The last time these teams met, back in October, Aberdeen established a nine-point advantage over the team they love to hate.

A raucous Red Army hailed Jimmy Thelin’s healing hands. Three months later, the messiah is now a very naughty boy.

On Wednesday night, towards the end of a win a good deal edgier than it should have been, Rangers’ opening goalscorer Hamza Igamane left the pitch field to a rousing ovation. The Moroccan’s 13th goal of the season laid the foundations for Aberdeen’s 12th straight game without a win.

Leon Balogun marked his return from injury by soaring high to head Clinton Nsiala’s cross past Ross Doohan at the back post, before the much-maligned Cyriel Dessers finished off a counter attack for 3-0 with the final act of the game.

Now fourth in the table, 12 points adrift of Phillipe Clement’s team, these are difficult days for Thelin. On this kind of form, an away trip to Elgin in the Scottish Cup on Saturday now feels like an unappealing prospect. A Darvel in waiting.

Jimmy Thelin started the season so well but things have gone from bad to worse of late

Hamza Igamane is congratulated after breaking the deadlock against Aberdeen at Ibrox

Rangers defender Leon Balogun rises to make it 2-0 – and secure the victory for the home side

Despite the injection of new blood in Latvian defender Kristers Tobers and Danish winger Jeppe Okkels, Ibrox was always an unlikely venue to stop the rot. Rangers have now won 34 points from a possible 36 here. 

Spurs defender Alfie Dorrington and Alexander Jensen – the latest additions to a changing squad – appeared as Thelin chased the game at 1-0. It made no difference to the final outcome.

Clement and Rangers are hardly living the dream themselves. For the second home game in succession, the 55th minute was marked by banners protesting against the running of the club. 

Injuries to Danilo and Robin Propper only added to the Belgian’s woes ahead of a game against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Europa League.

A strong start always helps. Aided and abetted, it has to be said, by Aberdeen’s kamikaze tendencies in defence.

A red card for Slobodan Rubezic in a 2-0 defeat to Motherwell forced Thelin to improvise. A midfield force of nature during a strong start to the season, Sivert Heltne Nilsen was switched to central defence, keeping his place against Hearts and conceding the late penalty saved by Doohan.

Things didn’t get a great deal better here, the Norwegian gifting Rangers the breakthrough.

Red danger lights were flashing when the Dons set the tone for the opening half hour by giving the ball away in midfield. Vaclav Cerny sent Igamane through on goal.

The player who offers most hope for this Rangers side, and their top scorer, he was clearly finding his range when he dinked a terrific chance inches wide of the post.

The finishing was smarter when he scored the opener in the 13th minute. Learning nothing from their early let-off, Aberdeen were so slack, so sloppy, in possession that they were inviting trouble. 

Nilsen failed to control the ball in his own area in a terrible piece of defending. Cerny gratefully collected and drove to the bye-line. Mohamed Diomande’s shot was blocked before Igamane – who else? – buried the rebound.

Unable to keep the ball, Thelin’s team were like nervous wrecks in the opening half hour. Rangers saved themselves the hassle of pressing players in red shirts, knowing they’d get the ball back soon enough in any case. And, when they did, they picked a way through the visiting defence with an ease bordering on the ridiculous.

Aberdeen finally began to settle towards the end of the first half. An audacious first-time Leighton Clarkson lob from the centre circle had Liam Kelly scrambling to claw the ball away from under his own crossbar.

What would have been a contender for the most against-the-run-of-play goal of all time seemed to spark something in the visitors. They could hardly be any more passive, in truth.

Graeme Shinnie’s first-time left-foot cross sailed over the head of Nsiala, inviting Kevin Nisbet to attack the ball at the back post. A touch of any kind and Aberdeen would have been back in a game in which they had been chasing shadows

Despite Doohan springing to his left to push Igamane’s fizzing 20-yard strike round the post, the Dons made it to half-time without sustaining further damage.

They even mustered an effort on target when Clarkson’s floated free kick into a crowded area was headed goalward by new signing Tobers. Even a comfortable save for Kelly felt like Aberdeen making marginal gains.

In his hour of need, the last thing Clement needed were more injuries. Brazilian striker Danilo – no stranger to a lay-off – had a first-half issue which forced him off for Nedim Bajrami. The substitute came within inches of doubling Rangers’ lead as the clock reached the hour point.

Moments earlier, Ianis Hagi had cracked a stunning strike against the crossbar from 20 yards, his effort deserving of a goal.

Aberdeen continued to give the ball away in dangerous areas, tempting fate.

The arrival of Duk and new defender Dorrington allowed Thelin to move Nilsen back to his more natural midfield role. Living dangerously, the visitors had to establish some control over the game. Some control over themselves. Some hope.

When Balogun’s late header from a James Tavernier corner bounced up and off the upright, the returning central defender was undeterred. A superb header from the same man eased any late nerves and killed Aberdeen off.

That was before some comic-book defending from rookie loan signing Dorrington allowed Dessers a rare shaft of glory with a calm composed finish for 3-0.