PERCEIVED wisdom suggests the outcome of Rangers' League Cup encounter with St Johnstone tomorrow night will provide an accurate reflection of just how far Rangers have progressed under new manager Mark Warburton.
Kenny Miller begs to differ, insisting 11 consecutive victories in all competitions this season already highlight how far they have journeyed already in a relatively short space of time.
The Ibrox men maintained a 100 per cent record on Saturday with arguably the hardest fought of their wins, eventually gaining the upper hand against a resolute and well drilled Dumbarton side at the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium. No wonder supporters prefer to call it simply the 'Rock.'
Martyn Waghorn's 10th and 11th goals of the campaign took Rangers seven points clear at the top of the Championship with Sons manager Stevie Aitken predicting afterwards the title race will be done and dusted by February.
The striker opened the scoring just after the hour mark with a swerving 25-yard effort and quickly added a second from the spot after Greg Buchanan was red carded for hauling down Miller.
This was far from Rangers most accomplished performance of what has so far been an impressive campaign as the hosts, playing two rigid banks of four in front of goalkeeper Mark Brown, made life extremely tough for the league leaders.
Well drilled and extremely well disciplined until the dismissal of Buchanan they frustrated the life out of their opponents for 63 minutes before the deadlock was finally broken.
Waghorn's second promptly killed off any hope of an upset although Garry Fleming, also from the penalty spot, did grab a deserved consolation for the part-timers in the final minute of the match.
With momentum maintained and another difficult assignment successfully Miller admits he is relishing the chance to take on Premiership opposition for the first time this season, although he discounted talk of putting down any markers. He feels they are already there.
"We've been talking about statements every week when we come to places like Dumbarton, Alloa and Hibs at the start of the season, said the veteran Gers forward.
“Winning 11 games in a row is a big statement. Tuesday night is a chance to show we are ready for any opposition that we are going to get in the cups.
“ It's a game we are looking forward to and there is nothing on our mind apart from being firmly focused to go out and win the game."
St Johnstone, Premiership top six regulars under Tommy Wright, will certainly represent a step up in class
for a Rangers outfit, who have now scored 40 goals in their first 11 games, yet having despatched three top flight teams in the same competition last term when a shadow of their current selves Miller is understandably confident of reaching the quarter finals.
He said: "Over the last few years we have had decent results. Last year, we beat St Johnstone, Inverness, Kilmarnock all at home, so we've done well (against Premiership teams).
“This team is moving forward, we know we are going to get stronger and better as the season goes on.
“This is a good test at a good time as we are coming off the back of 11 wins and you can't ask for more than that.
“With the quality we have got in the dressing room we can hurt anyone.
"It will be a tough test because they are playing in a higher level against better opposition every week, but it's one we are looking forward to.
“It's another test, but it's another game at home and we will be going to win."
Despite having 65 per cent of the possession Rangers were unable to do much with it where it really mattered for long spells of an intriguing contest.. In the final third they were repeatedly denied time and space as Dumbarton's impressively organised rearguard formed an impregnable barrier.
It took the Ibrox outfit until a minute before the break before they forced Brown to make a meaningful save, the keeper doing well to keep out a ferociously struck angled effort from James Tavernier, while they had a lucky escape at the other end when Fleming headed against the base of the post.
Class and superior fitness levels finally told after the interval with Waghorn making he breakthrough yet the manager was less than impressed by his team's showing before the break.
Warburton said: "I think in the first half we had to take more care in the final third, we lost our shape a little bit which we spoke about at half-time.
"But it is a tough place to come, they work very hard and are well organised. We were very respectful of that and knew the threat they posed but we got the reward in the end.
"I think you are seeing teams coming in very solid and central to stop us passing through and splitting units which you would expect.
"We have to be brighter and quicker. If we take more care with the ball in the final third we will keep hurting teams.
"If we are loose and slack with the final pass then we won't be as effective."
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