As we head into the last international break of the year Rangers fans will be counting down the next two weeks in real anticipation.
The Ibrox side will face Aberdeen on home turf as they look to build on a hugely successful period between international breaks in a potentially defining period of the Scottish Premiership season.
But as Rangers lay the foundations for the rest of the campaign, shaky groundwork over in the east tend of the city has a lot of fear streaming out of Celtic Park.
Whilst Rangers have started the season emphatically – earning 17 wins out of 20 with 16 clean sheets in the process – Celtic are apparently hanging on by a thread.
The Parkhead club edged their way to victories in the early part of the season but in this period have won twice in seven matches with Neil Lennon’s job under threat prior to their weekend win over Motherwell.
The notion that Celtic are out of this title race with three Old Firms still to play and six months still to go is a fanciful one at best, yet there are Celtic fans out there already jacking what they view as the season to beat all seasons.
Celtic have won the last nine domestic titles and the last eleven domestic trophies on the bounce. They’re going for 12 next month at Hampden.
They have just enjoyed a period of total domination from which they genuinely believed Rangers would never recover.
Now they’re turning their backs on their team because we’re challenging their supremacy? Did they genuinely think we’d be out of the reckoning forever?
What Rangers have been through – and the loyalty shown by the supporters in the process – is unprecedented in world football.
There have been complaints aplenty but largely we’ve watched on begrudgingly as our rivals have romped to trophy after trophy.
Celtic have directly benefited from the Ibrox club’s demise more than any other and it says something about members of their support that as soon as the going gets tough they throw in the towel.
Between cries of conspiracy and draping banners demanding players and managers are sacked, this is akin to an embarrassing temper tantrum thrown by a spoiled two-year-old at a friend’s birthday party because they won’t get to blow out the candles.
And if they’re beginning to crack now – just imagine what they’ll be like should Rangers extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership going into 2021.
That Aberdeen game is huge as Rangers look to keep up the pressure on our title rivals and keep their fans throwing shiny new toys like Shane Duffy out of Neil Lennon’s pram.
