Celtic may be the heavy favourites heading to Ibrox on Monday for the latest chapter in the Old Firm derby story, but Rangers manager Michael Beale is convinced his side can clinch three points to reignite their title challenge.
Ange Postecoglou’s champions are currently nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, and victory on enemy territory would move them to, what many people believe to be, an insurmountable gap of 12.
The pressure is on for Beale in his first taste of Scotland’s headline fixture as a manager in his own right, but the Englishman was calm and collected as he conducted his pre-match media duties.
And he urged his players to put Celtic's credentials under the microscope amid the derby bedlam that is sure to ensue.
"I'm still hugely confident," he beamed. "It's Rangers at Ibrox against anybody. They need to know they are in a match. We know we are in a match. We will meet them at the half-way line and look them head on and will go for the three points. We won't be making a step backwards. If it looks like we are taking a step backwards it will be because they have the upper hand in the game. But we won't be taking a step backwards for Celtic or anyone who comes here to Ibrox.
“I'm really looking forward to it. It's the derby of all derbies and is watched worldwide. It's a privilege to be involved in it and it's the date I've been most looking forward to since coming back into the club.
“You get three points from it like the others and that's what I have been trying to say. Three points against Motherwell is important and after this, whatever happens, we have to get three points against Dundee United as well.
“It's not 'win this game and everything is rosy'. I realise what I have come into. When a club changes manager after 15 games in a league it's obviously not because things are not going well and there's an uphill struggle to win the league.
“I think at the moment my players and staff can only do what they have done which is win the four games into this game and having the centre-halves back in the last couple of games was pleasing, keeping two clean sheets and in three of the four games we have scored three goals.
“So, as much as I want more, at this moment in time they have done what's there and we will get a lot of feedback after the game on the second but then we have to go to Dundee United and keep winning. The margin for error is very small.”
While Rangers have indeed won their four games since Beale took over as manager following the sacking of Giovanni van Bronckhorst, performances have been far from polished. At this stage of the season though and given his short reign, the results are simply the most important thing.
A win is realistically needed against Celtic to have any chance of putting up a title fight, but Beale refuses to concede the Premiership will be over if his team does indeed slip up against Postecoglou’s well-oiled machine.
Asked if it was a must-win game, he continued: “We are at the halfway stage. I don't know how Celtic's form is going to be in the next 19 games but you'd have to say up until now it's been fantastic in any season in any league but certainly here in Scotland, if a team win 18 out of 19 you have to say they are having fantastic form.
“Ours has not been as strong, that's a fact, hence me being here. Since I've been here it's been pretty good. What I don't want to do is hold back where we need to get to. We will get feedback from the sternest test we can have. After the game, I will know exactly the job I will have to get Rangers back to the top.”
Monday’s fixture may be Beale’s first as a manager in his own right, but he's no rookie when it comes to Scotland's fiercest derby. And he's in no doubt his experiences of the intense environment from his time as Steven Gerrard’s assistant will be vitally important.
He explained: “It's a privilege to be involved. It's a fixture where the whole world watches Scottish football. It's one to celebrate. I don't like some of the things around the fixture. In terms of the football and spectacle it's an amazing game and I loved watching it as a young kid.
“I love watching it as a fan. I loved being involved in it as an assistant. Listen, I have no fear about playing this game, just excitement and wanting to see where my team is at right now.
“I want the talking to stop and play the game. At this point, everyone in the media will say Celtic are stronger. Okay, what an opportunity that is for us to see where we are then.
“Let's be honest, we don't have the rhythm that Celtic have right now. We don't, that's a fact. It's not an excuse. We have had the two centre-backs for two games and maybe 30 minutes against Aberdeen.
“Do we look watertight? No. I don't think we ever will because we like our full-backs on the list line to open the pitch up. There's a reason we scored three goals in these games. At this moment in time, all the rhythm, all the form, all of the continuity and consistency is in the other camp. That's fine. Two teams play the game and we are looking forward to it.”
Asked if he feels the extra pressure of being the main man at Ibrox, Beale added: “Responsibility? Yeah, to a lot of people that support this club. I travelled back home to see my family in the last 24 hours so travelling back has been interesting.
“You bump into a lot of people of both sides, everyone very polite I’ve got to be honest. The game is a huge privilege to play and I feel responsible every day. Last week, I don’t want those comments to be misconstrued.
“We have to beat everybody in this league if we’re going to be at the top because the team setting the pace at the moment has won 18/19 games. We’re in a league where it’s fatal if you drop points outside of the derby. That’s the situation. That’s probably why I’m in the job.
“So far so good in the four games, it has not been vintage. It’s not exactly how I want it to look. But the most important thing was to win the four games and if we do well it doesn’t mean we can have a week off at Dundee United next week which will be extremely tough as well.
“The situation we are in is not ideal but I just want to play this game for what is. I want to see something from my team, my club in this game. After we will get feedback which will either be where we should be, a long way from it or somewhere in between which is probably what I am predicting right now. We need that feedback to move forward because second is not good enough here.”
