Rangers fans here in the Tavern are looking to build on their impressive run of form, as manager Graeme Murty continues to work wonders in Glasgow.

The Bluenoses gave supporters something to shout about last weekend, as the Gers inflicted a 5-3 defeat on relegation contenders Hamilton Academical in the Scottish Premier League. A fixture that was based entirely around the attacking side of football, with the art of defending going out of the window at New Douglas Park.

Indeed, Graeme Murty’s men have produced a fine run of form over the past couple of weeks, with victory in their last match making it three wins on the bounce for the Gers. And, much to the delight of our local residents, this is a string of results that couldn’t have come at a better time for Rangers’ European surge, having leapfrogged Aberdeen into second-place in the table.

However, there has been some negatives to take away from the past three fixtures in the Gers’ calendar, with defensive solidity coming into question against Hamilton last time out.

And, with Rangers welcoming Hearts to Ibrox this afternoon, there are some important decisions for Murty to make prior to kick off, starting with the fact that these TWO flops must surely be dropped…

David Bates

The 21-year-old defender has been a revelation this season at Ibrox, but last weekend’s game appeared to be a rare blip in what was a frantic encounter.

Indeed, the central defender missed a gilt-edged chance after reacting to a Greg Docherty cross, somehow managing to divert his effort wide of the target from a couple of yards out.

And, in a match that was heavily outweighed by the attacking side of things, there weren’t many positives to take away in defensive areas for what’s normally a resolute back line.

Although, with the experienced Bruno Alves making a push for a starting place in the match against Hearts today after returning from injury, it could mean that David Bates’ current position in the side is under threat.

Declan John

The 22-year-old has been a live wire down the left-hand side of defence for Rangers so far this campaign, with his attacking intent often rewarding the team on numerous occasions.

However, last weekend’s game against Hamilton wasn’t one to remember for the Welshman, as the first goal scored by the opposition was mainly down to the defender’s failure to clear the ball. And, this isn’t the only time that something like this happened this season, with the defensive side of things becoming a struggle for Declan John as his attacking nature takes over.

Nevertheless, a strong Hearts side will be heading to Ibrox today with an upset in their sights, so Murty will need to bring in some reinforcements in defensive positions to iron over the mistakes caused by John in recent weeks.