THERE is no doubt what the biggest game in the William Hill Premiership is this weekend, no question about which fixture will command the attention of the most supporters around the country.
Yes, the match between Kilmarnock and St Johnstone at Rugby Park this afternoon is, with just seven points separating them at the bottom of the table, of huge importance to both of those clubs.
Victory for the visitors will give their hopes of avoiding the drop this season a fillip and leave their hosts looking over their shoulders and worrying about being sucked into a relegation dogfight.
The encounters between Dundee and Aberdeen, Motherwell and Ross County and St Mirren and Hibernian at Dens Park, Fir Park and the SMiSA Stadium respectively, meanwhile, are massive for them too.
Yet, they all pale in significance in comparison with Rangers’ game against Hearts at Tynecastle tomorrow lunchtime.
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If the Ibrox club, knocked out of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup by second tier Queen’s Park at home last Sunday, slump to another defeat through in the capital the pressure on their manager Philippe Clement will become unbearable and his position, surely to goodness, untenable.
The Glasgow club’s new chief executive Patrick Stewart stated that their board members were all firmly behind the Belgian when he spoke with the media last month. Since then, Clement has led his charges through to the last 16 of the Europa League, a fine accomplishment.
But the calls to have the former Genk, Club Brugge and Monaco man removed and replaced will grow deafening – and the brassed-off Bears who long for change in the dugout down Govan way are already being pretty vocal about it - if Rangers suffer another loss. It will, then, be fascinating to see what transpires in Gorgie.
There are, despite what the glass-half-full Reverend I M Jollys who regularly deride the standard of the fare would have you believe, some cracking games in the division. Having four European places, a top six split and a relegation play-off, also means there is an abundance of meaningful matches.
When it comes to the title race, though, it is regularly left wanting. It is 13 long years now since the battle for the trophy went down to the final day. The competitiveness of the top flight regularly, annually even, leaves a great deal to be desired.
Nothing can or should be taken away from leaders and defending champions Celtic. Those curmudgeons who dismiss their myriad achievements due to their vastly superior budget do them a gross disservice. They spend their money wisely, balance their books sensibly and satisfy the intense demands of their fans consistently. Many clubs with similar resources do neither.
Brendan Rodgers’ men have been nothing short of a joy to watch during the past seven months. What is more, they have finally managed to transfer their sparkling form to the Champions League.
They will be doing very well to come from 2-1 down and progress to the last 16 of the competition in the second leg of their knockout round play-off double header against Bayern Munich in Germany next week.
However, those who witnessed their spirited late fightback against the six-time European champions at a raucous Parkhead on Wednesday night still have, with no little justification, hope.
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All that said, Celtic’s domestic dominance is, not to put too fine a point on it, a little dull. Is having two evenly-matched teams slugging it out right down to the wire really too much to ask for? It would seem so.
The Premiership is, not for the first time in recent years, being left in the shade and then some by the Championship this season.
There are just two points between them and the outcome of the showdown will, with another 12 games still to be played, decide nothing. Livingston, who are on a six match winning run, are just two points behind Ayr and will fancy their chances of being in the mix come May.
Still, the victors will receive a definite psychological boost. No quarter will be given as John McGlynn’s side square up to Scott Brown’s team in front of a sell-out 6,500-strong crowd. It promises to be an absolute belter.
Nearly 10 times as many fans will flock to the East End of Glasgow today to see if Celtic can overcome third-placed Dundee United, increase their 13 point lead over their city rivals and edge a little closer to a fourth successive Premiership. They will rightly be ecstatic if Callum McGregor and his team mates rack up another win.
But it would be no bad thing for the health of the Scottish game going forward if the Premiership, like the Championship, was far less of a procession and much more of a contest.
