5 key Rangers fixtures that could shape Russell Martin's Ibrox reign - from Celtic visit to Hibs away

As Rangers head coach Russell Martin prepares to begin his debut season at Ibrox, the ex-Southampton boss and his side know they must hit the ground running in order to challenge a Celtic side that have dominated the last four Scottish Premiership campaigns.

Announced at 9am on Friday morning, the Scottish Premiership fixture list has thrown up a number of pivotal early clashes, but there are five games in particular that will prove crucial to Rangers’ hopes of mounting a serial title challenge for the first time in over four years.

1. Motherwell (A) - August 2

The first game of the season has thrown Rangers boss Martin a bit of a banana skin, but it is imperative that they lay down a marker at Fir Park. Despite their own struggles last year, Motherwell proved to be a thorn in the Gers’ side last season. Their 2-2 draw last December put serious pressure on Belgian head coach Philippe Clement at the time, and he lasted just a few more months in the role. While his successor, interim boss Barry Ferguson, fell to a 2-1 defeat against them at Ibrox in his first game in the home dugout.

Rangers actually competed well against champions Celtic last term in one off games, losing just two of five games against their rivals. However, it was games against teams ranked lower in the table where they struggled. Should Martin manage to navigate a confident and comprehensive win on the opening day, it’ll add some much needed confidence for the season ahead.

Cyriel Dessers of Rangers FC is challenged by Kofi Balmer of Motherwell in lat season’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final. | Getty Images

2. St Mirren (A) - August 23

As mentioned above, the Light Blues really struggled against teams ranked below them last year - and non more so than St Mirren. Stephen Robinson’s side took seven points from their four games against Rangers last year, so supporters would be forgiven for having a groan yesterday morning when the fixture list produced an early match-up at the SMiSA Stadium. The Paisley outfit have finished in the top six for three consecutive seasons, and have proven they can match any side on their day. However, if Rangers want to wrestle the Scottish Premiership from the hands on Celtic next year, taking three points at St Mirren for the first time in over a year would certainly help their cause.

Rangers' John Souttar and St Mirren's Alex Gogic get to grips with things in Paisley last season. | SNS Group

3. Celtic (H) - August 31

This one needs little explanation. An Old Firm derby coming this early in the campaign will be a fantastic early marker for both sides, with both Glasgow giants offered the chance to steal a march on each other in the opening weeks of the season. Despite the game coming so early in campaign, it is a game Rangers must simply not lose. They had the better of the league derbies last year, winning two, drawing one and losing the other. However, by the time tasted their first victory against Brendan Rodgers’ side in January, they were already 11 points adrift at the top of the table. Celtic may have beaten Rangers once in the league last year, but that was an early 3-0 win at Celtic Park, which set out their stall for the season. Should Rangers win this particular game in the opening month of the campaign, it’ll be a huge early boost.

Hamza Igamane of Rangers scores his team's third goal against Celtic in the last year’s 3-2 win at Celtic Park. | Getty Images

4. Hibs (A) - October 29

Later in the season, Rangers will head to Easter Road for a battle against an ever-improving Hibs side, who are looking to firmly plant their flag in the ground as one of the Scotland’s most talented teams. David Gray’s took Hibs from relegation battle to revolution last season, and they’ll have designs on securing third spot and pushing both Glasgow clubs as hard as they possibly can.

Another club who got the better of the Light Blues last year, Hibs lost just one of four games against Rangers - and Martin must change that statistic. A visit to Hibs is never easy, but fans may just start to believe if they can start the season well, and then pick up a big win in Leith at the end of October.

Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers celebrates after scoring the opening goal in the 2-2 draw with Hibs at Easter Road last season. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group

5. Aberdeen (H) - November 1

It was a season of two halves for the Dons last year. Kicking off the campaign with a remarkable unbeaten run, it looked like Jimmy Thelin’s side had the quality to challenge for the title when they went nine points clear of Rangers with a 3-1 win in October. Sadly for Aberdeen, they tailed off badly and ended the season well off the pace in fifth place.

Aberdeen were able to put together a solid run of form towards the end of the split though, culminating in their dramatic penalty shootout win in the final of the Scottish Cup, ending Celtic’s dreams of a domestic treble in the process. Under Thelin, something appears to be brewing at Pittodrie, and they’ll secretly fancy themselves to challenge Rangers for a top two spot. Depending on how well they do in that quest, this early November clash could prove pivotal.

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