STEVEN GERRARD stated he wanted to make Ibrox a fortress again when he was appointed as Rangers manager in the summer. And he has certainly put the first blocks in place so far this season.

The game with Hearts on Sunday was Rangers’ tenth home fixture of the campaign and they have now won nine of them. Only Osijek, who drew back in early August, have denied Rangers the clean sweep so far.

That kind of run never looked possible last season as too many points were dropped at home so the improvement is certainly clear to see. That will delight Steven, and it is delighting the supporters.

If you are going to be successful over the course of a season, your home form needs to be very, very good and Rangers have made an impressive start at Ibrox.

The supporters have played their part in that and there seems to be a real connection between the fans in the stand and the players on the park.

The expectation levels have increased and the players have risen to those challenges. The manager has set the bar sky high.

That was a big, big game against Hearts on Sunday and everyone at the club knew that three points was a must, especially coming off the back of the Europa League win against Rapid Vienna.

The manager named the same team and it shows you the mental strength that those players have because they showed no effects of Thursday and came out of the blocks against a Hearts team that are top of the league.

They steamrollered Hearts in the first half and they were a credit to themselves. The feelgood factor is definitely back at the club and that is down to the manager.

Rangers supporters have never, ever let their club down and they have been there through it all over the last few years. They have been there every step of the way.

There have been disappointing times, of course, and spells where the team hasn’t been doing well under a number of different managers.

But they have never let the club down and now they have got a sniff of success this season with Steven in charge. Once again, they have been brilliant.

When you have the power of those fans behind you and add the players that Steven brought to the club, you can see why Ibrox is becoming a fortress once again.

The recruitment has been excellent, the team are better tactically and there are leaders across the pitch. But you can’t underestimate the role the fans have played as well.

I was at the Rapid Vienna game on Thursday night and I couldn’t believe the atmosphere in the last 20 minutes or so and then when James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos scored.

It was absolutely electric. That was Ibrox of old and that is the way it should be in every game.

When you walk out of that tunnel at Ibrox and you see the stadium and you hear the crowd, what a buzz it gives you. What a feeling it is.

It gives you an extra yard, there is no doubt. When you get to the closing stages of a game and you are getting tired, that roar from the supporters gives you encouragement and motivation.

It is excitement, it is passion. It drives you on, it kicks you on.

When we were winning leagues and playing games against Celtic or in Europe, the fans made a difference. It is massive, it really is.

If you are an opposition player and you are getting stick individually or collectively, it doesn’t bother you.

But when you are playing against someone that is getting that extra few percent because of the crowd, and that is what the Rangers fans give you, it is very hard to overcome. The Rangers fans are some tool to have in your armoury.

Last season, that team proved that they were mentally weak and there wasn’t enough leadership or direction. That isn’t the case this time around.

You have Allan McGregor in goal, two good centre-halves, people like Scott Arfield in the middle of the park and a striker in Alfredo Morelos that is delivering every week now. Plus, we have pace out wide and there is a style of play there.

But, most importantly, we have got that collective mental strength and that is a massive difference from last season to this season.

If you are going to achieve anything, if you are going to challenge for titles and go on cup runs, you need to be almost perfect over the course of the campaign at home.

Rangers have certainly got off to a great start in that regard and Steven will be delighted with how the team are faring at Ibrox, not just in terms of the results but with some of the performances as well.

The players that are not away on international duty over the next fortnight, they will need to have a rest and take some time out.

It has been three games a week since the start of the season and that is not easy to cope with when you consider the travelling and the pressure you are under.

When they get back down to work, it is all about keeping that momentum going and trying to improve their record away from home. Then they will give themselves a foundation upon which to build.