There remains, however, a sensation that this is a Rangers team still trying to feel its way into the new season.
Neither Nacho Novo or Prso looked entirely at ease when asked to perform as auxiliary right wingers in the absence of the stricken Chris Burke while Alex Rae, perhaps understandably after being harangued by the Scottish press all week, was subdued in the heart of midfield.
At the back, however, Jean-Alain Boumsong turned in another composed performance alongside the more agricultural style of Marvin Andrews while both full-backs, Gregory Vignal and Fernando Ricksen, were efficient if not flashy.
Pre-match, veteran comic Andy Cameron had been wheeled on to warm up the support ahead of the first competitive home game of the season and by the time the teams appeared Ibrox was awash with sound and colour.
After a difficult week, Rae was afforded a particular warm welcome by the home fans on the occasion of his home debut.
If the ultimate aim of Cameron’s appearance as compere was to inspire the team on the pitch then the plan took only five minutes to come into fruition when the Light Blues netted their first SPL goal of the season.
Vignal’s free kick was nodded on by Arveladze only for Burton O’Brien to desperately hack his header off the goal line. Respite for the visitors was to be brief.
The ball fell kindly for Hughes and his threaded pass was poked past Roddy McKenzie by Prso from a matter of yards, with the Livingston players gaping accusingly at the referee assistant who kept his flag down.
It was admittedly a scrappy strike but perhaps the sort of goal that has eluded Rangers in the past couple of seasons.
On a dry, humid day in Glasgow, Rangers strolled around in the sun for the remainder of the opening period, adding one more to their tally with Stefan Klos rarely troubled at the other end.
Livingston had arrived at Ibrox as league leaders after their 3-0 drubbing of Inverness Caley on the opening day but offered little to suggest that they would be remaining top of the pile for more than a solitary week.
Derek Lilley – back at Almondvale after rejecting a summer move to Boston United – squandered their best opportunities of the opening half, thumping a drive off Klos’ legs after an error by Marvin Andrews before seeing a later effort deflected wide for a corner.
Rangers, with six players making their competitive home debuts in the starting 11, were guilty of wasting chances as well.
On 20 minutes Peter Lovenkrands blazed Novo’s cross wildly over the crossbar before the Dane saw another drive from the edge of the box blocked by McKenzie.
Just when it seemed Rangers’ profligacy could come back to haunt them, the Light Blues forged further in front with 32 minutes played.
An audacious back heel from Arveladze set the wheels in motion and, after some neat play involving Prso and Novo, Lovenrkands’ goalwards drive was diverted into the net by Hughes.
In a second half of little note and with Livingston seemingly unable or unwilling to mount a fightback, Rangers seemed to have a decent shout for a penalty after 68 minutes when Prso was wrestled to the ground by Dorado but match referee Ian Brines was not convinced.
In a hectic 60 seconds for the Croatian, he was then booked for a foul on O’Brien – there seemed to be little contact – before being replaced moments later by Steven Thompson.
Thompson added extra zest to a flagging strikeforce and should have had a goal for all his endeavours but swiped clumsily at Arveladze’s cutback in front of goal after 78 minutes.
Luckily for Thompson Hughes was on hand to spare his blushes and sweep home his second goal of the game to end the match as a contest.
With time running out, Arveladze added a fourth when he latched onto substitute Paolo Vanoli’s far post cross to drive a firm effort past McKenzie.
That was enough to provoke the 48,102 crowd once more into song and after the trials of Pittodrie and Moscow you suspected McLeish would just have been happy to see his men end a difficult week with their first win of the season.
RANGERS (4-4-2): 1 Klos; 2 Ricksen, 4 Boumsong, 5 Andrews, 24 Vignal (Vanoli 64); 10 Novo, 8 Rae, 27 Hughes, 26 Lovenkrands (Adam 85); 9 Prso (Thompson 68), 7 Arveladze
Subs not used: Smith, Malcolm, Thompson, Hutton, Fetai
Booked: Prso (68)
LIVINGSTON (3-5-2): 1 McKenzie; 2 McNamee, 4 Rubio, 6 Dorado; 7 Boyack, 14 McLaughlin (Bahoken 54), 12 Easton, 17 Lovell, 10 O’Brien; 16 Lilley (Hamilton 85), 24 Libbra (McMenamin 54)
Subs not used: Meldrum, Dair, Brittain, Snowdon
Booked: None
Man of the Match: Jean-Alain Boumsong