RANGERS' chances of halting Celtic's title three-in-a-row may have been diminished by yesterday's draw at Fir Park but Walter Smith is not ready to concede defeat. The Ibrox gaffer believes that despite there being only three games remaining, points could still be dropped, and even Gordon Strachan's mate Mark McGhee has warned there could be a final sting in the tale.
"We just have to go and try to win the games. There was a lot of talk before this one of Motherwell not having anything to play for but if you look at their effort, there was nothing wrong with that and I'm sure the games against St Mirren, Aberdeen
and Dundee United that the Old Firm have to play in the next few days will be exactly the same. I think this game proved that Celtic and ourselves are going to have to work hard to win the games. Certainly, if you're looking at over-turning the goal difference, that's a difficult task. But we still have to consider it's not just a simple matter of turning up and winning the games."
Just as they had on their return from their UEFA Cup semi-final, when they could only draw with Hibs at Easter Road, the Ibrox side again dropped two points, leaving them lagging by three, with an inferior goal difference. They play their remaining game in hand against St Mirren tomorrow and cannot afford any more slip-ups if they want to pile the pressure on their title rivals.
The momentum is now with Celtic but McGhee believes they still have the hardest task of the lot. "I think Celtic have still got a job on to go to Tannadice. I think the two games that Rangers have (against St Mirren and then away to Aberdeen], if they can regroup and freshen up, are both a lot more winnable than the Dundee United game. I think Celtic have the hardest of the three games because at Dundee they are a difficult team to beat and they have a manager who will remain focused, regardless the circumstances surrounding the game."
The full article contains 365 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
