THE earliest recorded mention of the phrase “dead rubber” came from England in the 16th century in reference to a game of lawn bowls.

It meant then, as it does now, a sporting event in which the result could be considered entirely superfluous. You know, just like the football match taking place in Glasgow early this afternoon.

Although given what happened at County Meath in Ireland in the final decade of the 17th century, this is one peculiarity in a sporting sense, and many others, which always seems to mean the world for an hour and a half or so at the very least.

Every seat will be filled at Ibrox this afternoon. The stadium holds roughly 52,000 and if the capacity were doubled it would still be a sell-out. Yes, even for this match, which means as little as this fixture can.

It’s an extraordinary thing. With Celtic 39 goals and 33 points ahead of their old pals, there still will be nerves among the support in the Broomloan Road and those watching on television. The league is won and a treble is tantalisingly close and yet the thought of Rangers of all sides ending their unbeaten run is enough to make the stomach perform cartwheels.

And should Brendan Rodgers side make it five derby wins out six, and it’s difficult to foresee anything other Celtic win, those wearing green and white will bounce back to their local pubs with as much joy in their heart as if they had just witnessed a cup final triumph.

But if they lose, well, it’s not the end of the world. Sure, it would hurt but not for long, not when there is so much to look forward to.

What it means is this afternoon isn’t about Celtic. Not this time.

Make no mistake. This match is no dead rubber for Rangers and their manager Pedro Caixinha, a likeable and clearly intelligent man, but one who failed in his first proper test at the club.

The Portuguese got everything wrong at Hampden last Sunday, from his tactics to the post-match comments regarding how his staff felt the players were tense an hour or so before the game. What was that about?

No Rangers supporter wishes the manager ill of course but many perceived his appointment at the time to be an unnecessary risk and should Rangers be given another hiding then he would stand accused of not learning his lessons from six days ago.

It’s not Caixinha’s fault that Mark Warburton allowed his squad to be filled with substandard players who have proved themselves not good enough even to lay a glove on Celtic most of the time or to finish second in the league.

The 46-year-old has really only been here for two minutes and therefore judging him to be either a genius or saviour is nonsensical. However, he’s had five days to work on what went wrong in the Scottish Cup semi-final and when the game begins, and if the home side are as placid as they were at Hampden, it won’t take long for him to hear what the punters think.

“I wouldn’t change the style, there would be no change of tactics – just a change in the passion,” he said at his Thursday press conference. These are strange words. The style of play and tactics were what did in his team.

Caixinha was annoyed by some of the wholly legitimate questions, including one about his boast of having the best squad in the country, and also about a well-informed story which reported some players being far from unhappy about being given only nine days off in the summer.

I may be wrong but he seemed more rattled the story got out. This does not bode well.

Also, accusing his players of lacking passion is a dangerous line to take. It has to be said that he is hardly alone here; indeed, it’s something which has been put to this team all season from the supporters.

But Caixinha is still the new man and remains something of a mystery. He has to win over the supporters and also the players, just as much as the players need to impress him. So far, so average.

The truth is Celtic are a far superior side right now. My take on last week was Rodgers’s side played well within themselves to record as simple a 2-0 derby win as the mismatch of a League Cup semi-final of two years ago.

Should they click into top gear, and with Scott Brown playing there is every chance, it’s not unrealistic Celtic could repeat the 3-0 win of 2001 when, with the league won and a treble games away, Lubo Moravcik ran riot at Ibrox and then Henrik Larsson scored his 50th goal of that season on a memorable afternoon.

Ironically, given that the Rangers players want be getting much time off, a fifth defeat and particularly a heavy one would make it one long summer for the supporters.

Joe Garner, Martyn Waghorn and Andy Halliday should be nowhere close to the starting eleven. Barrie McKay is a frustrating player but has played well against Celtic, as has Josh Windass and so both should begin.

Clint Hill’s experience is needed and the joke doing the rounds last week of Celtic beating Kenny Miller 2-0 were not so far from the mark.

The galling fact for three quarters of the crowd at Ibrox today is that not one of their players would get into the Celtic team. Would anyone even get onto the substitute’s bench?

When Rangers were lording it up during the dominant 1990s, Celtic always had Paul McStay and John Collins, big Paul Elliot had a great 18 months and one or two others could do them a turn, Gerry Creaney scored a few in this fixture, and so even in the really bad old days the team could be relied upon to beat Rangers at least once.

And now? Miller aside, who wearing blue will put any sort of fear into the Celtic players? The gap has never been bigger and it could be about to expand even more. It does everything for bragging rights and little for bringing a competitive edge to the Old Firm match.

But despite the one-sides nature of this rivalry, supporters of both sides will walk to Ibrox from opposite directions on Paisley Road West with the same nerves and excitement that has always been there.

For those following Rangers, the expectation will not.