Rangers made it six top-flight clean sheets in a row on Saturday, with a 2-0 victory over Hamilton.
Steven Gerrard’s side currently sit three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership, and remain unbeaten.
One more clean sheet would break the record set by Celtic 114 years ago, which would represent an outstanding achievement.
We’ve had a look at three key factors behind the watertight start to the campaign…
More training time
Gerrard told the Telegraph back in August how rare it is for Rangers to actually get training days where they can work on shape and organisation.
The Gers boss stated how pleased he was that he’d had time to work with players on their defensive ‘distances’ during the extended pre-season.
The impact of that work can certainly be seen on the pitch.
It’s a unique season but Gerrard looks to have capitalised on the extra preparation time to improve Rangers’ defensive work.
Ally McCoist: Rangers hero
- Lethal striker
Ally McCoist is best remembered for his spell as a Rangers player. He was a prolific striker, scoring 382 goals for the club. His best season came in 1991/92, when he netted 49 goals in a single season.
- Key part of Rangers’ success
McCoist’s goals helped Rangers enjoy sustained success. He won 10 league titles, and 10 domestic cups at Ibrox.
- Rangers’ darkest moment
McCoist stepped in as Rangers manager at the club’s darkest hour. Forced to restart in Scotland’s fourth tier, McCoist led Rangers to back-to-back promotions to begin their journey back to the Premiership.
Flying start so important
Before a ball was kicked, Rangers will likely have known the importance of making a fast start to end a message to Celtic in the title race.
But when Celtic had games postponed because Boli Bolingoli flew to Spain, Rangers were handed a golden chance to race into an early lead.
The defence has certainly risen to that challenge expertly, providing the ideal foundation for the run which has them six points clear already.
Rangers have shown they mean business at the back.
Settled backline
Felip Helander’s return from injury was managed well and he has now slotted in alongside Conor Goldson at centre half.
Borna Barisic and James Tavernier have made flying starts to the season, combining their attacking instincts with enough defensive security.
Gerrard has struggled to find a reliable central defensive duo or get the balance right at full back during his time at Ibrox – until now.
He will hope to keep his first choice quartet fit as often as possible to remain miserly at the back all season long.
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