RANGERS showed the mark of champions as they came from behind to defeat Hibernian 2-1 at Ibrox on Sunday.

Kevin Nisbet nodded the Leith side in front before Ryan Porteous was sent off for a wild lunge on Joe Aribo.

Jack Ross’ men defended resolutely but the Light Blues eventually broke them down with two headed goals in the second half from Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos.

Steven Gerrard was ecstatic at the full-time whistle as he went onto the pitch and celebrated with all four stands.

He spoke to the various media outlets afterwards and Derek Clark analyses what was said.

Gerrard on the win

"We are really pleased with the result first and foremost. Obviously, the game became complicated when we conceded,” he told Rangers TV.

"I thought it was against the run of play as we started the game really well on the front foot - you see we flipped our formation today to be more aggressive on the front foot, and the message to the team today was, 'we are not waiting today, we are going.'

"It was a top of the table clash, so we wanted it to look like that. We didn't panic - we played with maturity and class and the subs helped us a lot, but I think all-in-all, it was a really strong performance from the boys today."

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There were a few raised eyebrows when the team was named with Nathan Patterson preferred to James Tavernier and Steven Davis starting on the bench but as much as Rangers tried to start aggressively, the first half showing looked very much the same pedestrian display we’ve seen for the majority of this campaign.

Gerrard did call on his subs in the second half though and Roofe, in particular, stepped up and delivered. It was a different Rangers that emerged from the tunnel after the break and they laid siege on the Hibs goal. Fortunately, they did find the goals to take all three points and you could see how much it meant to the players and the manager at full time.

Gerrard on Porteous red card

"Well look, there is a couple of things on this. I know one or two things about bad tackles because I have made a few myself, so I am not in a glass house here.

"It’s a wild tackle. It’s a leg-breaking tackle if he catches him.

"The kid only has to play the ball. I don’t know why there is any reason that he wants to go in with that intent and it is the second time that he has done it against us because he done it against Lassana Coulibaly not so long ago.

"So the kid is obviously not learning and he has let his manager and his team-mates down today. That is obviously Jack’s business.

"There is no defending a tackle like that because the speed of it, the height of it and the force doesn’t belong on a football pitch.

"I have had to learn over the years myself as a player to learn from those types of moments of madness. So hopefully the kid learns."

There is no debating the red card issued to Porteous, perhaps 20 years ago you would get away with a lunge like that but not today. It was brainless from the Hibs man and as Gerrard points out it’s not the first time he’s lost his head. As much as he’s well thought of down Easter Road way, he’ll never improve as a defender until he learns how to control his aggression. Luckily he never caught Joe Aribo otherwise we could be talking about a lengthy absence from the game.

Gerrard on Tavernier omission

"It was difficult (to leave the captain out) and I think it would have surprised a lot of people, which I appreciate, but Tav is capable of playing 55-60 games a season.

"I know he is because he is a machine and he is very robust but he had an injury at the back end of last season and as a manger and as a staff we feel in our first three years we have overused James.

"We've had back-ups to come in and offload him, but we haven't had back-ups the quality of Nathan Patterson who is a Scottish international. We have just as much trust in James as we have Nathan and vice-versa.

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"We want maybe less games out of James, but more quality and foot to the floor. I believe that will help him career-wise and it will certainly help the group.

"The boys have to trust us and hopefully it will certainly pay dividends at the end of the season."

The decision to start Patterson and bench the skipper was a real eye-opener but was a move many supporters would’ve been fully behind given Tavernier’s patchy form of late.

It's imperative Rangers give Patterson more game time and today was his chance to shine, it’s fair to say his first-half showing wasn’t his vintage best but perhaps understandable given he hasn’t played much this season. He produced when it mattered though with a fantastic delivery for the equaliser and he provided that energy and directness that’s been missing of late. It’s a fantastic headache for Gerrard to have when he can afford to drop his captain and bring in a player of such quality.