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There’s something special happening at Rangers FC and the club has Steven Gerrard to thank for it. The Scottish side has been in the wilderness for many years, but they are finally on course to return to the big time.
On Thursday, Rangers made it two wins from two Europa League games after recording a 1-0 win over Lech Poznan. But the narrowness of the result does not tell the full story of the club’s progress this season.
The Teddy Bears have now gone 17 games without tasting defeat and have been playing some wonderful football in the process. Under Gerrard, Rangers have rediscovered the form that made them one of Scotland’s biggest clubs.
Gerrard’s transformation into football management has been as meteoric as it has been inspiring. As a player, he gave his all for Liverpool and as a manager, he’s doing the same at Rangers.
It’s been just over two years since he took charge at the club, but his impact on the team has been telling. They are unbeaten in their last 15 games in all competitions, 12 of which were league matches.
It is a run that has seen the team impressively win 15 out of 17 games, recording 14 clean sheets and conceding just four goals.
As Rangers sit at the top of the Scottish Premier League, it is easy to see Gerrard’s fingerprints all over the side. He’s built the team on a solid defensive foundation; one that several opposition sides have found very hard to break down.
The last time Rangers lost a competitive game was back in August. The team also haven’t conceded a single goal in each of their last five games in all competitions., which includes a 2-0 away win against Celtic. Rangers are now six points above their bitter rivals in the league table.
Amid all the recent successes, though, Gerrard has been cautious about his goals and has tried to play down expectations.
"The players are showing more maturity but we still have a lot of hard work to do and we respect the team we are chasing,” the 40-year-old told the BBC after the Old Firm derby.
"It was a really mature, experienced performance but we need more of that for the rest of the season. That is our biggest challenge - can we go the distance?" added Gerrard.
The former Liverpool star is accomplishing something special at Rangers, and at this rate, they could just be on their way to winning their first league title since 2011.
