‘Clean sheet mentality’ is key in Ruhl’s Rangers revival

Manager Danny Ruhl raved about many aspects of Rangers’ dominant 2-0 win away to Aberdeen, including his side’s “clean sheet mentality”.

The fifth win in a row keeps Rangers three points away from Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts.

Since Ruhl took charge in October, his side have scored just eight goals in 14 league matches, winning 11 of them, while keeping the opposition out on eight occasions.

Rangers have held just one blank in Russell Martin’s seven Premier League appearances, a hypnotic old derby.

“We defended until the end and got a clean sheet,” Ruhl told Rangers TV.

“That’s the key, and if we do that over and over again we’ll be on a great path. Stay ahead of the curve, stay hungry, stay ambitious and be humble in the right moments.”

In the wind and rain at Pittodrie, Aberdeen were limited to five shots on target, with Jack Butland denying Leyton Clarkson’s only save of note in the first half.

“It gives me great pride for my group to have reached a really difficult place,” Rhule said in his post-match media conference. “We showed different faces again, and that’s what we need.

“We played good men’s football, we were ready in the duels, on the second balls.

“We understood when to play at the back, and then we also understood to keep the ball in the right areas.

“The result was fun, of course, great to see.

“We were really focused until the end and what we did was amazing, getting five wins in a row.”

Rangers’ solidity becomes even more impressive when you consider the absence of first-choice centre-backs John Soutar and Derek Cornelius.

The Canadian international has been out of action since the beginning of November, while Soutar has missed six matches.

However, it is not surprising that the Scottish defender’s return coincides with the current five-game winning streak.

Soutar made a brilliant early save from Nicolas Milanovic at Pittodrie and was constantly packing the backline, keeping the occasionally erratic Emmanuel Fernandes close and focused.

Fernandes may be prone to the odd lapse, but the 24-year-old, who was playing in the Premier League last season, is an imposing figure.

He has four goals from 11 consecutive matches, and was denied another after a controversial VAR review at Aberdeen.

A threat from set-pieces in the opposition penalty area, and adept at clearing them at the other end too, Nacer Djiga will likely have to wait patiently on the bench now that he has returned from the Africa Cup of Nations with Burkina Faso.