Steven Thompson
Former Scotland striker on BBC Sportsound

St Mirren manager Oran Kearney tells BBC Scotland: "Some of the changes were enforced.

"There's nothing we can do, we just have to make them changes. We pick a team to with the game and that's what we've tried to do today.

"I thought for big parts the other night defensively we did well. Simeon Jackson, I can see in training he's a goalscorer and will score goals and my biggest frustration at the moment is our inability to create chances for him.

"We've got to go and win our battles and it's so important that we match them in that context."

Kearney was also positive about the chances of Jimmy Nicholl joining the back-room staff.

"Jimmy brings good joy to a place, he brings good experience," he said. "He's also brilliant at working with players and giving players a lift when its needed.

"If we're able to agree a something and bring him in it would be brilliant."

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Should they secure that first win in 12 games, they would draw level on points with third-bottom Hamilton - at least until Accies host Livingston later.

They would have to win by two goals to jump above them though.

Image source, BBC Sport

Rangers can move above Kilmarnock, who host Aberdeen tomorrow, with a victory today.

Image source, BBC Sport

Willie Miller
Former Scotland defender on BBC Sportsound

Steven Thompson
Former Scotland striker on BBC Sportsound

Image source, SNS Group Rob Casey

Steven Gerrard has warned his players they need to start improving by January or he will enter the transfer market again.

Some may have questioned the club's ability to do that considering they announced a £14.3m for the last financial year this week, but managing director Stewart Robertson says the club's financial figures have no impact on funds available to manager Steven Gerrard.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard tells Sky Sports: "In terms of Moscow, we were happy with the performance but not the result. We were disappointed to go out in the semi-final to Aberdeen and that disappointment carried on into the Kilmarnock game.

"The changes are to keep the team fresh, but they're still capable of getting the points.

"I watch him Eros Grezda daily, I'm well aware of his ability.

"He's a very dangerous player when he's at it. We've had to be patient due to his injury in the summer.

"We're aware St Mirren are not happy with their form, but the game starts at 0-0.

"They'll try and stay in the game and give it everything they've got. We've got to match them and hopefully our quality will show."

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Simeon Jackson makes his sixth St Mirren appearance today, having agreed to extend his stay in Paisley until the end of the season.

The former Norwich City and Coventry City striker has scored once since arriving as a free agent in September.

Announcing the new arrangement, manager Oran Kearney said that Jackson's experience was "hugely important" for his side.

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If Steven Gerrard is under a bit of pressure, it is nothing to that facing Oran Kearney.

The Northern Irishman led St Mirren to a commendable goalless draw at home to Celtic in his first game in charge, but they have lost six games in a row since then.

Indeed, the Buddies, sitting second bottom of the Premiership, are looking to avoid a 12th game without a win since a 2-1 success against Dundee on 4 August.

The stats don't favour the Buddies against Rangers, who they haven't beaten in seven games.

But Rangers were held to a 2-2 draw in their last visit to Paisley in May, having scored the only goal of the game on their previous short drive down the M8 almost exactly a year ago.

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Steven Gerrard sat out yesterday's pre-match media conference, at which assistant Gary McAllister insisted that the manager could cope with "a couple of dodgy results" given the pressures he endured as Liverpool and England captain.

Rangers are looking to avoid a fourth game without a win, having drawn in the Europa League with Spartak Moscow, lost in the League Cup semi-final to Aberdeen and drawn with Kilmarnock in the Premiership.

It is the first time he has been under a bit of scrutiny in his first managerial position and he got a bit tetchy in his midweek presser ahead of the midweek draw with Killie.

Gerrard can cope with pressure - McAllister

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Rangers manager Steven Gerrard also makes four alterations to his starting line up.

Eros Grezda is handed a first start after assistant boss Gary McAllister suggested yesterday that the Albania winger was beginning to show the "swagger" that persuaded the Ibrox club to buy him from Osijek now that he is free of injury.

Ryan Jack and Ovie Ejaria take up midfield places and goalkeeper Allan McGregor is back between the sticks for his 300th club appearance.

Wes Foderingham, Jon Flanagan, Lassana Coulibaly and Daniel Candeias all drop to the bench after Wednesday's 1-1 draw at home to Kilmarnock.

Striker Kyle Lafferty misses out with a thigh injury, while left-back Borna Barisic is still working back from a thigh strain.

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St Mirren are without full-back Lee Hodson, who cannot face his parent club, so 17-year-old Ethan Erhahon fills in.

Ryan Flynn is suspended after his red card in Wednesday's home loss to Motherwell, while Cammy Smith and Adam Hammill drop to the bench.

In come Ian McShane and Matty Willock to beef up the midfield, with forward Danny Mullen recalled.

Goalkeeper Danny Rogers remains among the substitutes after returning to the bench in midweek following a knee injury.

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Let's hope it is a quieter day off the park today.

Wednesday's Edinburgh derby ended goalless, but there was plenty to talk about after Hibernian head coach Neil Lennon was struck by a coin thrown from the crowd, two assistant referees also had objects thrown at them and Hearts goalkeeper Zdenek Zlamal claimed he was punched by a fan.

It didn't end there, as Lennon held court in his pre-match media conference yesterday to question Scotland's record as a tolerant nation by suggesting he suffers anti-Catholic "racism".

He even raised the possibility that the continuing abuse might force him to consider his position at Easter Road.

However, we fully expect him to be on the touchline as his side host St Johnstone later.

Lennon could consider position after coin incident

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St Mirren: Samson, P McGinn, Jones, Ferdinand, Erhahon, Willock, McShane, S McGinn, Edwards, Mullen, Jackson.

Substitutes: Rogers, Baird, MacPherson, Kirkpatrick, Hammill, Smith, Cooke.

Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Worrall, Halliday, Jack, Ejaria, Arfield, Grezda, Kent, Morelos.

Substitutes: Foderingham, Flanagan, Katic, Coulibaly, Rossiter, Candeias, Middleton.

It's been a stormy old week in Scottish football and the winter rain is now lashing the land.

Hopefully, today's action on the field of play can lift the spirits and repair some of the damage to the game's reputation following Wednesday's unseemly scenes at Tynecastle.

It all kicks-off, in the nicest possible way I hope, in Paisley at 12:30 GMT, when struggling St Mirren host a Rangers side who have themselves stumbled in three competitions within a week.

That's followed by four more Scottish Premiership games, with the top two, Hearts and Celtic, meeting in Glasgow in the game of the day - plus there's plenty of interest in the Championship and Leagues One and Two.

Stay with us for a full afternoon of coverage on radio and online.

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