For the first time in the current 2022/23 season, Rangers now face a period of four weeks without any midweek games to contend with.
This month may have started with the capital clash against Hearts last Wednesday but a quirk of the domestic fixture list as well as no European action in the knock-out stages for the first time since 2018-19 means that Michael Beale’s men won’t play again during the week until the return to Edinburgh on 8th March to take on Hibs, in the fixture that was postponed due to the upcoming Viaplay League Cup Final.
Another interesting stat is that unless the post-split card throws up a midweek home match then the last one has already taken place at Ibrox for this campaign.
The fixture list for the coming weeks is as follows:
Partick – SC – Sun 12th Feb – H
Livingston – SP – Sat 18th Feb – A
Celtic – LC – Sun 26th Feb – N
Kilmarnock – Sat 4th Mar – H
Hibs – Wed 8th Mar – A
Schedule
The manager is likely to relish this stage over the next month or so. His squad will have time to breathe and recover in between games in which a high level of output and exertion will be expected.
By the time the Hibs game rolls around, Rangers could still have matched Celtic’s Premiership points return to no benefit in the overall title race but that remains to be seen. Beale is right to just focus on what his team is doing and racking up the wins is a great habit to hold on to. That feeling and desire will be fully required at Hampden when the chance presents itself to land a blow in terms of securing the first domestic trophy of the season.
That game and occasion will take on extra significance when it comes but prior to that there is another important cup tie to navigate as well as a tricky encounter in West Lothian on league business.
The games keep on coming but for now, there will be ample time in between.