The release of the fixture list from the SPFL is always an eager day in the pre-season calendar. Where are we going first? When do we play Celtic? How many games do I miss when I’m on holiday?

The consequence of a second-place finish last season is that an away trip is always likely on the opening weekend and out with an Old Firm fixture, Tynecastle is up there with the trickiest of starts for Rangers. A trip to Parkhead follows at the end of the month, meaning Rangers face a difficult start. Ross County and Motherwell – both victorious against us last season - are visitors in the early stages of the campaign. This is arguably as tough a start as possible for Rangers.

In the middle of the campaign, Rangers avoid the ‘on paper’ nightmare Christmas run with the tougher away fixtures coming in the first and third legs of the potential four game match cycle. That means Rangers will finish the season with three home games after the split with the harder away fixtures already ‘banked’ and dealt with. But none of that will matter if we don’t start and maintain to get ourselves in that position to challenge and then see it through. 

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That start is defined difficult even more by the fact that these ‘home’ fixtures won’t actually be played at home. The club have yet to confirm where these matches will take place after announcing earlier this month that there are significant delays in the redevelopment work at Ibrox. It means that Philippe Clement’s side could potentially be at Murrayfield for a handful of fixtures. That makes a tricky start a really tough start. 

Rangers not yet sorting that particular problem is frustrating, we all want leadership and guidance, but the added complication of two sides already playing in the capital meant fixture issues which certainly had to be solved before any Rangers confirmation could be put in place. Hopefully we get a resolution to that quickly.

The other thing that sticks out massively is that just days after a potential season defining Champions League qualifying fixture is that first Old Firm at Parkhead. What a few days that could be for a new squad and the support.

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Rangers will have to be ready, and ready quickly. Which brings us nicely to transfers in and arguably out. It’s been a bit quiet really and the real action is still to come. 

Liam Kelly is here and on paper, him replacing Jon McLaughlin or even the soon to be outgoing Robby McCrorie is sensible business. He’s homegrown for European competition and club trained, crucially, which means that he meets a UEFA requirement instantly. 

Aside of that he is a solid goalkeeper with plenty of league experience and is someone who knows the club having grown up at Rangers, spending 14 years travelling through our academy. Always a steady goalkeeper, on a free transfer it makes perfect sense. 

Whilst all that is true, though, we do need instant starters, we need that wow factor, we need that something we can all truly get our teeth into and believe in. I say ‘need. Perhaps it should be ‘want’. We all want those type of players and honestly Rangers do need to find them and find them soon as the season is quickly sneaking up on us.

(Image: SNS)

Perhaps that depends on outgoings and those rumours continue to dominate the social media and group chat messages. When July 1 ticks by, perhaps that will speed everything up, perhaps we will get more incomings immediately.

We’ll find out soon. At the moment the squad isn’t ready but when the season begins nobody will care about that and it will merely be an excuse we don’t want to use.

Truth is there can be no excuses, Rangers will need to be ready on and off the pitch going into August and the big kick-off. In the coming weeks that ambition will need to progress quickly. We need quality on the park and we need that accountability off it.