As Ibrox Noise discussed recently, naturally this week is a colossal one in the history of Rangers FC. We have already previewed the St Mirren clash in the Premiership at Ibrox on Wednesday night. As much as that is, in many senses, the big one, the really, really big one is the double header as Rangers face Celtic.
Celtic arrive at Ibrox
That naturally begins this weekend at Ibrox, with Celtic arriving in Govan once again for another cup competition. This time it is the League Cup, following the Scottish Cup chaos of last season. Consequently, as we know, it will be a home lockout and there will be no visiting supporters. Whatever you all think of that, we will leave that topic elsewhere. Rangers face Celtic has always been controversial.
But the importance of this one is gigantic. Rangers have not beaten Celtic enough in recent times, to say the least. Very much the case that the side from the east have had the Indian sign over Govan’s faithful for far too long.
Naturally, of course, there have been two colossal victories at Parkhead. Barry Ferguson secured one as interim coach with that stunning winner from Igamane. Meanwhile, Danny Rohl somehow fluked out an astonishing victory against the hapless, hopeless Wilfried Nancy. He produced some of the worst results in Celtic’s history, yet still managed to outperform Rangers’ rather hopeless German manager for around about 65 minutes of the fixture in Glasgow’s east end.
Thanks to Jack Butland’s brilliance in goal, they were unable to extend their advantage beyond just that one goal. Only then came a second half stunner from Youssef Chermiti, who believed he was Lionel Messi, before Mikey Moore sealed the deal with the third.
Those two victories are outliers. In general, Rangers’ record against Celtic, both home and away over the last 15 years, has been abhorrent in all competitions.
McInnes can make his mark
So Derek McInnes could put down an absolutely fantastic marker by getting Rangers to the next stage of the League Cup. He would do so with a victory over now Celtic manager Martin O’Neill. Indeed, Rohl himself did face O’Neill twice and had lost against him in the previous cup match at Ibrox in the cup after extra time.
If McInnes can go one better and win. A victory is a victory. Getting the result against O’Neill and his shiny new players such as Hogh and Duran would be a massive fillip for Rangers fans.
Celtic have definitely been the team to beat this season, regardless of paranoia or otherwise about refereeing decisions and/or luck. Celtic have five wins out of five this campaign and that is going to take an awful lot of usurping.
Rangers have come onto some momentum in recent times. A victory over St Mirren in midweek would be the perfect boost to get to Sunday with the best chance we’ve had in a while of perhaps securing an unlikely victory against the old rivals.
As we’ve said, Celtic are in form. Whether or not Rangers fans agree or disagree that that lot are in form and are a good team outright is another matter. It does not really have any significance to the fact that they are strong and they win. This is something Rangers have not been doing enough of, but have found a knack for doing so in the last six matches.
The ultimate Rangers test
A victory on Sunday would be huge. It would be the shot in the arm for Derek McInnes that he needs to prove that he is starting to truly get somewhere.
After that horrible start that he had, where he could not buy a win for long enough? McInnes finally got somewhere in the last couple of weeks. The results have started to improve, even if the football hasn’t been outstanding.
But the next stage is, of course, the big one. It’s beating Celtic. It is how every Rangers manager is measured. And has been that case from the beginning and it always will be.
It doesn’t matter who the manager is, when the manager is here and the circumstances around it. Rangers managers, and indeed Celtic ones, are judged on beating the old rival from Glasgow. It is as simple as that. It will always be the case because that rivalry, the Old Firm, is a litmus test for both of the teams in it.
Rangers managers especially are under the pressure because we have lived, unfortunately, in Celtic’s shadow for far too long. Every Rangers manager that comes is then measured on beating Celtic and unfortunately there have been so few meaningful victories.
This is the biggest problem, of course, that we had with Barry Ferguson’s victory. The league was already gone, Celtic were already winners and it didn’t really matter at that point. Consequently, at the same time, Danny Rohl’s victory was a complete outlier. That was a truly bizarre victory at Parkhead in a match where none of the normal rules of physics appeared to apply.
Rangers have to win
But this one really is at the start of the season, when both teams are in reasonably good condition. Yes, Rangers have a few injuries at the moment, but none that should really affect the outcome of this match. There are still enough players, and available players, that would be first choice options for the team for Derek McInnes.
As it stands, this is one that Rangers have to win. Celtic winning this one would sound a real, real kick in the teeth for Rangers fans. Many of them, of course, would probably just deride the loss, or try to justify and defend what had happened.
But at the same time, the truth is that, as we said, every Rangers manager is measured against Celtic. If Derek McInnes gets the victory on Sunday, it would be a gigantic boost to the entire south side of Glasgow and everyone connected with Rangers.
Let’s hope as Rangers face Celtic he does it.