Rangers make the short journey to Paisley this Sunday to take on St Mirren in what, just three games into the league season, already feels like a must-win for new head coach Russell Martin.
Sitting on only two points from a possible six, Rangers trail Old Firm rivals Celtic by four points. With a vital derby looming straight after this fixture, the consequences are stark: another slip could leave Rangers as many as ten points adrift by the end of August.
The pressure on Martin has only intensified. The recent 3–1 defeat to Club Brugge at Ibrox in the first leg of the Champions League play-off compounded what’s already been a rocky league start, making a victory in Paisley nothing short of essential.
St Mirren, however, are no easy mark. Under the guidance of a shrewd SPFL manager in Stephen Robinson, the Buddies will keenly probe Rangers’ flaws, especially given recent shaky performances against Motherwell and relegation-threatened Dundee.
The first meeting of the season came at Ibrox, where Rangers were desperate to respond after a stuttering start to the campaign, sound familiar?
On the day, it looked as though they might finally be finding some rhythm. An early goal settled the nerves, and despite a spirited response from St Mirren, and an equaliser from Alex Gogic, Rangers held their shape and eventually edged out a narrow 2–1 win thanks to a Vaclav Cerny winner.
The performance wasn’t vintage, but it carried the hallmarks of resilience. St Mirren pressed aggressively and carved out decent chances, underlining that they weren’t simply turning up to contain.
Rangers’ defence creaked at times, but the victory was nonetheless seen as a stepping stone, though, in hindsight, it proved to be the exception rather than the rule in this fixture list.
On Boxing Day, Rangers’ fragility was ruthlessly exposed. A lively St Mirren side took the initiative in front of a raucous home crowd, taking the lead through an Oisin Smyth penalty after a Jack Butland disaster class, and though Rangers levelled the scoreline through Danilo, they never truly imposed themselves on the game and St Mirren grabbed a deserved last minute winner to all but end Rangers and Phillipe Clement’s fading title chances there and then.
Robinson’s men were sharper in midfield, first to second balls, and far more inventive in the final third. Rangers looked sluggish and short of ideas, a problem that had already been bubbling beneath the surface.
The 2–1 defeat was more than just three points dropped, it was a serious warning sign that Rangers could not take results against St Mirren for granted.
Martin’s moment of truth: Rangers must rewrite European history in Belgium
St Mirren vs Rangers: How to watch, kick off time, team news and match officials
The most damaging result of the lot came next, with the Buddies winning 2-0 at Ibrox in late February.
Coming into this fixture, Philippe Clement was already under huge pressure after the calamitous and infamous Scottish Cup defeat to Queen’s Park at Ibrox, but few inside Ibrox could have anticipated the scale of the collapse.
St Mirren arrived with confidence and played without fear, pressing high, keeping their shape, and punishing Rangers’ disjointed defending.
The visitors struck twice, and Rangers had no meaningful response. The boos at full-time told the story: not only a home defeat, but one which sapped belief in Clement’s leadership.
Within days, his tenure was over, and this match is now remembered as the tipping point that forced Rangers into a managerial change. Signs of déjà vu emerging already with Martin early into his tenure perhaps?
By the time of the fourth and final meeting in late April, Rangers were already trying to salvage a faltering season. Barry Ferguson had stepped into the dugout in the interim, but there was no immediate bounce.
In Paisley, Rangers twice took the lead but twice failed to hold it, undone by slack defending and a lack of composure in key moments.
St Mirren’s belief never wavered; each time they fell behind, they rallied, roared on by their support.
For Rangers, it was a microcosm of their wider campaign: flashes of promise undone by inconsistency, naivety, and lapses in concentration.
The 2–2 draw meant Rangers closed the season having taken just five points from a possible twelve against St Mirren, a dismal return for a side meant to have title ambitions.
As Rangers prepare to head back to Paisley this weekend, those scars are still fresh. This isn’t just another league game, it’s a chance for Russell Martin’s side to finally put a troubling narrative to bed and to finally get this new era underway and show us something to bring the hope back to Ibrox.