Scottish Premiership Preview: Rangers Target Second Place as Celtic Sustain Early Momentum

The Glasgow side currently sits behind third-placed St Mirren on goal difference, despite a promising beginning to the campaign for the Paisley club.

Head coach Craig McLeish has garnered praise for installing a more fluid tactical approach, earning him the Premiership Manager of the Month award for August.

“I’m not shocked that things have come together so quickly, though I understand how it might appear from the outside,” McLeish remarked.

“There is a profound internal belief in our processes and the work we put in on the pitch. It could have been even better, and we were very close to making it so.”

However, St Mirren have already visited Ibrox this season, where they suffered a heavy defeat in the Premier Sports Cup.

James Penrice made an immediate impact on his Rangers debut in that match, finding the net once and providing an assist as the home side scored five.

The left-back has started every match since, alongside centre-backs Olwethu Makhanya and Emmanuel Fernandez. Although the latter can occasionally be prone to a wobble, the defensive unit has settled nicely, providing a solid foundation for the recent improvement in results.

Motherwell posed little threat at Ibrox on Saturday, while Rangers squandered several prime opportunities to extend their advantage.

This outcome followed victories over Aberdeen and Falkirk. McInnes noted that confidence is building, though he acknowledged that the pressure to succeed remains.

“I don’t believe that pressure ever truly lifts until you’ve got a trophy in your hand,” he stated.

“But I do believe there has been a positive atmosphere surrounding the club. What we have experienced recently are just small steps, encouragement, and rising confidence.”

The injury to Lawrence Shankland, occurring just as the striker had found his scoring rhythm, is a significant blow. Consequently, Kevin Kelsy may not have the luxury of easing into his new surroundings at his own pace.

Rangers have won the previous two league encounters against St Mirren by a single goal, though prior to that, the visitors had established an unbeaten run of four in this fixture.

Celtic had to work hard to secure their weekend victory in Paisley, with McLeish’s side impressive in both halves but lacking the decisive killer touch.

St Mirren will be without the composure of Paul Nsio, who is ineligible to face his parent club, and his absence could be significant given that Rangers dominated the midfield in that cup tie last month.

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