Rangers recent upturn has not been driven by spectacle or attacking excess, but by control of moments, of space, and increasingly, of matches.
Emmanuel Fernandez’s post-match comments after the 2–1 victory over St Mirren offered a clear snapshot of a side learning how to win the hard way, with set-piece threat and defensive organisation at the heart of their progress.
“We were resilient,” Fernandez said.
“We knew what we were coming up against today. There was going to be a lot of long balls, and it was going to be a big challenge.”
That acknowledgement of the challenge was telling.
Rangers were prepared for a contest defined by physicality and second balls rather than rhythm, and Fernandez was central to navigating it.
His influence at set pieces, in particular, continues to grow - not by chance, but by design – the former Peterborough defender now has four goals this season and three have arrived after the appointment of specialist set-piece coach Scott Fry.
“Oh yeah, look, I think Scott has had a big help in me getting these goals,” he explained.
“He always talks about second phases and what we need to do.
“I think both of our goals today were from second phases from a set piece.”
Rangers are no longer reliant on clean first contacts alone; they are structured to dominate the chaos that follows.
Fernandez’s confidence in these situations reflects repetition and clarity rather than instinct alone, and it is beginning to translate into consistent returns.
That belief extends to the moment the ball drops in the penalty area.
Asked whether he now expects to score when chances come his way, Fernandez did not shy away from the question.
“I do back myself as long as I get the right movement and delivery is good,” he said.
“I don’t think many people will stop me, it’s just about getting the right timing and keep on going.”
This is the language of a defender in rhythm - aware of opposition adjustments, but confident that movement and execution can still tilt the balance.
It speaks to a player comfortable with responsibility rather than surprised by it.
Behind that attacking contribution sits a defence increasingly defined by organisation and reaction rather than recovery.
Fernandez’s insight into Rangers “rest defence” - how the team positions itself when attacking to guard against transition revealed how much work has gone into tightening the side structurally.
“When we lose it on transition, the rest defence, how we react and we’ve been very good,” he said.
“He’s made sure that we don’t concede a counter-attack also.”
That improvement has been built on communication and familiarity. Fernandez was candid about the early-season challenges, noting that “there was a lot of new players so people need to get to know each other.”
Now, however, “everyone’s bonding and the communication’s better on the pitch.”
The result is a Rangers defence that looks calmer, more connected, and harder to break. Criticism earlier in the campaign has given way to consistency, built not on individual heroics but on collective understanding.
In a title race tightening by the week, those margins may yet prove decisive, particularly as Rangers head to the lions den to face Celtic at Parkhead tomorrow afternoon.
For players arriving in Glasgow, the Old Firm is rarely just another fixture.
It is an event that carries weight far beyond ninety minutes, capable of defining perceptions and shaping narratives.
For Emmanuel Fernandez, the upcoming clash at Celtic Park will be his first taste of that intensity, having been left out of both the 0-0 draw at Ibrox in August and the League Cup semi-final at Hampden, and his response to it has been measured, grounded, and revealing.
“Look, the game’s coming up on the weekend,” Fernandez said.
“We’ve just got to stay focused about ourselves, get to the weekend and deal with it.”
There was no attempt to inflate the moment or downplay its significance - simply an insistence on process.
Fernandez acknowledged the scale of the derby, calling it “a massive game,” but returned repeatedly to the idea of preparation and execution rather than emotion.
“I can’t wait for it because I think it will be my first derby,” he added.
“We’ve just got to go into the game with the mentality that we get three points and move on to the next.”
That clarity of intent is notable.
For a player facing his first Old Firm, there was no hesitation in framing the objective.
Not survival. Not experience. Three points.
Fernandez also addressed the atmosphere he is set to walk into - one capable of overwhelming even seasoned professionals - with notable calm.
“I don’t think it will faze me personally,” he said.
“I’ve played in front of a lot of people before and it’s just about focus and belief in yourself.”
That belief is rooted in perspective rather than bravado.
Fernandez stripped the occasion back to its fundamentals.
“You’re still playing a football game at the end of the day,” he said.
“You’ve just got to focus on what’s happening on the pitch.”
It is often said that Old Firm matches are decided by emotion.
Just as often, they are decided by who controls it.
Fernandez’s words suggest a player intent on keeping his reference points intact, refusing to let the scale of the event distort his role within it.
There was also restraint when asked about the wider implications of the match.
Despite Rangers improving league position and overall form despite defeat at Tynecastle to league leaders Hearts, Fernandez was quick to dismiss talk of titles.
“No, I think we just focus on each game at a time,” he said.
“I wouldn’t say we focus on the title.”
That refusal to look beyond the immediate task may be as important as anything Rangers do tactically.
At Celtic Park, moments come quickly and punish hesitation.
Players who overthink the occasion often find themselves chasing it.
Fernandez will be tested physically, aerially, and mentally.
But his words suggest a player comfortable with pressure, appreciative of the moment without being consumed by it.
For Rangers, that mindset may be just as valuable as any tactical plan when the noise rises and the margins narrow.