There is no point in talking about springboards for Manchester United. We have been here before. Every time they think they've built one, they use it to dive headfirst into the shallow end with their clothes on.
Nowadays, during these difficult first days of coach Rubén Amorim, it is about avoiding calamity. About coming home with all the TVs in the dressing room still intact.
And here, at the end of five pulsating extra minutes added to the previous, very ordinary 90 minutes, this is what they did when captain Bruno Fernandes interrupted a late comeback by an injury-ravaged Rangers team that ended the night with two teenagers new to the field.
For most of the second half, it looked like United would win relatively comfortably, if not impressively.
Once former England goalkeeper Jack Butland headed a United corner into his own net in the 52nd minute, Amorim's team was in control. The Rangers, impressive from the beginning, ran out of gas, bodies and ideas.
To a large extent they were, but this United team always has a catastrophe. And when Harry Maguire dropped a 90th-minute clearance at the feet of Rangers substitute Cyriel Dessers, the Scottish side were back on track thanks to a stunning low shot on the turn.
Bruno Fernandes' goal in added time secured three points for Man United against Rangers
The club captain finished off a cross from Lisandro Martínez in the final minutes at Old Trafford
Rubén Amorim's team is now one step away from automatically qualifying for the round of 16 of the Europa League
United had been the better team but they couldn't have complained. Better but still not good enough. But Fernandes had been their best player and when Lisandro Martínez found him arriving on the blind side at the far post two minutes later, he applied an equally magnificent finish to win the game.
Amorim had made changes for this clash. Altay Bayindir was back in goal (he had been excellent at Arsenal, but not so much against Tottenham), while Christian Eriksen and youngster Toby Collyer were asked to take up midfield positions.
Once play began, it became clear that Eriksen was playing further forward while Fernandes sat deeper and did his best to dictate play. The Portuguese were able to do that to a certain extent and United took the lead in terms of possession from the start. But then the Rangers nearly scored twice in a matter of minutes. De Lijt left Collyer short with a pass into midfield in the tenth minute and this allowed Hamza Igamane to poke Nicolas Raskin with a beautiful pass. Raskin just had to beat Bayindir, but his first touch against the Stretford End was horrible and the chance was gone.
It had been a great opportunity, but moments later the Rangers came back in. This time, a pass from James Tavernier saw Ridvan Yilmaz in space on a left-side overlap and his first volley as the ball crossed him forced Bayindir to make a save with both hands raised at his near post. In reality, it was classic, modern United. A little neglected. A little neglected. They got a little better as the half progressed and from then on Rangers' chances of scoring were fleeting. United, meanwhile, were denied a breakthrough midway through the first period after De Lijt headed a corner close to the post. It looked like a good set piece goal won when Alejandro Garnacho pushed in a shot that Raskin headed.
But the Belgian referee saw Rangers defender Robin Propper fall and decided that Leny Yoro had fouled him. Television replays suggested any contact had been minimal.
That feeling of grievance seemed to spur United on a bit. Amad Diallo, once on loan from Rangers, was their most prominent attacker and took advantage of a clever pass from Fernandes in the 38th minute only for Butland to save with his right foot. Butland was busy again in the 43rd minute, moving to his left to tap in a 25-yard shot from Lisandro Martínez.
Rangers stepped up and forced a couple of corners on these forays and tried to put pressure on Bayindir to remind him of his travails at Tottenham. It was in vain.
Amorim is not afraid of a substitute and did so at half-time: Harry Maguire replaced De Lijt. He soon made another when Tyrell Malacia replaced Yoro, but by then United were ahead.
A goal by Matthijs de Ligt in the first half was disallowed after a foul in the build-up
But United would go ahead after a mistake by Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland in the 52nd minute.
While trying to clear a corner from Christian Eriksen, the former England goalkeeper put the ball into his own goal.
United continued to build on their lead throughout the second half but were unable to extend their lead.
Substitute Cyriel Dessers brought Rangers back level with a wonderful goal in the final minutes.
But United recovered from the Nigerian international's goal to secure victory on Thursday.
In fact, Rangers had started the half brightly. A run from Vaclav Cerny created a chance on the edge of the penalty area for Rangers substitute Bailey Rice. The 18-year-old became quite angry. Cerny then worked with Bayindir from distance as Rangers found energy, but it soon all fell apart due to Butland's terrible mistake. The piece of United football that won the corner was beautiful when Fernandes robbed Yilmaz, exchanged passes with Garnacho and then launched a shot that was going in until it hit Propper. After that, it was all about the Rangers goalie. What a howler. What a moment!
Now it was United with the battery running out. Garnacho took too long on a shot that he cleared off the line. Then Maguire stepped forward and opened wide.
The rangers looked tired. However, the adrenaline gave the visitors a boost and when United got nervous, Rangers took advantage.
Butland had saved well from Manuel Ugarte and Garnacho to keep Rangers in and when Tavernier dropped a long ball over Maguire's shoulder in the final minute of normal time, substitute Dessers turned and scored a fabulous half-volley over Bayindir and within the network. . It was a great goal but it was also Maguire's fault.
It looked like United had conceded again, but Fernandes had been their best player and when Martínez found him at the far post in stoppage time, he hit an excellent finish to win the game.