For yet another successive season, Rangers have been handed a tough opening day fixture for Steven Gerrard to deal with.

On the new manager’s maiden season, Rangers had to travel to the toxic den of Pittodrie, where the home side managed a 1-1 draw, before last season saw a trip to arguably the third best side’s place in Rugby Park, with only a late winner being the difference.

And hey presto, once again Rangers are drawn to face Derek McInnes’ men at their patch for the second time in two seasons.

Now, we should reiterate to all the paranoid types – we are not running scared of anyone.

We just find it very interesting that Celtic seem to always get comfortable opening day matches against cannon fodder, while our away trips are to notoriously tricky venues.

Naturally, you have to beat whoever you’re confronted by, so it doesn’t strictly matter if we travel to Pittodrie on day one or week 8, right?

Well actually that’s not really true.

The opening day always sees Rangers given pressure tests, none of which we’ve properly passed under this manager – we don’t get off to flyers, ever. And that means Rangers are never given a confidence boost by travelling to a midtable side and managing a solid win.

Of course, what did we expect from our friends at the SPFL anyway?

The battle lines of ignominy between Rangers and the league’s governing body have been drawn this spring and summer and it would have been folly to expect a ‘comfortable’ opening day fixture.

If they gave us Aberdeen and Killie away before when they didn’t completely hate us, they’re hardly going to give us an easy trip to Ross County now.

Que sera.