Why Rangers point at Parkhead bodes well for the future

It may not have been a title-decider, but that didn’t dampen the joy of Rangers fans as their side came from behind to grab a point at Parkhead on Sunday, ending Celtic’s 23-match home winning streak in domestic competition.

But while the man who netted the leveller – 38-year-old Clint Hill – may be heading towards the end of his career, there were promising signs for new boss Pedro Caixinha, from throughout the side.

Firstly, they did what few other sides have been managed this term, and kept Moussa Dembele quiet. Having chalked up 12 goals in his previous six games, he had few sights of goal here, and the Hoops only marginally edged possession and chances.

At the other end, while Hill was the one to net from close-range, the impressive build-up play came courtesy of Emerson Hyndman. The Bournemouth loanee has been hugely impressive since joining, and has looked equally effective in the 4-4-1-1 utilised on the road, and the 4-3-3 they’ve been setting up with at home.

But while stopping the Hoops winning run highlighted not just Rangers’ resilience but also their creativity, it wasn’t the first game this month to have done so.

Having let slip a 2-0 lead at home to St Johnstone in the opening game of March, the Gers regained their focus and intensity in the closing moments, with that man Hyndman securing a well-deserved 3-2 victory.

And between that and the Celtic game, the Ibrox club flexed their muscle with a 6-0 mauling of Hamilton Academical, with five different players featuring. And with Joe Garner grabbing two instinctive goals, they have another top talent back on form after a hit-and-miss patch.

But with Caixinha’s track record of attacking football and developing young talent, many think we could see more of Rangers’ creative youngsters being given a chance in the first-time before the season ends, with attacking midfielder Liam Burt and talented full-back Jordan Houston having both impressed in the youth setup.

Next up for Rangers is a meeting with Hamilton at Ibrox, with 3/10 on offer for a Gers victory, and a repeat of that 6-0 scoreline priced at 50/1.

And after the feats of recent weeks, we wouldn’t put it past them…

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing