Rangers away-day concerns give way to renewed optimism as Dan Neil outlines blueprint for silverware

There was something reassuringly uncomplicated about Rangers' 2-0 victory over St Mirren. After a sequence of performances in which attacking promise had not always been matched by defensive security or an ability to put opponents away, this was a night when they got the fundamentals right and the points secured without undue drama.

In Dan Neil’s case, it served as a reminder that Rangers’ away form need not be a source of anxiety. They head into the international break in high spirits and safe in the knowledge that they are within touching distance of Premiership leaders Celtic.

Rangers' recent away performances had exposed a gap between their form at Ibrox and their consistency on the road. Goal scorer Neil acknowledged that concern, describing the win in Paisley as an important response to two disappointing results on their travels in recent weeks.

Rangers midfielder Dan Neil celebrates after scoring to make it 2-0 against St Mirren in Paisley | SNS Group

“It was a good result going into the break,” the stand-in captain admitted. “It was really important that we got that and got back to keeping clean sheets. One of the big things we spoke about before the game, other than clean sheets, is coming away from home and putting in a good performance. The last two away results and performances really haven't been us. We didn’t want it lingering over us. Everyone played their part in making it a comfortable result.

“Coming away from home in any league is tough, but especially this league. The better our away form is, the better chance we're going to stand [of winning the title]. Every good team just finds a way to win. Obviously we'd like to win by four or five goals every week, but unfortunately that's just not football. I do think it's an area that we can improve on, though.

“These are potential banana skin games. It's important that the mentality of the group is right, which it is, and I think you've seen that. Our home form speaks for itself, but like I said, the last two away results haven't been great for us. So it was important to put that hoodoo of those two results behind us.”

The international break provides Rangers with an opportunity to recover ahead of a gruelling winter schedule, although Neil acknowledged that the interruption could also disrupt their rhythm.

”There's definitely pros and cons to international breaks,” he stated. “It's a chance to recharge your batteries a little bit after an intense run of games. But it also kind of halts your momentum a little bit. I think it's important that you take the positives out of the break.

“We can rest and recover ahead of the tough winter months. Hopefully all the boys come back unscathed and have good games with their international teams. I’ll be working hard at the training ground as well as having a few days off and we'll come back ready to fire again.”

There is also a shot at silverware on the horizon. Rangers have five fixtures to negotiate before their Premier Sports Cup final appearance, and Neil is conscious that momentum must be maintained.

“I'm sure we'll relay that message when all the boys are back together,” Neil added. “It's a great chance for us to build some momentum again after a break, going into that final. It's important that we take each test in isolation and not look too far ahead. When the final comes round, it comes round. We've got five really important fixtures before that in which we need to pick up as many points as we can.”

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