Rewind a decade ago, and Kilmarnock v Rangers on a Wednesday night might not be considered such a compelling contest. That’s absolutely no disrespect to the Ayrshire club.
But it is testament to the outstanding work of Killie Manager Steve Clarke. Over his 15 months in Ayrshire – it feels much longer, right? – he has transformed the club’s fortunes.
Kilmarnock now sit third in the table, have consistently competed against the Scottish Premiership’s top sides, and through hard-work and tactical discipline, could well find themselves in a title race. They’re not a bad side either. It’s also a match made spicier by the resultant stramash after Jordan Jones signed a pre-contract with Rangers.
Three points separate Kilmarnock and Rangers. This is a big game. They all are from here on in. From the hectic December schedule, culminating in Old Firm glory, Rangers will be soundly tossed out of the frying pan and well and truly into the fire.
Rangers have a challenging start to second half of season
Our first four Scottish Premiership games – three of which are away from home – will set the tone for the season ahead. There are few tougher places to go in Scotland than Killie’s home patch. A win here and we carry on that vital momentum from the win over Celtic.
Drop points and pressure will quickly begin to mount. With Livi (a), Cowdenbeath (SC)(a), Livingston (a), St. Mirren (h) and Aberdeen (a) ahead over the next two weeks, that will only get more intense.
Rangers can make a statement at Rugby Park. But we will need to dig deep and produce some quality to do it. Alfredo Morelos got a hattrick here in the League Cup back in August.
And I reckon it’ll be the Colombian, and not Jermain Defoe, who gets the nod to fire Rangers to victory as they revert to type for a challenging match.
