By Graham Ruthven

There was a one in three chance of it happening, yet there was something inevitable about Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final draw.

Indeed, Rangers and Celtic were pulled out the hat and will face each other once more, with a place in the competition’s final up for grabs.

The clash will come at an interesting time for both clubs, with Celtic still toiling under Ronny Deila and Mark Warburton’s Rangers on the ascendency. There remains a division between the two, but the fixture has the potential to produce an almighty tussle.

Of course, the two teams faced each other last season, with Celtic claiming a fairly comprehensive 2-0 win in the League Cup semi-final. However, Rangers have improved greatly since then, as Warburton’s side prepare for almost certain promotion to the top flight. This should be a much tighter affair.

The Ibrox club are openly readying themselves for Premiership football next season, with Warburton admitting that plans are already in place. "Our targets are very clear, there’s no point masking them," he said just last month.

"Our targets are for Rangers to return to the top table of Scottish football and kick on from there. We have to prepare accordingly, look at our recruitment, the structure of our training ground, where can we be better and prepare everything for the next level."

Until now clashes in the League Cup against St Johnstone, and in the Scottish Cup against Kilmarnock and Dundee, have provided the only gauge of where Rangers are ahead of their impending promotion. April’s Old Firm derby at Hampden Park will offer the ultimate test of their top flight credentials, though.

Celtic will provide the benchmark against which Rangers will be judged next season, regardless of whether challenging for the title is a realistic target for the Govan club.

Hearts have set a precedent for Rangers this season, proving that promoted sides from the Championship can compete at the top end of the top flight immediately, and Rangers will be expected to do the same.

April's match will also provide Warburton with a subtext for what next season will be like, with at least four Old Firm derbies likely per year. The Englishman has had to adjust to the attention that comes with being Rangers boss at times since his appointment, expressing his disbelief at the reaction to defeat to St Johnstone earlier in the season.

The Old Firm clash will require tougher skin from him. Defeat to Celtic would result in an entirely new level of scrutiny and as Rangers manager he must become accustomed to such things.

Despite Rangers’ undoubted improvement over the past year, Celtic will still be considered favourites for the tie. In that sense, next month's match will be something of a free hit for Warburton. But in another sense, he and his players will be wary of what will be drawn from their performance and result.

Sitting third in the Scottish Premiership table, just 10 points behind leaders Celtic, things look to be going well at Hearts this season.

So when a plane flew over Tynecastle during the Jam Tarts' 1-0 win over Partick Thistle criticising Robbie Neilson and calling for his dismissal there was a reaction of bemusement.

Some Hearts fans have expressed disappointment at the standard of recent performances, most notably in the two Scottish Cup clashes against Hibernian.

But under Neilson Hearts are unbeaten in their last nine matches at home, with the former defender amassing more points from 28 games in his debut top flight season than any other non-Celtic or Rangers manager in the SPL and SPFL era (stat courtesy of the Terrace Podcast).

Criticism of Neilson is extremely harsh given what he has achieved in under two years as manager of the capital club, brushing off the banner after Saturday's match.

"I'd rather people spent their money on the (fans group) Foundation of Hearts instead of wasting their money on me," he said.

"It's up to them, they can do what they want. I think we're sitting in a decent position but I'll have to have a look at my gear. Don't waste your money on that, get it into the Foundation.

"I was wondering why they were chanting my name. I'd rather they were shouting for the players and giving them some encouragement."