Mclaughlin, Goldson and Helander prove worth for champions
As champions, Rangers’ headline statistics make impressive reading for season 2020-21, but there are plenty of formidable figures that have sailed just below the radar.
Everyone is well aware of the domestic dominance of Steven Gerrard’s team – unbeaten in the league so far this season and, domestically, they’ve only slipped up once by conceding a 90thminute winner to St Mirren in the Betfred Cup quarter final.
That blip aside, they have lived up to their frequently used descriptor “relentless” in their pursuit of a 55th title – and one that was claimed in record time – the earliest in more than a century.
Captain James Tavernier has fired an influential 15 goals and laid on 10 and was recently included among the most prolific right-backs of the 21st century by football outlet FTBL.
Key numbers, and impressive too, but there has been an undercurrent of equally impressive and influential information which underpinned the Ibrox title charge, while escaping the credit, focus and headlines they could well deserve.
Take Jon Mclaughlin as an example. Allan Mcgregor has been in focus for some incredible saves, big performances and record-breaking European appearances.
It’s been enough to keep Mclaughlin – Scotland’s third-choice goalkeeper no less – on the sidelines for most of the season.
Yet when called upon the former Hearts and Sunderland number one has a clean sheet record of 92 percent – holding out opposition strikers for 11 out of his 12 appearances and conceding just two goals, both in one game at Easter Road against Hibs, this season.
Stats like that would usually command a starting berth but such have been Mcgregor’s performances, Mclaughlin has proven to be an ultra-reliable understudy, dependable when Steven Gerrard is faced with the need to change up his selection. When that occurs one place he doesn’t tend to alter is at the heart of defence.
After 4410 minutes – plus stoppage time – and counting, Connor Goldson will make his 50th start of the season on Sunday against Hibs having played every minute of this demanding campaign, some of his team-mates are in single figures – others like Scott Wright have only managed one.
The defender doesn’t do substitutions either, having last been taken off on Boxing Day 2018 in a 1-1 draw with Hibs.
Relentless is probably ideal to sum the 28-year-old up, as well as his team.
Then there’s his defensive partner, Filip Helander. Goldson’s appearance record is impressive, but Helander’s own record is probably more so.
Like Rangers, he hasn’t lost a league game all season – indeed he hasn’t lost one at all in the light blue, since signing from Bologna in summer 2019.
The Swede is unbeaten in all competitions this season and has just one domestic loss to his name – Celtic in last season’s Betfred Cup final.
Dependability has been a big part of Rangers’ success this season and, with such a record, it’s easy to see why the 27-year-old is Gerrard’s preference to partner omnipresent Goldson.
Throw in the pair sharing an SPFL record of just five goals conceded when they’ve linked up and you have another stat worthy of the headlines, but like his play – you just won’t hear the quiet, dependable, no nonsense Swede shouting about it.