Rangers are being backed to win the domestic treble this season, with one former Ibrox favourite claiming this squad is different enough to finally get the job done and capitalise on a congested Celtic fixture schedule.
The Gers have had a difficult few years watching their city rivals dominate Scottish football, but there is growing belief around Ibrox that this could finally be their moment to wrestle back control of the game north of the border.
Celtic face a packed run of fixtures in the coming months, juggling domestic duties with European commitments, and Rangers are being urged to make that count. The thinking is simple enough, if you can stay close at the top of the table while Celtic are stretched thin, you give yourself a real chance of making a move when it matters most.
The backing comes with a warning shot aimed at one Celtic player who has been vocal in the media recently. The unnamed ace was told he went too far with comments made about Rangers, with the suggestion being that kind of talk only adds fuel to the fire inside the Ibrox dressing room. Bulletin board material, basically.
Rangers have shown a different character this season compared to recent campaigns. There is more steel about them, more of a collective identity, and the feeling from those who watch them closely is that the mentality has shifted in a way that makes them genuine contenders across all three domestic competitions.
The Scottish Premiership title race is already shaping up to be a tight one, and with the Scottish Cup and League Cup also on the table, the opportunity is there for Rangers to put together a historic season. It has not been done in some time, and the pressure that comes with chasing all three trophies at once is enormous, but supporters will tell you this group looks capable of handling it.
Management at Ibrox have been quietly building something over recent months. The recruitment has been sharper, the team shape more consistent, and results have started to reflect that. Winning a treble is never straightforward in Scottish football, Celtic have shown that themselves over the years, but the ingredients appear to be there if Rangers can stay focused and avoid the kind of injury or form slumps that have derailed them in previous seasons.
For Celtic, the European schedule is both a reward and a burden. Travelling across the continent for big European nights is exactly what the club wants, but it takes a toll on the squad, and depth becomes everything. Rangers do not have that same distraction this season, which means more time on the training pitch and fresher legs for the big domestic games.
Whether Rangers can actually deliver on that potential remains to be seen. Scottish football has a habit of throwing up surprises, and Celtic under their current setup have shown they know how to win titles even when things get tough. But the belief is there at Ibrox, and in a title race, belief counts for a lot.
Fans will be hoping the squad takes the message on board and goes after every trophy available this season. The chance is there. Now it is about taking it.