Michael Beale has Rangers motoring along nicely since taking over from Gio van Bronckhorst with the new boss still yet to taste defeat. And that 14-game run puts his start up there with some of the best in the club's history with only two managers ever getting off to a better start.
It's starting to look like much more than a new manager bounce as Beale's rejuvenated Gers have won 13 out of 14 with that draw with Celtic the only patch on his otherwise spotless record. And he'll be hoping he can pick up the most important win of his tenure so far at Hampden next weekend when his side take on their bitter rivals with the Viaplay Cup on the line.
14 games without defeat means he has now enjoyed a better start to life at Ibrox than his predecessor Van Bronckhorst (13) and his former manager Steven Gerrard (12). It means only the club's first ever manager, William Wilton, and the legendary Alex McLeish went longer between taking the job and tasting their first defeat.
Wilton went his first 20 games before defeat to Celtic in January 1900 in the old Division One brought it to an end. League seasons only lasted 18 games back in Wilton's day so 15 wins from 18 were enough to secure the league title in his first season, but they also won the Glasgow Cup against the Hoops.
The only other manager to get off to a better start than Beale has so far was McLeish, who took the job on in December 2001 and didn't suffer defeat until they faced Feyenoord in the UEFA Cup the following February. His 17-game run had Rangers competing on all fronts although they ultimately came up well short of Celtic who raced off with the title and finished on more than 100 points under Martin O'Neill.
As things stand three more games without defeat will put Beale on a level with McLeish and they face Celtic at Hampden next weekend. They would then need to navigate clashes with Kilmarnock and Hibs, while further successes against Raith, Motherwell and Dundee United would see Beale match Wilton's longstanding record - and set up the chance to surpass it against Celtic on April 8.
Long runs without defeat are of course not a surefire indicator of how a manager will fare. The great Walter Smith lost his fifth game in charge while Dick Advocaat lost his third - both fewer than Paul LeGuen who managed seven. Here's how Beale stacks up.
Rangers managers with longest undefeated starts
William Wilton - 20
Alex McLeish - 17
Michael Beale - 14
Gio van Bronckhorst - 13
Steven Gerrard - 12
Mark Warburton - 11
Willie Waddell - 10
Bill Struth - 8
Paul Le Guen - 7
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