Rangers were outstanding against Malmo with Jack Butland having very little to do other than tidy up behind his impressive defence.
Philippe Clement, as a former centre-half himself, would have loved the rearguard action and now knows who he can trust as the backbone of his squad.
In John Souttar and Robin Propper, Rangers have found a centre-half pairing that the team can be built on.
Ally McCoist impressed as Robin Propper steps up for Rangers
Putting two good defenders together doesn’t always equate to a good pairing and, sometimes, it is contrasting styles that dovetail better.
Souttar moving to the right-hand side has seen the Scotland international play his best football since joining Rangers and Ally McCoist was equally as impressed with his Dutch teammate.
Speaking to the TNT studio panel after the game, the Gers Hall of Fame legend proclaimed “that’s the best he’s played” when paying compliment to Propper.
The two stoppers dominated at set-pieces and, in open play, didn’t let Malmo get a single shot on target.
Both were comfortable in possession and, if anything, Butland has to trust them more from goal kicks and not go long as often.
Good teams are always built on a solid defence and Clement has the first bricks in place.
Clement sees no-nonsense Propper at his best
Speaking when Propper signed, Philippe Clement was keen to seen the 31-year old bring his no-nonsense defending to Rangers:
“We are thrilled to welcome Robin to Rangers and he will be an excellent addition to our squad.
“As a defender he is powerful and has great attributes, which include the experience he has gained from his years playing in the Netherlands and the leadership qualities he has shown from being the captain of FC Twente.
“He is excited to start the next chapter of his career in Scotland and we are excited to have him on board as we get ready for the new season. We are thrilled Robin has decided to become a Rangers player.”
This is exactly what Clement saw from Propper and it is the latest in a string of solid displays that shows he can fill the boots left by Connor Goldson.
If Rangers are to beat Celtic this season, this is how good Souttar and Propper will need to be from now until the end of the season.
No silly individual errors.
Against a Malmo side that is flying at the top of their league, Propper and Souttar never gave the Swede’s a sniff.
