Derek Adams will send his Ross County side to Ibrox intent on causing Rangers problems when the sides meet on Wednesday night.
County face a difficult return to action against the second-placed Gers, in what will be their first match in 10 days following the postponement of Saturday’s game against Hibernian.
Although Adams is now in his third spell with the Staggies he has never previously managed a game at Ibrox, with the Gers having been in the lower leagues when County first achieved top-flight promotion in 2012.
With Rangers undefeated since Philippe Clement took charge in October, Adams is mindful of the threat posed by the Glasgow side.
The fixture will be the Gers’ final match before Saturday’s Old Firm derby against Celtic, and Adams is eager for his side to put their stamp on the game.
He said: “You have to deal with the threat they have and look at the way they play.
“But also, on the flipside when we have possession of the ball, can we get enough good players on the pitch to take control of the ball, create openings, run it forward, and not leave too much space behind?
“When we’re attacking we’re defending at the same time because of the quality that Rangers have.
“But we certainly have players in the team who will want to play in the big occasion and this game is one of the biggest they will come up against this season.
“I think I’m correct in saying they have gone 16 games unbeaten since the new manager went in.
“We’re looking at going there to try and cause Rangers some problems.
“They have come off a game against Motherwell. They have had a difficult schedule and they have to look forward to the game against Celtic.
“But from our point of view we’ve got to use the freshness we have in the squad going into this game.”
Anfield inspiration as Staggies look to spring surprise
Among Adams’ most memorable moments in a nine-year spell in English football came in 2017, when his then League Two Plymouth Argyle side held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw in an FA Cup tie at Anfield.
With Premiership points on the line, Adams feels the challenge facing the 10th-placed Staggies this time around will be a different one.
He added: “It was a wee bit different, because we did go to Liverpool and quite literally parked the bus that day and didn’t allow any space.
“We took them back to Home Park and we got another sell-out, so that was more about the cup game.
“On this game, everyone has us beaten to start with – that’s just the nature of the game you go into.
“Any result we get is a surprise, so that allows us to go and play with a bit more freedom – but freedom meaning that when we’ve got the ball, to see how many opportunities we can get on the opposition.
“That’s what we’ve got to try and do.”
Nightingale talks planned
County have defenders Will Nightingale and Dylan Smith unavailable through injury, along with midfielder Ross Callachan.
Nightingale’s loan deal from AFC Wimbledon is due to expire next month, with the Englishman having made 17 appearances so far this term.
Adams says further discussions are still to be had in determining the 28-year-old’s future.
The Staggies boss said: “It is only until January, and I’m getting clarity from the club on when the date is.
“We are thinking the deal over between ourselves and Wimbledon, to see if there is room to get a compromise for longer than that.
“We’ve got to speak to the player and then make a decision if it’s viable to go forward. We are doing that at this moment in time.”
Conversation