The league might not be mathematically over but it would take some collapse from Celtic for us to first of all catch up but then pass them at the top of the table, there are still two realistic opportunities for trophies still available.
It will be a surreal trip to Perth with three stands packed with Rangers fans and the other with only a few hundred St Johnstone fans as a protest against the ticket prices for a home Scottish Cup tie.
Michael Beale has brought a greater attacking and creative threat averaging nearly three goals a games since he took over but we are still seeing defensive lapses that have nothing to do with how we are set up, conceding the first goal certainly isn’t part of the manager’s plans.
There was rotation in midweek against Kilmarnock so there will be a couple of changes as Rangers look to progress to the next round, this is who I think Beale will go with:
It would be a surprise if the line-up isn’t the same as last weekend’s semi-final with Ryan Jack and Malik Tillman coming back into the team, Allan McGregor, if the manager is being honest with us, will also be recalled.
The main difference is that we will see a few new faces in the squad if all has gone well this week, John Souttar, Antonio Colak and Ianis Hagi could make a welcome return and instantly strengthen Beale’s options – the state of the pitch and the scoreline probably the biggest factors in whether or not they are called upon and given minutes.
Progress to the next round is everything but is it too much to ask to get a comfortable win and an enjoyable afternoon without the self inflicted problems?