There’s a harsh reality to football in this part of the world which, presumably, Rangers’ new owners are now familiar with.You need to win football matches and you need to win them now. And when that fundamental demand isn’t met, the pressure increases until it becomes suffocating.It’s the situation which faces any manager, irrespective of their status or the expectations which surround them.Derek McInnes may be a former Rangers player who was a popular choice to take charge in the summer but that only gives you so much credit.Bluntly, given the dismal start his side had made to the season, his popularity was tanking as he returned to the place he once called home. Accordingly, the victory his side dug out here was simply non-negotiable.Hard on the heels of a lifeless display away to Jablonec, a first league victory of the campaign will grant the man in the Ibrox dug-out a degree of breathing space. Lawrence Shankland converts from the penalty spot to earn Rangers a much-needed victoryThose who have called for his head in the past few days can lay down the pitchforks for now.After the shocking loss in the Czech Republic, McInnes had raised eyebrows by admitting he didn’t know the identity of his side.While the style of play remains hard to discern at times, you had to say this much for the visitors; after failing to do the fundamentals as they let European football slip through their fingers without a fight, they were up for the battle here.They showed more hunger and desire than Aberdeen, they fashioned more chances and forced the issue.Although they required Lawrence Shankland’s converted penalty to claim the three points, they fully deserved them.Ahead of a taxing run of games which encompasses Falkirk, Motherwell and two bites at Celtic, there will be greater optimism among Rangers fans that this season isn’t done for yet.While McInnes’ side looked more assured in possession, it was their work off the ball which will have pleased their manager most.Dan Neil had his best display in a Rangers jersey and there was an assurance to many of his team-mates that’s not been evident thus far. Derek McInnes salutes the travelling fans at full-time as he earned a little bit of breathing spaceFar too easy to play though in the opening weeks of the season, they largely restricted the Dons to half chances. Ivor Pandur in goal did not have an awful lot to do.Aberdeen just didn’t offer enough over the piece. While the home fans were furious at the display of referee Matthew MacDermid – booking six Dons’ players and only three visitors – there was no escaping the poverty of the performance.It was a day when the first touch of too many in red was off and too few stood up to the plate.Stephen Robinson’s players will need to produce much better than this if they are to take anything from Celtic Park on Wednesday.It said much about the pace of change at Pittodrie over the summer that Toyosi Olusanya and Kevin Nisbet were the only players in Robinson’s side who were at the club last season. The manager kept faith with those who’d impressively defeated Dundee in the League Cup.McInnes threw Kim Min-su straight in for his debut following his £8.5million move from Girona. Shankland, Cammy Devlin and Findlay Curtis were also introduced as Rangers looked to put an atrocious result against Jablonec behind them. Yet again, Nico Raskin didn’t even make the bench.No doubt believing that Rangers were vulnerable, Aberdeen went at them from the off.Manny Fernandez’s slack pass led to a free-kick inside a minute. Dan Happe connected with Conor Ronan’s deep dead ball but headed it off target. New Rangers signing Kim Min-su was handed his debut and impressed in spells at PittodriePowerful play by Olusanya brought Mitchy Ntelo into the game. Pandur watched his shot all the way.Rangers dusted themselves down. Kim looked lively and was certainly not afraid to shoot. While one effort went straight at Marius Muller, another was miles off target.With the visitors starting to press high, Nesta Guinness-Walker was too cute on the ball as he tried to step into midfield. Curtis gathered, skipped past two challenges and fired just over with his left foot.It was scrappy but Rangers were the side with most cohesion in their play. McInnes would have been encouraged that his side were starting to get in down the flanks.Djeidi Gassama’s low strike took a fierce deflection which saw it go wide. The winger then showed all his explosive pace to leave four red jerseys in his wake on the counter-attack.He fed Kim on the right with the new boy drilling a cross towards the back post. What an interception Afeez Aremu produced on his goal line to prevent Shankland from rippling the net.Shankland was immediately denied again, this time when Muller beat away his flashing header from James Penrice’s corner.After that initial flurry, the home fans saw little to encourage them. Too many aimless balls were thrown into the box. Not enough care was taken in possession.Their main gripe centred around referee MacDermid. The official booked Happe after five minutes for what looked like accidental handball then flashed a card at Chris Cadden. Findlay Curtis is unceremoniously bundled over in a game that saw a total of nine bookingsWith the foul count of the visiting players rising without witnessing a caution, they let MacDermid know all about it. When Curtis was eventually booked, a sarcastic cheer went up.Seeking to gain a greater measure of control, Robinson replaced the ineffective Tony Yogane with Stuart Armstrong at the break. Within seconds, the veteran midfielder fired just wide after steering a shot through a packed penalty box.Cammy Devlin was the next name in the book for a mistimed challenge on Ntelo. Olusanya soon joined him for a clumsy tackle on the Rangers midfielder.From the consequent free-kick, Kim forced Muller into an excellent save high to his left.Gassama showed commendable composure as he burst away on the counter to cut the ball back to Shankland. Happe stretched out a leg and blocked at the cost of a corner.While Armstrong did make a difference for Aberdeen, they struggled to create much from open play. Happe skied one over the bar after a half-cleared corner but Olusanya was offside in any event.Typical untidy play cost Robinson’s men the opener. Having failed on two occasions to clear their lines, Happe’s outstretched leg brought Gassama crashing to the turf. There was no decision to make.Shankland made a fine job of putting his side in front from 12 yards, finding the postage stamp corner.Aberdeen’s response didn’t amount to a great deal. Nisbet screamed for a penalty when he got goal-side of Dujon Sterling but the contact looked slight. Kevin Nisbet thought he’d earned Aberdeen a share of the spoils but his late goal was ruled outFor all that, they looked like they’d equalised with seven minutes remaining. Nisbet forced a save from Pandur then saw Ayoub Mouloua strike the crossbar with a header.Nisbet bundled home at the third attempt and raced away to celebrate. His joy was cut short when VAR Andrew Dallas correctly identified that he’d pushed Sterling before his initial attempt.ABERDEEN (4-2-3-1): Muller 6; Cadden 5, Mayo 5, Happe 6, Guinness-Walker 5; Ronan 5.5 (Mouloua 75), Aremu 5.5; Ntelo 5.5 (Smith 63), Olusanya 5.5, Yogane 4 (Armstrong 45); Nisbet 5. Booked: Happe, Cadden, Ronan, Aremu, Olusanya, Mayo. Manager: Stephen Robinson 4.5.RANGERS (4-2-3-1): Pandur 7; Sterling 7, MAKHANYA 7.5, Fernandez 6, Penrice 6.5 (Nedeljkovic 72); Devlin 6, Neil 6.5; Curtis 6 (Godfrey 86), Min-su 6 (Yokota 72), Gassama 6.5; Shankland 6.5 (Naderi 86). Booked: Curtis, Devlin, Sterling. Manager: Derek McInnes 7.Referee: Matthew MacDermid.Attendance: 18,343.