Rangers and Danny Rohl are facing an unknown quantity this Sunday as they travel to Paisley to face St Mirren after a week of upheaval for the Buddies.
Long-serving manager Stephen Robinson departed the SMISA Stadium during the week to take up the vacant managerial post at Aberdeen.
Robinson spent four years with the Saints, leading them to the League Cup this season but his departure has left them scrambling ahead of Rangers visit this weekend.
Caretaker comments
Reserve boss Craig McLeish has been placed in interim charge alongside Jamie Langfield, who spoke with the media ahead of the match.
St Mirren could feel emboldened by the fact that Rangers are somewhat of a wounded animal heading into the clash – following last Sunday’s Scottish Cup exit to Celtic on penalties at Ibrox.
But Langfield was adamant his players would still be wary of Rangers qualities.
“We know they’re going to come and they’re going to be hurting after the result of the weekend,” he explained.
“We are under no illusions, we know it’s Rangers coming into town, so we’ll treat them with the utmost respect.”
Can Rangers bounce back?
Rohl in his own presser talked up his squad’s preparation and backed them to put the Old Firm disappointment behind them.
He said his side are “really focused again” and that “training had been good” with his players “ready to go again.”
However, St Mirren have enjoyed some success against Rangers at home in recent seasons, with the Buddies unbeaten in their last three home fixtures against the Gers.
Despite this, Langfield acknowledged that the scale of the challenge remains significant.
“We’ve had some good results against Rangers in the past, but we know it’ll be a difficult game.”
He did vocalise confidence in their ability to get a result, particularly with the home support behind them, calling their home patch “a hard place to come.”
In Robinson’s final leagye match in charge, they defeated Kilmarnock 4-3 in a relegation six-pointer, followed by a cup win over Partick Thistle.
The former Aberdeen keeper believes this will enhance their confidence ahead of the Gers visit.
The German boss echoed this as he described Paisley as “a tough place to go.”
“We should be confident after our win at the weekend,” he said.
Must win for Rangers
If Rangers are to maintain their position within the three-horse title race, a win on Sunday is a non-negotiable.
Much has been made of Rangers mentality after back-to-back home disappointments against Celtic, they must prove they have the bottle against a rudderless Saints side, or face the ever-loudening questions over their ability to get over the line.
