It is hardly unfair to suggest the start to Rangers’ season has been mediocre, at best. A goalless draw away at Hearts in the Scottish Premiership opener was followed by elimination from the Champions League against Dynamo Kiev.
The 2-1 win at home against Motherwell vital but scarcely inspiring.
Today, however, is where the season may have truly kicked off for the Gers.
On the third matchday of the league season, they played host to Ross County at their temporary home, Hampden Park. Manager Philippe Clement had to deal with the absence of new signing Robin Pröpper but sent out a strong starting XI nonetheless:
Line-Up: Jack Butland, James Tavernier, John Souttar, Leon Balogun, Jefté, Dujon Sterling, Connor Barron, Václav Černy, Tom Lawrence, Rabbi Matondo, and Cyriel Dessers.
Bench: Kelly, King, Fraser, Rice, Diomande, McKinnon, McCausland, Dowell, and Danilo,
Rangers were in control throughout, keeping 76% of the possession, taking 17 shots with nine on target, and finished the match with pass accuracy of 88%.
Cyriel Dessers opened the scoring in the 18th minute with an assist from Tom Lawrence. Mohamed Diomande replaced Leon Balogun in the 45th minute, just before James Tavernier set Rabbi Matondo up for the second goal of the afternoon.
The Light Blues continued their domination after the break, Dessers scoring his second off an assist from Matondo in the 58th minute, who would lay on another assist seven minutes later, this time for Lawrence to get on the score sheet. Being 4-0 up on 65 minutes allowed Clement to ring some changes, and he sent on Kieran Dowell and Danilo on for Lawrence and Dessers in the 66th minute.
Three minutes later, Matondo—with two assists already to his name—got his second goal of the day as well, Václav Černy claiming the assist.
Robbie Fraser and Ross McCausland came on for Matondo and Černy in the 75th minute before Danilo rounded off a rampant display from the Gers, and made it 6-0 with his goal in the 90th minute.
Philippe Clement was understandably proud of his team’s display in the post-match press conference, saying:
“What pleased me most? A lot of things because it is about all the details that we have been working on for weeks and months.
“You see a young talented team who get to know each other better and better and understand all the details better and better and then you get good results if the efficiency is there.”
It was the biggest victory Rangers FC have managed in four years, and the manager will be well pleased with how his young squad is coming together. He added:
“It was there in moments; it could have also been more today but you see more and more the football we want to play and with a lot of movement without the ball and people being in the right positions.
“I am very glad about that with for example the two goals of Cyriel , I think it is a big difference from six months ago the way he runs now, how he finds the spaces.
“What we have been working on but also with Rabbi for example, who is now in front of goal and then he is decisive and gives two assists.
“It is difficult to take two players out to give credit towards that because they're a lot of players making a good evolution in the last couple of months and we need to continue in that way and keep this hunger and desire to become better.
“That is what I want and what I tell them every time.”
Danilo, who scored his first goal in nine months for the club, said after the match:
“I am grateful, I have been working so hard for a while.
“I have to thank my team-mates and the coach for giving me confidence to play my first league game of the season and to score my first goal.
“How did the first goal feel? So many things came to mind and I got emotional.
“You have to be ready when that moment comes. In training I had scored some goals, so I was ready for that moment.
“It was a great day, the boys did a great job before I came in so it made it easier.
“It gives you confidence and hopefully it is the first of many.”
Up next for Rangers is the first Old Firm derby at Parkhead on 1st September, and they could not have asked for better preparation as they look for an early advantage in the race for the Scottish Premiership title.