Rangers are unbeaten in their past 12 matches in all competitions, winning 10 of them, and moved to within a point of the Scottish Premiership summit after Saturday's 2-0 win away to St Mirren. They thoroughly deserved their victory. They have the best defensive record in the top flight and the third best attacking record, but it feels as though they are not playing to their full potential.
In Paisley, Derek McInnes' side never quite put the game to bed despite a host of chances and St Mirren should really have pulled one back in the closing stages. "There's still not that element of control," former Celtic striker Chris Sutton said on Sky Sports. "That killer instinct is really important, but they don't control games the way they should.
Eventually that will bite Rangers in the backside." Sutton's sparring partner on Sky - former Rangers and Scotland striker Kris Boyd - agreed. "They are a good team, but with Rangers teams of the past, that would have been three or four," he said. Rangers overcome St Mirren to move point behind Celtic Ryan Naderi - who put Rangers in front from the penalty spot and has scored six in his past eight league matches - should have scored before he did.
Strike partner Kevin Kelsy missed a host of chances at the start of the second half before midfielder Dan Neil's deflected shot nestled in the bottom corner to make it 2-0. Rangers' expected goals in their 12 league matches this season is 29.8. They have scored just 21.
Key striking duo Youssef Chermiti and Lawrence Shankland are both out injured and that goes some way to explaining their profligacy in front of goal, but it doesn't tell the full story. Naderi and Kelsy have performed admirably this season - there have only been two matches since August in which neither man has scored. It is the players behind them who have not fully stepped up to the plate.
South Korean winger Kim Min-su is yet to score or assist in Rangers colours since signing from Girona in the summer, although he created more chances than any other player on Saturday, while Badredine Bouanani has shown undoubted quality without regularly delivering end product. Against St Mirren, there were plenty of promising attacking positions that did not result in a shot as players took the wrong option and allowed the home defence to recover. As McInnes pointed out: "Loads of chances.
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