 87th minute after receiving a lay off from substitute Mikey Moore 14 yards out.

Even then, it required another tremendous save from Butland to deny Trapanovski and secure the draw.

Here are our five key takeaways.

Terror-ised

It was truly a game of two halves. Rangers managed 24 shots on the United goal in the first half - nothing better illustrated a team with a renewed attacking drive.

What transpired afterwards remains a complete enigma.

The first half was exactly what the Ibrox faithful expect from their team as they pinned United back and went for the jugular. Rangers were moving the ball faster - and with intent.

Forget the tedious passing around in their own half, this was about penetrating the United third and playing there. It took four minutes for United to get a touch in Rangers' half.

There was an urgency about the light blues from the start that had been absent in previous weeks.

However, the Ibrox side completely lost control of the second half as they slipped into old habits. Passes became sluggish and anxious.

United sensed their opportunity. And they seized both of them.

With aplomb.

As always, it was captain James Tavernier who stepped up to salvage a point. His goals have contributed to five of Gers' nine points so far.

No case for defence

Rangers' soft centre has been exposed repeatedly this season. And again here, when they needed players to stand up and be counted, they were nowhere to be found.

True, they should have been further ahead by half time. But the courage on the ball vanished, their defensive shape evaporated and ultimately the points also disappeared.

Both of United's goals were well struck from distance - but the build-up cut through the light blues' backline all too easily.

Kevin Muscat, if confirmed, faces a massive task adding some steel to Rangers' soft centre.

United they stand

The Terrors hadn't celebrated a victory at Ibrox since 2014 when Smith netted for Rangers in a 3-1 Scottish Cup triumph for the Tangerines. However, they were tantalisingly close to breaking that streak with a second half performance filled with courage and determination.

Goodwin strategically packed his midfield in a 4/5/1 formation, aiming to strike on the counterattack in the first half. This tactic initially seemed ineffective, but the game took a turn when Trapanovski and Canara were introduced after 66 minutes.

Sensing Gers' anxiety, United seized the opportunity and attacked relentlessly. Standout performances came from Craig Sibbald, Vicki Sevelj and Zac Sappsford, with Goodwin's team showing no weak links.

Aasgaard earns top marks

Thelo Aasgaard, despite being a high-profile summer signing, has so far been a significant letdown.

However, there was a silver lining for Rangers - the £3.5m midfielder finally delivered a performance that justified his price tag, leading the middle three. He embodied a Rangers first half display that suggested they had been unshackled.

Aasgaard consistently found gaps around the United box and, including his stunning opener, unleashed five shots on goal in the first half alone. This is a player who scored 15 times last season for Wigan and Luton yet had barely managed a shot, let alone a goal, for Rangers.

He certainly didn't deserve to be on the losing side.

Message received

The Ibrox faithful, having seen their wishes fulfilled with Martin's dismissal, targeted the players with a 10th-minute banner stating: 'No More Buses to Hide On. No More Managers to Hide Behind - Face Your Failures Like Men'.

If the club's top brass believed that sacking the beleaguered manager would restore their reputation, they were mistaken, as a half-time banner was unveiled in the Sandy Jardine Stand proclaiming: 'Stewart and Thelwell Pack Your Bags and Go Before We Pack Them. For You'.

As the search for Martin's replacement drags on and Rangers continue to fall behind, the spotlight is increasingly falling on their own positions.