RANGERS have a chance to eclipse the 114-year-old clean sheet record set by Willie Maley’s great Celtic team way back in 1906 in their next league outing thanks to their outstanding defensive displays to date in the 2020/21 campaign.
The 2-0 triumph over Hamilton at the Fountain of Youth Stadium at the weekend meant that Steven Gerrard’s men have now gone the first six top flight games, exactly nine hours, without picking the ball out of their own net.
If they prevent Dundee United from scoring in their first top flight match after the international break on Saturday week they will write their names into the history books.
However, can the Ibrox club better their Parkhead rivals in the Premiership this season, an achievement of far greater importance to their supporters, if they continue to pass up so many opportunities at the other end of the park?
The victory over Brice Rice’s side should have been sewn up by half-time such was the visitors’ total dominance in the opening 45 minutes - but only Ianis Hagi and James Tavernier managed to convert.
The home side came back into the game in the second-half and it took Jon McLaughlin saves from a Marios Ogkompoe shot and a Shaun Want header to stop them from grabbing a lifeline. Will they be so fortunate in future?
That Rangers are good at the back but still lack a ruthlessness up front on occasion was obvious. But what else did we learn from events in South Lanarkshire on Saturday evening?
ALLAN MCGREGOR HAS A FIGHT ON HIS HANDS
Gerrard’s decision to stick with McLaughlin in goals in the match against Kilmarnock at Ibrox nine days ago was entirely understandable; McGregor has just returned to training after an injury a couple of days before and had only managed to get two sessions in.
But selecting the former Hearts and Sunderland keeper against Hamilton strongly suggested that he could be tempted to persevere with his summer acquisition.
McLaughlin, who will join up with the Scotland squad ahead of their Nations League games against Israel and the Czech Republic today, did his cause no harm at all with another impressive personal display.
He may not have been tested greatly, in the first-half especially, but he was still called upon to make some important saves and did so. McGregor or McLaughlin? It is a nice selection headache for Gerrard to have.
BRIAN RICE’S MEN ARE GUTSY
Hamilton took one helluva beating early on against Rangers and could have had no complaints if they had found themselves trailing by four or five. Only some excellent play from Ryan Fulton between the sticks and some woeful finishing from their opponents kept them in touch.
But they were an altogether different side after the break – they got forward in numbers and asked questions of the league leaders’ defence - and were unfortunate not to score a goal that would have given them a chance to salvage a draw.
Their spirited fightback suggests, even if it was ultimately in vain, they can haul themselves away from the foot of the Premiership table and once again defy their doubters and avoid relegation this term.
KEMAR ROOFE NEEDS GAME TIME
The £5m forward was once against preferred to Alfredo Morelos – who at least made it into the squad on this occasion – at the weekend and showed enough flashes of quality to justify his selection ahead of his new club mate.
He struck the crossbar before Hagi opened the scoring and played intelligently in attack throughout. But he should really have added to the debut strike he bagged against Kilmarnock seven days earlier. His miss after the exceptional Ryan Kent had teed him up with a back heel was particularly poor.
Still, it is difficult to be overly critical of somebody who only arrived in Glasgow a few weeks ago and hasn’t taken part in a full pre-season. His sharpness, and goals, will come as he trains and plays more. Others, though, had no such excuses.
RANGERS DESERVED A PENALTY
Roofe couldn’t disguise his disbelief when referee Willie Collum ignored his appeals for a spot kick in the second-half. Little wonder. He was the victim of a blatant two-handed shove in the back by Scott McMann as he waited to head a Borna Barisic cross. It didn’t affect the final outcome, but was still a baffling decision.
IANIS HAGI CAN DO BETTER
The Romanian playmaker came back in after Cedric Itten was ruled out through injury and did well to open the scoring from close range. He showed good alertness when the ball broke to him in the Hamilton six yard box. But his goal aside he was somewhat quiet.
The uncompromising challenges which he was subjected to by the Hamilton players might have had a negative impact on his showing along with the artificial pitch and only getting on for a few minutes the week before. Bu he can and should contribute far more.
Kent showed why Leeds United are interested in signing him with a dominant display. His team mate would do well to match his endeavour and imagination. He is more than capable of doing so.
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