THE final game of December is the one that stands out on the calendar. The first one of the month is the only match Mark Warburton is focusing on, though.
Rangers will round off the year with what could prove to be one of their most significant outings in a rollercoaster twelve months on the park, but the next one is always the most important.
Since the final whistle at Easter Road a few weeks ago that condemned them to their first league loss of the season, the third Championship meeting with Hibernian has been steadily getting larger on the horizon and growing in importance.
The Ibrox showdown on December 28 could prove pivotal in the Championship title race but three points against Alan Stubbs’ side would count for little if Rangers were to ship another handful in the coming weeks.
It is a run to look forward to and that could bring significant rewards. Rangers will not get ahead of themselves, though.
“All we can do is keep winning games of football,” Warburton said.
“All credit to other teams for putting runs together, it is hard to do in football. We have got 37 points out of 42 and we are in a good place right now.
“That [that promotion was non-negotiable] was really clear from day one. It was never a secret.
“They have got to enjoy that responsibility. As long as they enjoy it and don’t crumble under it then we will be fine.
“They are all [challenging fixtures]. Everyone seems to raise their game. I look at the games Celtic play as well, teams raise their games against Celtic and the following week have a tough fixture.
“We are aware of it. Livingston was tough, we went there and they put in a great performance.
“Every week is a tough game, especially at Ibrox. Teams can thrive off of that as well. We have to be aware of it. Every game we play is a testing encounter.
“I understand you looking at the 28th. But from our point of view, there is no point looking at the 28th if we lose two or three games in the meantime.”
No matter how Rangers fare in the coming weeks and no matter the shape of the second tier title race come the Hogmanay bells, January could prove to be as important as December for the Light Blues.
Rangers remain favourites for promotion this season but their place in the Premiership next term is far from guaranteed. Warburton is looking for commitment to the cause from those he looks to bring on board, though.
He said: "You've got to sell the club. But they've got to do their homework. You talk about us doing our homework but players have to as well.
“One look around the training ground and Ibrox will tell you there's a lot going on and it's a great place to work. If they're reluctant, without being rude, we don't want them here.
“We said at the start we wanted people here who want to take the club forward, if they don't want to be part of that project then we move on from there. We have to stand by that.”
Warburton will be looking for players that are in it for the long haul next month as he attempts to sign stars that will be capable of challenging for the Premiership crown, not just ensuring that they get there this term.
He may only be a few months into his Gers career but he has once again been linked with a return south of the border, with Fulham the latest club to be credited with an interest in the former Brentford boss.
If he can continue to impress at Ibrox, the talk surrounding his future will only continue to grow, but Warburton’s focus remains very much on the job in hand.
He said: "It's very flattering. It's always good to be linked. There are lots of times in your life when you're not linked to jobs, that's for sure.
"All you can do is put your head down and do your job here. The amount of clubs who change their managers down south is increasing year on year.
"I'm the Rangers manager. It's a huge club here. There's some big clubs in the English Championship - there's no doubt about that - but this is a huge club.
"We've started off well. There's a big project in place here and we have to be the best we can be every single day to try to take the club forward.”
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