THIS was just what Rangers needed on the back of a difficult few weeks. The departure of Mark Warburton and his backroom staff has undoubtedly had an unsettling effect on the Ibrox club, something that became apparent in the back-to-back defeats to Dundee and then Inverness Caley Thistle.

Even last midweek’s home win over St Johnstone was fraught and came at a price – the red card shown to Rob Kiernan that will be mulled over by the SFA’s judicial tribunal this week after the club chose to appeal the decision.

But this win over a limited Hamilton Accies side was plain sailing all the way. Granted, it could have been a different story had referee John Beaton spotted that goalkeeper Wes Foderingham had handled outside his box in the 13th minute or decided that Joe Garner’s high tackle on Dougie Imrie merited a red card rather than just a yellow.

Read more: Exclusive: Joe Garner sets his sight on reaching double figures for Rangers after claiming first hat-trick for two years

Instead, Foderingham was allowed to continue – he didn’t have a single save to make in the entire game – and Garner ended up going on to score a hat-trick. Rangers were perhaps also fortunate to get a first-half penalty when Jon Toral appeared to lose his footing under close supervision from Grant Gillespie.

The Light Blues may argue, though, that they were due a dose of luck. And they could also make the case that they would have gone on to win the match anyway given how porous Hamilton were at the back, and how shot-shy they were in attack.

Half of Rangers’ six goals came from corners which says a lot about the poverty of the Accies defending but also about the home side’s determination to make them pay.

Rangers were clinical in their second-half finishing, something that can only give them greater confidence going into this Sunday’s derby.

A new manager could well be in charge by then, of course. Pedro Caixinha looks increasingly likely to get the nod as the new head coach and an opening trip to Parkhead – if the Portuguese starts the job right away – will certainly test anyone’s mettle.

But, like it or not, Rangers fans ought to forget comparing themselves with Celtic at this moment in time.

Any defeat at the home of their greatest rivals will always sting but the important thing for Rangers, Caixinha and Ross Wilson, if or when he signs on as the new director of football, is to take their time to build things properly and realistically.

Read more: Exclusive: Joe Garner sets his sight on reaching double figures for Rangers after claiming first hat-trick for two years

They have a cup semi-final at Hampden to look forward to, while the pursuit of Aberdeen in second place in the league ought to also focus the mind. Those should be Rangers’ short-term goals at the start of a new era. They should forget about Celtic for the time being.

Graeme Murty will likely return to his former post as the under-20s manager and, if so, his brief spell in charge of the first team has ended on a high.

A decent, articulate, thoughtful man, it was not difficult to feel pleased for him as he signed off with this comprehensive win that included Rangers’ first clean sheet at Ibrox since Christmas Eve.

Professional to the last, Murty made sure the players were back at the training ground yesterday to properly prepare for the Celtic game, even if that news didn’t go down well in the dressing room.

It sounds strange to say given the size of the victory but this wasn’t a vintage Rangers performance by any stretch.

It just didn’t need to be given how poor Hamilton were. Few Rangers players truly stood out. Garner got his hat-trick, the man of the match award and all the plaudits, but he only played 45 minutes and spent 11 of them getting treatment for a head wound.

The star man was probably Barrie McKay who provided a persistent threat down Rangers’ left wing, while Emerson Hyndman looks a real class act with terrific vision and a wonderful touch, even if he couldn’t provide a telling moment as he has done frequently since arriving on loan.

Defensively Rangers were solid enough, Foderingham’s only save the one he made outside of his box.

Read more: Exclusive: Joe Garner sets his sight on reaching double figures for Rangers after claiming first hat-trick for two years

Clint Hill embellished a decent performance with a headed goal, while Kiernan made the most of his temporary stay of execution by setting up Garner’s first goal.

Lee Wallace and James Tavernier did what they do most weeks in getting up and down the flanks.

Toral’s technique is terrific but he was often ponderous at the base of the midfield triangle, with Jason Holt also guilty of squandering possession at times. In the wider area Martyn Waghorn scored his penalty and had a few other first-half attempts without being outstanding, while Kenny Miller was surprisingly removed after 45 minutes to give him a rest despite cracking the crossbar with a volley and generally looking lively.

Whoever ends up picking the team for Parkhead will have a few decisions to make. Kiernan will discover his fate when his appeal his heard on Thursday and should that fail then Danny Wilson will likely be drafted in to partner Hill in defence. Garner is also suspended meaning Miller will likely keep his place at the apex of the 4-3-3 system.

There has been so much turbulence around Rangers of late that it was hardly a surprise that this straight-forward, stress-free victory was cheered to the rafters come full-time. The Ibrox fans have clearly missed days like that.