In Glasgow’s east end, there are those who are of the opinion that the Old Firm game no longer exists. The current incarnation of Rangers, their theory goes, is a different one to the club that won 119 titles.
Officially, Celtic are referring the Sunday’s Premiership clash as the Glasgow derby – now habit on London road.
Regardless if you follow this logic or not, what is unequivocal is that the Rangers of recent years have been a mere shadow of the one that dominated the domestic game for so long. They have not beaten their great rivals over 90 minutes since they were demoted to the bottom tier of the Scottish game in 2012. Glasgow is green and white.
But there are signs that times are changing. Rangers go into the game with a fighting chance of causing an upset against a Celtic side just one defeat away from crisis.
Brendan Rodgers’ outfit have a point to prove, their aura of domestic invincibility seriously questioned for the first time since the Northern Irishman took over two years ago.
The transfer window seemed ill-conceived at board level, while on the field they have scarcely looked like a side coming off the back of a perfect six domestic trophies in two years.
The Champions League has gone, beaten by AEK Athens, while they have already lost to league leaders Hearts. Even progress into the Europa League was achieved thanks only to a second-leg, second-half surge against Lithuanian minnows Suduva.
Since lifting the Scottish Cup in May, there can be little doubt that they have taken at least a couple of steps backwards.
Whereas before, a derby loss might simply have meant a bloody nose, there is a growing danger that it could have a telling influence on the title race because across the city, Rangers under Steven Gerrard have made a great leap forward.
Twelve games into their season, they remain undefeated, while only Motherwell have even had the audacity to lead against them.
From the very outset, Gerrard spoke as if he expected great things from his team as soon as he was in post, and his belief has rubbed off on his squad, who are playing like a team that believes it can win trophies.
Of course, the Liverpool legend has been backed by substantial summer investment – no fewer than 14 players were signed before August 31 – but just as Brendan Rodgers’ installed a winning mindset at Celtic when he arrived two years ago, the Englishman has done likewise at Ibrox. He knows what’s required to succeed at the top level, and that is exactly what he demands of his players.
While qualification for the Europa League group stages was the least Celtic expected on the continent this season, it represents the height of Rangers’ expectations and has quite rightly been treated as a significant step back to the full health of the team.
“I think this is a big moment for the club,” Gerrard told RangersTV in the aftermath of their qualification, which was sealed with a 1-1 draw against Russian side Ufa, despite finishing the match with only nine men.
“I saw what it's about to be a Rangers player, which is you give your body and soul for this club. My players did that tonight.”
There will be aspects of the performance Gerrard would not have liked – red cards to Alfredo Morelos and Jon Flanagan most pertinently – but the tactical discipline and execution that the Gers showed was impressive.
Gerrard described Thursday as a night that Rangers were “relaunched”, and on Sunday the Old Firm derby is in for the same treatment – regardless of how it is branded.
