Steven Gerrard insists Rangers have been thrown "curveballs left, right and centre" so far this season.
The reigning champions returned to the Premiership summit on Sunday with a 2-1 comeback win over 10-man Hibs at Ibrox.
And their manager made a number of changes to the side that lost out to Sparta Prague in the Europa League in midweek.
Gerrard has been forced to tinker due to injuries, suspension and Covid-related issues - and revealed he planned to use Scott Arfield against Hibs before the midfielder fell sick.
But he's pleased with his players and believes they are maturing fast following last term's title win.
Gerrard said: “Listen, it is still very early first and foremost. We can still improve and get better, we can still tweak.
“We will keep pushing and driving the team forward, but we have to think that it is a positive place to be in considering that we haven’t maybe got into top gear or that spark or bit of life that obviously a lot of people keep mentioning.
“I appreciate that and understand it. But we have had to deal with a lot of different things – injuries, suspensions, Covid.
“The plan was to have Scott Arfield back in the team but he has picked up an illness from his daughter from school. Not Covid related.
"What we have found as a staff, and what I have certainly found this season, is curveballs are coming at you left, right and centre and you have got to adapt and deal with that.
“As a team and a squad, we are because we are in the place where we want to be. But we can still get better and that is the positive thought from my point of view.
“The boys are showing that they are maturing, they are getting better with the experience of last year, we are benefitting from that moving forward.”
