Jack Butland on the Rangers trait that will be key to their title bid

An 18th clean sheet of the campaign earned Rangers a valuable three points against St Mirren on Saturday. Butland, once again, played his part in the victory that was earned by the man at the other end of the park as Cyriel Dessers netted the only goal of the game. The keeper pointed to the two red shirts in front of him as crucial to the achievement, though.

The partnership between Connor Goldson and John Souttar was perhaps not the one that many supporters expected to start in Paisley. Goldson was always set to return to the team after missing the win at Easter Road through suspension and, with Ben Davies still absent through injury, the choice was between Souttar and Leon Balogun. The Scotland defender got the nod and then repaid Philippe Clement’s faith in him.

A late block to deny Alex Gogic perhaps encapsulated the afternoon for Rangers. It was one where they had to do whatever was necessary to get the job done, where individuals had to stand up and be counted for the good of the collective. Souttar did just that as he threw himself in front of a Gogic drive with just five minutes remaining in a challenge that was similar to one he produced on Wednesday evening as he and Balogun kept Hibernian at bay. It wasn't lost on Butland.

"A few of the boys could have got the Man of the Match," Butland said as he reflected on a victory that keeps Rangers within touching distance of Celtic at the top of the table. "It went to Cyriel and he fully deserved it but I thought Soutts and Connor were fantastic. Difficult conditions to play in, difficult as a keeper to come and help out and you are relying on the boys in front of you to win their battles and I thought all over the pitch the boys did that. Fully earned that clean sheet.

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"Saying he is an old school defender would do him a disservice, really. He has got that but he can play with the ball as well. He is a top defender for us and we are really happy to see him fit. When he is coming in, he is doing a great job with the last two performances, on the right side and the left side. We have got a great selection of defenders and we are really happy about that."

The central partnership has been chopped and changed throughout the campaign as Souttar, Balogun and Davies have competed for a single berth. Behind them, Butland has been an ever-present in the Premiership. In his first term at Ibrox, the Englishman has been a commanding presence between the sticks and a powerful voice in the dressing room.

Butland rightly takes pride in his own standards and own statistics but it is the endeavours and achievements of the team that matter most. In that regard, Rangers are very much on the right track and two Premiership wins, on the back of a Scottish Cup success at Dumbarton, represent a pleasing return to action after the winter break for Clement’s side.

Clement will continue to mix and match the man that fills the jersey alongside Goldson. The constant change does not bother Butland and the 30-year-old is well aware of the importance of maintaining their impressive shutout record. Come May, it could well define Rangers’ title bid.

"Whoever it is, you learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses and you learn how to play and you become accustomed to each other,” Butland said. “We have got a good selection of centre-backs for the manager to choose from, all of which over the course of the season have stepped in and done a really good job. For us, that is really important.

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"All season long, despite losing some games we shouldn’t have, we have had a good run of keeping clean sheets. It is something that is really important for us. Games like this, it becomes a draw or a last minute trying to push for victory if you don’t. For us to keep those clean sheets makes everyone’s job a lot easier but it starts at the front.

"Defensively we are solid, we are not as open as we have been at times and there are games where it might go down as a clean sheet for the keeper but I have not had a lot to do. That is what we are trying to be as a squad and it is something we are focusing on in each game, to go out and get one."

The first hat-trick of fixtures after the top flight shutdown have been very different affairs for Rangers. Each obstacle has been taken on its own merits and ultimately passed. Saturday was perhaps the most difficult as the combination of testing conditions and a solid St Mirren made for a tricky afternoon for the visitors.

The first half strike from Dessers was all that Rangers needed in the end. This was far from a classic encounter but its significance will only become clear in the fullness of time as another win was recorded and the momentum ticked over once again.

“It is the same as the other night, it is three points up for grabs,” Butland said. “We have got the result that we wanted. Different conditions, different pitch allows you to play a different style of football. Look, that is part of the beauty of the league. It is different challenges. You have got to switch your heads from Wednesday night to today and what the conditions and the opposition require to get the job done.

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"I thought we did a brilliant job of that. We handled the conditions really well, we chose the right options at the right time. First half we weren’t quite as we wanted to be, second half we had a lot more control and dominated the game from there.

"St Mirren are a good side and the games that we have played against them before, it has taken some work to break them down. They are a solid team that are doing well this year. Nobody is going to roll over and give you those opportunities. Sometimes the score lines don’t reflect that.

"They have defended really well but they are the games that you can ultimately slip up on. You can’t afford to be complacent in this league and that is one thing about this squad, we are developing that killer edge that you need to make sure that we come to places like this and get the result."