The game between Celtic and Aberdeen this weekend was always going to be an important one. The Hoops looked shaky on Flag Day and need to do a lot better if they are to get a result at Pittodrie Stadium. The Scottish Cup final defeat could give the Bhoys some added motivation. And then there is the chance to go four points clear of the Rangers if they win.
That is because the Rangers could only manage a 1-1 draw at Ibrox this weekend against Dundee. And even that was the result of getting a questionable penalty in the 92nd minute of the game.
The Ibrox fans were riding high following their win over Viktoria Plzen in midweek. They were not good enough to get all three points at home against Dundee though.
A large section of their support appeared to believe that they would catch up with Celtic immediately as a result of their takeover this summer. Admittedly, with the transfer window that the Hoops have had, the Rangers would probably be closer even if they did nothing. But it is clear that the change in ownership was not going to bring about a quick fix.
'This club' - Russell Martin gives Rangers fans reality check as Celtic laugh
The new Rangers manager has been pretty blunt in post-match interviews. Last week, he raised some eyebrows with his comments about the team. And this time around, he had some pretty interesting things to say as well. Some that the supporters might not like.
As reported by Rayo, Martin said, following the Rangers' draw at the hands of Dundee at Ibrox:
"I don't think I expected anything less coming here, it's not going to be a quick fix.
"This club has not had success for a long, long time. I've been asked about the supporters’ reaction and I just don't have a problem because I understand it.
"We are at a point now at this club where something needed to change.
"The ownership has changed, there's a new coaching staff, there's new players, there's hopefully a new way of behaving in the training ground - properly, every single day, regarding standards and what's expected at this football club. So it's not a quick fix and this is not me coming out and making excuses."
Do those sound like the comments of a manager who just managed his second league game for the club? They read like something that Mick Beale or Philippe Clement would say, not too long before they were shown the Ibrox exit door. Surely, this is not the start that the Rangers fans would have been hoping for to the Martin Era. Some of them are already predicting that he will be sacked before the turn of the year.
As for Celtic, they cannot waste too much time dwelling on what's going on at Ibrox. They have a lot to worry about themselves. The Champions League qualifier is at the top of that list. But right now, the focus has to be on this weekend's away trip to Aberdeen, which has taken on added importance thanks to the Rangers dropping points.