Rangers Director of Football Mark Allen has underlined the importance of planning as he looks to continue the club's progression, particularly in the transfer market. "Planning is everything and if you can get ahead of the game, even better," Allen said. "That is always the intention, to have a plan in mind for where we are going and what we need to get there." 

And Allen has insisted that Steven Gerrard's appointment as Rangers manager has gone exactly as he expected. Allen said: "He [Gerrard] has been absolutely fantastic and we are all delighted. It is a good operation. We are a group that are very close, we are all on the same page and all want the same thing."

Celtic's new under-18s coach Stephen McManus said that he is hoping to save the club "millions" in the transfer market by developing youth team players to a high standard. "My job here is to focus on the under-18s as such, to help produce some players for the first team," said McManus. "At this club, there is special, special talents but they also need to realise that it is not just going to happen for them, they have to work for it, they have to be dedicated."

And McManus has used James Forrest, Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney as examples of players that will inspire the under-18s and show that there is a path to the first team at the club. "I don’t think there could be three better figures than the ones we have in the first team here," said McManus. "For me, Kieran, James and Callum are the beacon. I will be using them as the example to the young players."

Rangers legend Terry Butcher has said that opposition teams will target the Celtic defence, and that the club haven't had a reliable centre-back since Virgil Van Dijk, now at Liverpool, left Celtic Park. "The Celtic defence showed in the Old Firm game they have got a mistake in them," said Butcher. "Celtic haven’t really had a strong centre half who is fierce and competitive and who is going to lead the back four since him [Van Dijk]."

And Butcher said that a chance encounter with Rangers fan and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay drove home just how much progress his old team have made this season. Butcher said: "The first thing he wanted to talk about was Rangers’ victory over Celtic four days earlier. He was ecstatic about that and so was I. That summed up how much progress has been made on and off the pitch."

Former Celtic striker Pierre Van Hooijdonk has questioned whether Rangers can cope with the intense demands of being genuine Scottish title contenders for the first time in eight years and pip his former club Celtic this season. Van Hooijdonk said: "Realistically, this is the first time when they have been level on points at this stage of the season. There is also pressure because the fans start to demand that title."

Ex-Airdrie United goalkeeper John Martin has admitted the decline of his old club saddens him. The Diamonds face Celtic in the Scottish Cup this weekend and Martin said that the dwindling fanbase makes him worried about the club's future. He said: "Maybe some of them have passed away or not gone back. It makes me wonder where the fans have all gone. Is it because the team’s not good enough? Do the fans like the board? It could be a number of things. I would love to see the passion from the fans for the club coming back."

Alloa manager Jim Goodwin ready to sting his old club St Mirren by dumping them out of the Scottish Cup on his first visit back to Paisley since leaving in 2016. "It will be strange going back there with a team trying to beat them," Goodwin admitted. "I think if we go there with the right frame of mind and are positive then we’ve got a really good chance of winning the game."

Former Cowdenbeath manager Colin Cameron thinks that some of Rangers' high-profile players could find Central Park a difficult venue to perform at. "I’m sure it’ll turn out fine but it’ll certainly be an eye-opener for most of the players at Rangers," said Cameron.

Partick Thistle midfielder Chris Erskine has left Firhill to join Livingston on an 18-month contract. Erskine posted an emotional farewell to the Thistle support on his Twitter page, which read: "Thistle has been my life for the best part of the last 10 years and I can’t thank everyone enough for what they have done for me."

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has been ruled out of action until March after picking up an ankle injury in his side's 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United at the weekend. A statement on the club's website read: "The striker will continue to be monitored by our medical staff as he commences rehabilitation and is expected to return to training in early March."

And in boxing, Amir Khan will challenge the outstanding WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford on April 20. "You could say this is my hardest fight," admitted Crawford. "Amir Khan's still dangerous, still fast, still got the experience, been a welterweight longer than me."

The Scottish Sun are reporting that Celtic are interested in signing Sundrrland's 20-year-old striker Josh Maja and may allow Jack Hendry or Lewis Morgan to join the English club on loan as part of any deal.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been installed as the bookmakers' favourite to replace under-pressure Leicester boss Claude Puel, according to the Daily Record.

And Queen of the South manager Gary Naysmith has told the Scotsman that the pressure is all on Dundee ahead of the two sides' Scottish Cup meeting this weekend.