Derek McInnes has been refreshingly honest about where Rangers stand compared to Celtic right now, admitting his side need to close a significant gap if they are going to challenge the Parkhead club for supremacy in Scottish football.
The Ibrox boss is under no illusions about the size of the task ahead, with Rangers set to face Celtic in back to back fixtures next month, first in the Scottish Premiership and then in the Premier Sports Cup. Two massive games in quick succession that could define how the rest of the season shapes up for both clubs.
McInnes knows fine well what those fixtures mean to supporters on both sides of the city. Old Firm games are never just about three points or a cup place. They carry the kind of weight that no other fixture in Scottish football comes close to matching. But beyond the emotion and the noise, he is also being clear eyed about what Rangers actually need to do to compete with a Celtic side that has been setting the standard in the Premiership for some time now.
The Rangers manager has spoken openly about the gap that exists and what needs to happen for his team to genuinely wrestle the initiative away from the champions. That kind of frank assessment is not always common from managers in his position, but McInnes appears determined to deal in reality rather than spin.
Celtic have been dominant in recent seasons and arrive into these fixtures as the team to beat. Their consistency in the league has been a major problem for everyone chasing them, Rangers included. McInnes understands that his squad needs to match that level of performance and mentality before they can seriously think about taking the title race to Ange Postecoglou’s former side.
The double header against Celtic next month represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Lose both and the pressure on McInnes will crank up considerably. Win them, or even split the fixtures, and the mood around Ibrox could shift dramatically. There is a lot riding on how Rangers perform across those two games.
Preparation will be everything. McInnes has been working to build a Rangers side with the right defensive structure and attacking threat to cause Celtic problems. The details of how he sets his team up tactically for these games will be crucial, and he will have been studying Celtic closely to look for any weaknesses he can exploit.
For the supporters, the anticipation is already building. Old Firm weeks in Glasgow have an energy all of their own, and the fact that the two clubs will meet twice in such a short space of time only adds to the intensity. Fans from both sides will be circling those dates on the calendar.
McInnes has been in Scottish football long enough to know what these games demand from players and management alike. His time at Aberdeen saw him go toe to toe with both Old Firm clubs regularly, so he is not walking into this without experience of the pressure involved.
But managing Rangers in an Old Firm derby is a different proposition entirely. The scrutiny is higher, the expectations are enormous and anything less than a strong performance will be pulled apart. He knows that, and his honest assessment of where his team stands suggests he is approaching these fixtures with clear eyes rather than false confidence.
The coming weeks will tell us a lot about whether Rangers have the quality and the belief to genuinely challenge Celtic. McInnes has laid out what needs to happen. Now it is down to his players to deliver when it matters most.