Saturday 23 September 2017 11:12, UK
Rangers must show they are progressing in Saturday's Old Firm clash with Celtic, writes Charles Paterson...
It's arguably the fiercest derby rivalry in the world, and the most eagerly anticipated game in Scottish football. This weekend the Old Firm meet once again, with bragging rights and reputations firmly on the line.
Yet for the last five years, barring one or two exceptions, this contest has largely been a one-sided affair. Rangers have not beaten Celtic in 90 minutes since March 2012.
This Saturday's game at Ibrox, live on Sky Sports, provides them with a first chance this season to prove they can mount a sustained challenge to Celtic. Pedro Caixinha has been in charge for just over six months, so this game is also a convenient opportunity to judge how far Rangers have come under the Portuguese.
Just a few weeks after he took over, his side were humbled 5-1 in front of their own supporters; it was Celtic's biggest ever win in a derby at Ibrox. Caixinha took the blame for the margin of defeat that day, but in reality it wasn't his team - he'd just inherited a squad from Mark Warburton that had already lost by the same score-line at Celtic Park earlier in the season.
Rangers ended up 39 points adrift of the champions at the end of the season, as Brendan Rodgers' side secured an invincible treble.
Since then, Caixinha has been busy. There was significant investment in the summer transfer window, as Rangers spent over £8M - more, in fact, than Celtic. Eleven players joined the squad, while many of those who Warburton relied upon have left the club.
Recruitment has been Rangers' major flaw on the pitch since the turmoil of administration in 2012. Hefty wages have been spent on plenty of players who've failed to justify the outlay; others have shrunk in the Ibrox spotlight, and been rapidly replaced. Few have embellished their reputations on the club's return to the top flight.
Caixinha's summer spending has hinted at an improvement in this regard. Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos is arguably the find of the season so far, with eight goals in 10 games. Bruno Alves brings vast experience in defence, while Graham Dorrans and Ryan Jack are providing authority and solidity in midfield. The spine of a decent team is in place. Other newcomers, such as Carlos Pena and Fabio Cardoso, could yet prove their worth.
Consistency has eluded Rangers, though. After an embarrassing European exit in the first week of July, they needed extra-time to squeeze past Partick Thistle in Tuesday's League Cup quarter-final, and drew with the same opposition in the league last week.
Rangers have won just once in three league games at Ibrox, and already sit five points adrift of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. Defeat on Saturday would create what would feel like an almost insurmountable deficit, even at this early stage.
Time waits for no manager in Glasgow - already there are murmurings in the city that Caixinha's position will be in jeopardy if the home team suffer another heavy defeat this weekend. Realistically, few observers expect Rangers to beat Celtic to the title, but the gap surely must be seen to be narrowing.
Caixinha has repeatedly exuded confidence in his players, having initially branded them the best squad in Scotland; he also displays an uncharacteristically sunny demeanour for someone in such a pressurised position. However he now needs a performance and result worthy of that praise.
What of Celtic? Last season's achievements mean Rodgers has nothing to prove in Scottish football - his major concern is trying to bridge the yawning gap that exists between his team and the elite of Europe. The recent 5-0 defeat at home to Paris St-Germain in the Champions League is probably not an accurate gauge of his team's progress; next week's visit to Anderlecht may be a better indicator of what Celtic can achieve at a higher level.
There's little to worry Celtic supporters at the moment. They have the excitement of the Champions League to look forward to until at least Christmas, while their team sweeps aside opposition at home. In Scottish football, Celtic are utterly dominant. Under Rodgers they are now unbeaten in a staggering 56 consecutive domestic games. Only complacency can realistically prevent them winning a seventh league title in a row.
For as long as Rodgers remains at Celtic, it's hard to see how they can put a foot wrong; his recruitment has been almost faultless, and his hunger and drive to win has propelled his team to a level not seen domestically since Martin O'Neill was in charge.
Celtic's squad strength and ingrained winning habit is far superior to any other team in the country, so over the course of a season, it's almost incomprehensible for anyone to keep pace with them.
Anyone, perhaps, except Rangers; the only team in Scotland that possesses a similar size of fan-base, and thus could have the potential - long-term - to generate similar funding which could eventually help to challenge for the title.
At the moment though, with Champions' League participation filling Celtic's coffers, that scenario is a distant ambition.
Off the pitch, Rangers have been a mess for a number of years, but they now appear to be attempting to get their house in order. On the pitch, since returning to the top flight, they've flattered to deceive, first under Warburton, and then Caixinha.
His team may not be ready to be the best in Scotland yet, but Saturday's game could point to whether Caixinha's rebuilding project of Rangers is being built on solid foundations or sand.
