The chased and battled for every ball against a largely punchless Rangers side who seemed incapable of creating any decent scoring chances. It hardly augurs well for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Fenerbahce, who must be rubbing their hands with glee after learning of this result.
Quite simply, Advocaat has a major task on his hands to turn things around. He will have some players back, like skipper Barry Ferguson, Arthur Numan and hopefully Claudio Reyna and Lorenzo Amoruso but he knows he needs a vast improvement.
It was a sad indictment of the performance that 18-year-old Stephen Hughes, making his first SPL start, was the most creative and industrious player in midfield.
Livingston produced a pressing style of play which is all too lacking when teams visit Ibrox and it clearly unsettled Rangers who were unable to control the game the way they wanted.
The First Division champions chased every ball, went in for every tackle with vigour and generally made Rangers feel entirely uncomfortable in the first half when the Ibrox men could only manage two shots at Javier Sanchez Broto’s goal.
There was plenty of sparkle about the play of Neil McCann – just as there had been in Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Maribor – while Stephen Hughes showed first team elevation is something he can handle with ease.
However, there was a lack of ideas in the Rangers side as they hit the last third and Livvy coped relatively comfortably with anything thrown at them and that was not much.
A touch of brilliance from McCann in 13 minutes gave Rangers their best opportunity of the half but sadly Broto was equal to it.
The Scotland winger easily danced past Francisco Gionovart and then skinned tough Frenchman Phillipe Brinquin before cutting the ball back for Claudio Caniggia.
The angle was tight but Caniggia managed to find space for a left foot shot. However, Broto was right behind it and saved low at his right hand post.
Allan Johnston, making a surprise appearance in a midfield role, carved out an opportunity for himself in 18 minutes, although it was the tenacity of Hughes which set it all up.
The teenager won a great tackle on Stuart Lovell to find Bert Konterman, who laid the ball to the left for Johnston who cut inside and tried to find the top right corner but his shot looped just over the top.
That was about the strength of Rangers’ potency in the first half and Advocaat was again forced to have strong words with his players in the dressing room at half time.
He chose to make a switch, taking off Tore Andre Flo who had not really looked himself and brought on Michael Mols. Within a minute the Dutchman made a huge impact to rouse the Ibrox crowd.
Mols was brought down on the left side, McCann swung over the freekick and Mols spun and tuned in an instant before hammering a right foot shot which Broto blocked brilliantly.
The ball broke to Hughes and he seemed to be bundled over in the box by Marvin Andrews but referee Alan Freeland judged it was a fair challenge. It was one of many decisions the Aberdeen official called wrongly.
Hughes was in a good position again in 54 minutes when Mols played him in but Broto closed down the space brilliantly to make a blocking save on the teenager’s left foot shot.
A minute, earlier, however, the Ibrox fans had their hearts in their mouths when Livingston came within a lick of paint of taking the lead.
Rangers were caught short in the middle as Scott Wilson went to meet Barry Wilson in a wide area and when the Livvy striker crossed there was a glaring gap in the centre of the penalty area.
David Bingham was probably as surprised as the Ibrox crowd and put too much on his header which beat Stefan Klos but hit the inside of the left hand post. It was a major let-off and Advocaat knew it.
Andrei Kanchelskis was introduced for Johnston in 62 minutes to try to coax something different out of the players but still it was a struggle for the Ibrox men.
There was a chink of light when Caniggia was suddenly in the clear through the middle but Oscar Rubio did the right thing in forcing him wide and blocked the striker’s shot.
However, it just was not happening for Rangers and Advodaat made his final switch bringing on Kenny Miller for the Argentinian 19 minutes from time.
The 22-year-old has been inspirational at Pittodrie seven days earlier but he could do nothing to rescue the situation.
Just when he thought the new season had been starting quite brightly, Advocaat suddenly has a lot to think about.
RANGERS: Klos; Ricksen, Wilson, Moore, Vidmar; Hughes, Johnston (Kanchelskis 62), Konterman, McCann; Caniggia (Miller 71), Flo (Mols 45). Subs not used – Christiansen, Ross.
Bookings: Moore (29) Vidmar (55) Rubio (90)
LIVINGSTON: Broto; Brinquin, Rubio, Andrews, Bollan; Gionovart , Fernandez, Lovell, Bingham (Tosh 79); Wilson (Lowndes 68), Xausa (Caputo 89). Subs not used – McEwan, Hart.
Bookings: Lowndes (69) Xausa (83)
Att: 47,805
Ref: Alan Freeland.
Man of the match: Stephen Hughes
Moment of the match: There just wasn’t one, really.