Sometimes when watching a game of football you get the sense you’ve just witnessed a big win. The roar at full-time which is a crescendo of the tension previously felt for 90 minutes, the extra minutes supporters stick around to celebrate, the willingness of a manager to admit as much post-match.

As the PA system started to blare out ‘I’m Feeling It’ come full-time last night at Ibrox after Rangers’ 2-1 win over Aberdeen such an inkling was confirmed. We’ve come to learn in recent years that the track, normally reserved for Thursday night wins in the Europa League, is rolled out only when there’s something to celebrate. When a moment merits bottling up and prolonging beyond the 90 of football played.

Nothing bar the three points was won last night in Govan. Although no European giant was slain or silverware secured, those who remained and those who attended were celebrating something symbolic. Philippe Clement won the League Cup in December and topped the club's Europa League group with a historic win at Real Betis but, arguably, his biggest achievement to date is that supporters are expectant again. Clement has done something by the start of 2024 which seemed impossible when he arrived in late 2023 - Rangers are believing once again.

Cast your mind back to the last time Aberdeen visited Ibrox in Michael Beale’s final game and consider the toxicity. Another false dawn and one let-down too many from some. At that point, the 2023/24 season was only weeks old yet the script felt written. A few months later Rangers are the team with momentum while the seven-point deficit Clement inherited has been clawed back.

The Belgian's record since joining the club reads 24 played, 20 won, three drawn and one lost, having inherited a team who’d lost three of their opening eight league games. 

Last night, dropped points were a threat even if Rangers’ performance always merited victory. They scored early through Rabbi Matondo before a ball over the top allowed Bojan Miovski to react quicker than Connor Goldson could recover on the stroke of half-time. There was frustration, sure, but no defeatism. Patience was required on and off the pitch until Todd Cantwell followed in Tom Lawrence’s long-range effort to score a winner and release a collective valve.

Cantwell now has four goals in five 2024 league starts playing in his favoured central role while Matondo has scored twice and provided one assist in three league starts this year. Criticism always seems to follow Cantwell but if he continues to be a leader for this team as he’s becoming in actions, the noise will be forced to quieten down. “I see him growing, he is doing much more of what is necessary for the team and he starts to understand better the story,” Clement said of the No.13 post-match.

Matondo is not the finished article but he, like so many others, is providing more under Clement than we’ve seen under previous managers. Although guilty of passing up a good opportunity to add a second when through on goal the winger’s opening goal was created and converted by aggressive, front-footed play. Overall this was another forward step in the beginnings of a redemption story we've seen right across the squad.

Lawrence ran things in the middle for long parts, Ridvan Yilmaz continues to play the best football of his Rangers career and John Lundstram was dependable and durable in the midfield once again. Fabio Silva’s contribution from the bench was also eye-catching - providing energy and moving the ball quicker than opponents could move in response.

Ibrox can be a tool but at times iterations of this squad have not been able to temper its expectations and show enough to rely on its patience in moments of difficulty - especially in domestic football. Last night when circumstances were thrown their way and this game became the type that features all the sightings of a stumbling block, Clement’s men found a way to win and the crowd stuck with them. 

“You get a knock there just before half-time and then it is important to stay calm and to continue what you are doing, not start to doubt,” the manager said speaking in his post-match press conference.

“I think that is a massive step forward that the team is ready to do that now, that the dressing room is ready to do that and on the other side that the fans are ready to do that. It is a big difference from a few months ago that the belief stays and everybody keeps on pushing to get the result.

“It is great to feel [the stadium’s energy] and that was for me one of the major reasons to come to this club compared to other possibilities because I knew how incredible I can be when all these fans are behind the team and how much energy that can give."

The Belgian has repeatedly used the phrase “synergy” when discussing the broken bond between the fans and squad inherited. You can trace it right back to his very first media outing in the Blue Room last October.

“It’s a really important thing in this club when the fans are behind you, this gives so much energy and you become so much stronger in every sense as a football player,” Clement said.

“This synergy between fans and players is going to be one of the major points over the next couple of weeks.”

Understandably the lack of a meaningful win in an Old Firm fixture will be held against this group until it’s achieved - but that is the only thing missing at present. The Ibrox club are in their first genuine title race heading into the final months of the season for over a decade. 

Last night was proof of Clement's biggest achievement to date in that journey - Rangers fans are believing and trusting again. He and his team are playing with the full belief of the home crowd, and don't they look so much stronger for it.

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