Hamilton have been Ibrox party-poopers once already this season, and their manager Martin Canning wants to repeat the trick in Pedro Caixinha’s first game in charge of Rangers on Saturday.

There weren’t many who gave Accies a chance when they travelled to Govan on the first day of the season, but they took a shock lead before emerging with a creditable draw.

Their last visit to Ibrox didn’t go anywhere near as well, but Canning hopes that his men can rediscover the doggedness that earned them that point on the opening day.

And he has backed his men to stand up to what will no doubt be a raucous atmosphere as 50,000 fans welcome their new manager to the club.

“It was a big atmosphere on the first day of the season when we drew 1-1. It was a full stadium with everybody getting right behind their team,” Canning said.

“It will be similar again so we need to deal with that, be organised and produce better than the last game.

“The atmosphere is something we’ve spoken about this week again. It will be similar. They’ll get a lift from getting a new guy in so we need to cope with that.

“We need to take belief from the first game and feel we can do it again.”

The Hamilton supporters who were at that game way back in August would have left Ibrox with a spring in their step and optimism over the season that lay ahead.

They will return this time just two weeks after losing at this venue by six goals to nil in the Scottish Cup, and fresh off the back of a four-goal humbling without reply at Hearts.

But Canning has pointed to individual errors as the cause of his side’s recent defensive woes, and has backed his players to bounce back with a more resolute showing this weekend.

“Watching the last game back, in the first half we actually played well,” he said.

“A penalty decision went against us to put us 1-0 down and in the second half we conceded bad goals from set pieces. They scored one goal from open play.

“The performance from the team was good. We’ve got to make sure we do the same again.

“Even the second game, and I know this can sound silly when it’s been 6-0, but in the first half we were good and were well in the game. We controlled large parts of it. We need to make sure we go and do that again.

“What we can’t do is concede sloppy goals. Whether you are playing Rangers or a junior team, anyone can kick the ball into the box and head it so you’ve got to make sure you are organised within the game and disciplined in the basics.

“It’s not like we are sitting in and getting nowhere near the ball – getting a doing if you like.

“If you take Aberdeen and Celtic into it as well, in the four games against the top four teams in the league, we’ve conceded one goal from open play against Celtic and none against Aberdeen so that’s three goals from open play against the top four teams.

“That’s not making excuses. We’ve still conceded too many. But it’s a basic part of the game – defending a free kick.

“We just need to defend set pieces and not give away stupid free kicks and not pass the ball straight to them and put them clear on goal.

“I’ve got to take my responsibility as well because it’s not good enough as a group.”