Graeme Murty was encouraged by Rangers new boys Jamie Murphy and Sean Goss as they made their first run-outs in the Florida Cup.
Both January recruits were involved as the Ibrox side grabbed a 1-0 win over Brazillian outfit Atletico Mineiro at the Orlando City Stadium.
Murphy - signed on loan from Brighton - and QPR recruit Goss both started the clash and looked lively before being replaced at the break alongside Murty's eight other outfield players as the Gers boss made sweeping changes.
Read more: Rangers 1-0 Atletico Mineiro: Graeme Murty's side kick-off Florida Cup with win in Orlando
The new-look Light Blues then sealed victory with Josh Windass' 68th-minute winner.
Murty deployed former Motherwell wideman Murphy out on the left, while Manchester United youth academy graduate Goss was stationed in front of the back four where he could pull the strings.
And their new manager saw enough to make him optimistic about the coming months.
He told RangersTV: "I thought Sean and Jamie both added to the squad and showed little glimpses of what they are about.
"Hopefully with a little bit more work and a little bit more integration they could be really positive for the second half of the season."
The second period also saw Andy Halliday and Michael O'Halloran make their return to the Rangers side having previously been shipped out on loan by former boss Pedro Caixinha.
Halliday picked up an early booking for a late challenge and also had to limp through the final few minutes after finding himself on the end of a similarly heavy tackle.
But Murty is pleased to have both men back on board.
The manager added: "It's good and we got lots out of it.
Read more: Rangers 1-0 Atletico Mineiro: Graeme Murty's side kick-off Florida Cup with win in Orlando
"I want to get out of this with a good understanding of where we want to go, some good foundations laid for the rest of the season and a fully fit squad. That's going to be the key for us.
"Hopefully we can get there, but I thought the guys coming back maybe had a point to prove. I thought both of them showed good glimpses.
"I thought Andy was going to have to come off or get sent off and I asked him at the end if he was ok. 'Yeah I'm fine'. So why were you limping for the last 10 minutes then?
"But he is what he is. He's wholehearted, he understands what it means to play for the football club and I think you can just see when he turns out every time for a Rangers team he wears his heart on his sleeve.
"That's good for us and all the people we have mentioned there added to the collective and that's what I've challenged the group to do.
"We know only eleven can play, we know only a certain number can go in the squad, but if you are not part of those you still need to bring energy and you still need to add to what we are trying to achieve.
"The guys have bought into that and hopefully it will carry us forward into the season."
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