Russell Martin has been appointed the new Rangers boss and he will be judged on one thing.
That will be winning trophies domestically, but that’s going to be an extremely tough ask when Celtic continue to hoover up most of the honours on offer.
The Hoops have been utterly dominant since Rangers went into administration in 2012, winning every Scottish Premiership title since then bar one season.
Celtic have also won five Trebles in that timeframe, while Brendan Rodgers has secured 11 trophies across his first and second spells so far.
So how exactly does Martin plan on beating Celtic to the prizes on offer in Scotland?
Rangers boss Martin quizzed on stopping Celtic
Martin sat down with Sky Sports reporter Luke Shanley on Thursday after being unveiled as the new Rangers head coach at Ibrox.
And Shanley asked how Martin plans on toppling Celtic, who have won four consecutive Premiership crowns.
The ex-Southampton boss replied: “Well I’ve watched a lot of games but haven’t been working up here. I want us to keep improving and be the best version of ourselves that we can be.
“And if we bring that, I think history shows you that when Rangers are performing and have momentum and energy, with a team of clarity and belief, it can lead to anything and to big success.
“That’s what I want, so I’m here, I want to be here to win things and to feel that here, and I hope we can do that.”
Martin also said: “The club needs new energy, it needs a fresh start. It’s been a tough time for the club and Rangers fans over the last however many years.
“I think this will bring some fresh energy, it will bring some stability and it will hopefully bring a really exciting team on the pitch.
“That’s the end product and that’s what we all want, a team that wins and wins in a certain way and with a culture and environment that we all feel really aligned with and proud of.”
Can Martin really outfox Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers?
It’s all well and good that Martin can talk a good game – Michael Beale was exactly the same. But can he really deliver with a Rangers team who are so far behind Celtic?
He’s been given a three-year deal and given how far apart the two Glasgow rivals are, it really could take that length of time to get to Celtic’s level.
But we saw during the 2020/21 season that for Rangers to win the Premiership title, Celtic also need to implode.
That was under Neil Lennon though, an inferior manager to Brendan Rodgers when it comes to consistently delivering success at Parkhead.
You can’t help but think Martin will win very little if Rodgers is still in post at Celtic, which is currently until the summer of 2026.
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