Kenny Miller relishing pressures of the Ladbrokes Premiership
Kenny Miller looks forward to dealing with the vagaries of the Ladbrokes Premiership fixture list ahead of the curtain raiser against Hamilton.
The Light Blues return to the top flight after a four-year absence and their 36-year-old striker could not be more eager to get back into the weekly to-ing and fro-ing of the title race.
And as Saturday's Ibrox match takes place at lunchtime, Miller knows there is the chance to put the Govan club's rivals immediately under pressure with a home win.
"Every week there is a different pressure that comes along with the game," he said.
"I am looking forward to that pressure, that demand that is put on you at this club to go and win games week-in, week-out, the pressure of playing early, of playing late, of playing before Celtic, Aberdeen and Hearts and the rest of the teams.
"It could be to put three points between you and your rivals, or if you are playing the next day and everybody has won you need to go into that game to stay in touch or gain points.
"So there is a different pressure on when you play early, late, the day before or the day after and the lads will get used to it soon enough.
"But it always comes back to us and if we win football matches, whether it is a Saturday or Sunday.
"We can't affect what Celtic can do, but if we are playing before we can put pressure on by putting in a good performance and coming away with three points.
"There will be a sell-out crowd, opening day of the season, unveiling of the Championship flag, you have to look forward to it."
Rangers go into their opener without suspended defender Danny Wilson, while midfielder Matt Crooks is still not ready following ankle surgery.
Hamilton manager Martin Canning admits preparation is the key ahead of facing Rangers.
Canning knows the atmosphere will be intense so he has spent the week drumming home their game plan as they look to deny an attack-minded Rangers side as well as posing a threat themselves.
"It will be a difficult game for us, we know that," said Canning, who misses out following surgery to repair a broken cheekbone. "They have come up as champions and will want to start the season well. But for us it's a big opportunity to go to a big stadium and play in front of 50,000 fans on a big occasion.
"And we are desperate to get going as well, we can't wait to get started.
"I don't know if all the pressure falls on them, but the expectation will be that they should win the game. So for us we have to make sure we have got our game plan right and believe we can take something from the game. We have made sure we are well prepared.
"They are a good side, they control the ball well, they pass the ball well, they make the pitch big. So we have to make sure we are switched on defensively, we need to make sure we defend one on one well, and hopefully we can cause problems ourselves."
Canning has strengthened his strikeforce ahead of the campaign by signing Trinidad and Tobago international Richard 'Shaka' Roy.
But Hamilton head to Ibrox without suspended pair Darian MacKinnon and Jordan McGrego, while Eamonn Brophy is "touch and go" after an ankle problem.
Source: PAR
