Rangers have been crowned Scottish Premiership champions for the first time in a decade after Celtic slipped up at Dundee United on Sunday.
Steven Gerrard’s side had moved to the brink of glory on Saturday, a 3-0 home win over St Mirren leaving them needing just one more point to get over the line – provided Celtic triumphed at Tannadice less than 24 hours later.
However, with their Old Firm rivals only able to draw 0-0 on the road, Rangers were able to celebrate a first top-flight title in Scotland since the 2010-11 season, in the process ending Celtic’s run of success in the competition.
Securing the league also gives Gerrard the first trophy of his managerial career in his third season in charge at Ibrox. They had finished second in the previous campaigns under the former England international, as well as losing the 2020 League Cup final.
Gerrard said after the victory over St Mirren that the club had been “to hell and back over the past 10 years”, having been forced to start afresh in the fourth tier of Scottish football following major financial problems, including liquidation.
Celtic were bidding to win a 10th consecutive league crown this term, a feat neither club had previously managed to achieve. However, while the defending champions have stuttered, eventually leading to the departure of Neil Lennon, Gerrard’s Rangers have dominated.
They are yet to lose a league game in the 2020-21 season, recording 28 wins and four draws in 32 outings so far, meaning an average of 2.8 points per game.
A total of 77 goals averages out at 2.4 per game. Full-back James Tavernier – the team’s penalty taker – is leading scorer with 11, but forwards Kemar Roofe (10) and Alfredo Morelos (10) have also reached double figures.
However, it is an outstanding defensive record that has underpinned their charge: Rangers have conceded just nine goals, which works out at a ridiculously low 0.3 per outing.
The clean sheet against St Mirren was their 24th in the league, while they have not committed a defensive error that has led to an opposing team scoring so far, per Opta data.
Rangers have scored first in 28 of their 32 league outings and only once have they failed to triumph after breaking the deadlock, while just four points have been dropped all season from a winning position.
There remains the possibility of further silverware before the season is over, too. Rangers are still in the Europa League, with Slavia Prague their opponents in the last 16.
When Steven Gerrard took charge at Rangers in 2018, he had a monumental job on his hands. The playing squad were still some distance from their city rivals Celtic and had just finished the 2017/18 season in a disappointing third place.
Fast forward almost three years, though, and this Rangers side are a different animal. Gerrard has just delivered the club’s 55th league title and their first since 2011. It’s the first since the demotion to Scotland’s fourth tier in 2012, a title that ends Celtic’s attempt at a historic 10 league trophies in a row.
It has been a long and winding journey for the Rangers faithful. After being sent to the fourth tier of Scottish football, the club saw three promotions in four years. The supporters’ loyalty never wavered, however, as they followed their side to all corners of the country and regularly packed Ibrox every second weekend despite being in the lower divisions.
Managers came and went. Club legend Ally McCoist started the journey and was followed by Kenny McDowall, Stuart McCall, Mark Warburton, Graeme Murty, Pedro Caixinha and finally Gerrard.
The Englishman inherited a squad from caretaker coach Graeme Murty that was in need of a serious rebuild and the job he has done is nothing short of remarkable.
The ex-Liverpool man has surrounded himself with a staff that he trusts, which includes ex-teammate Gary McAllister, ex-Sao Paulo, Liverpool and Chelsea coach Michael Beale and sporting director Ross Wilson.
Alongside Beale and head of recruitment Wilson, the Liverpool legend has made some shrewd acquisitions in the transfer market and pieced together a squad which has performed fantastically -both domestically and in Europe this season.
Every player knows their role inside out and many who know the Scottish game well have said that they’re one of the best coached sides they’ve ever seen.
His side looked like they could be destined for league glory last season after victory over Celtic in December, but things fell apart after the new year. Gerrard and his players have learned their lessons from past mistakes and ensured that they weren’t to be repeated this term.
The Ibrox side have been imperious in the league this campaign, with countless clean sheets and with expansive and free-flowing football. They have been simply relentless on their way to this league win.
Gerrard is a manager who is learning from his mistakes and improving year upon year. The quality of the job he’s done at Glasgow Rangers cannot be emphasised enough and he’s just delivered the most important league title in this club’s history.