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Scottish Premier League Update

Ali Hannah on the latest from the Scottish Premier League, April 2008

Celtic | Rangers | Scotland

Celtic Roundup

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The wheels appear to have finally come unstuck for Celtic's title aspirations after Gordon Strachan's side had a nightmare month.

A costly home draw against Dundee United followed by a Scottish Cup exit to Aberdeen put Celtic horrendously under pressure going into the Old Firm game at Ibrox. It was a game they lost 1-0 and the Hoops now trail Rangers by six points, which will rise to nine if Rangers, as expected, win their game in hand against lowly St Mirren.

In truth Celtic have been appalling of late and their failure to capitalise on chances has cost them dearly. It was a similar story against Rangers when they dominated the opening half but couldn't convert their opportunities and were subsequently punished for their profligacy.

Kevin Thomson scored the only goal of the game on the cusp of the interval and the wind was well and truly taken from Celtic's sails.

Despite that, the Hoops dressing room remain adamant that they will not relinquish their title lightly. However, even with two Parkhead Old Firm dates to be played next month it is highly unlikely that Celtic will successfully scale the mountain they have made for themselves.
"We will never give up hope," said Shunsuke Nakamura. "We must now win both home games against Rangers.
"In fact, we have to win all the remaining 'cup finals’ that we have now. But we will never admit that it’s over until it’s impossible for us to win it."

Meanwhile, Aiden McGeady has thanked the club’s fans for their support and asked them to maintain that level of backing for the rest of the season.

McGeady, currently in the running for a host of Player of the Year awards after an outstanding campaign, was as disappointed as anyone at the outcome of the Rangers match.

However, the 21-year-old is adamant that there is still plenty of life left in Celtic’s title challenge and believes anything is possible with the backing of the Hoops fans.

He said: "The fans were brilliant on Saturday and we need that support for the rest of the season. We need them to get right behind us for the rest of the games and I know they will do that.

"Everyone at the club needs to be together. The players don’t believe the league race is over and we need the fans to look at things that way as well.

"There are still a lot of points to play for, so nothing is over yet. Saturday’s result didn’t help us, but there’s still a lot to play for and we now have to look at the remaining eight games and try to take maximum points from them.

"Having two home games against Rangers gives us the chance to claw back some of the points and those matches are going to be massive now.

"If we can win the first one, it will allow us to close the gap and give us a real boost going into the next one. Those games are so vital for us now and we’ll do everything we can to take full points."

Strachan too has admitted that he is still scratching his head in order to work out where Celtic lost the game, the biggest match of their season, but he is refusing to accept that he is feeling the heat.

The Parkhead manager has never been truly taken into the hearts of certain Celtic fans and having now gone four Old Firm games without not only a win but also without his side scoring a goal, it is fair to say that knives are being sharpened for him.

"You're judged at this club by winning championships and your games against Rangers. So whatever else you do, you are judged on this," he said.

"You can smooth over a lot of cracks sometimes by doing that (winning Old Firm games) and it gives you time. But, at the moment, we're not giving ourselves time because we have not dealt with these matches the way we should. Now we can't look for any favours from anyone else. We've got to do it ourselves and win every game we have left."

The biggest two are the home matches against Rangers which, despite recent results, are being viewed as opportunities for Celtic to make amends, not occasions to fear.

That's because Strachan remains convinced his side should have been celebrating drawing level with Rangers in the SPL at the weekend.

He said: "After we lost 3-0 earlier in the season, I left Ibrox with a cloud over my head and a real depression. "Last week it was different. I was angry at losing, and I'm still scratching my head how as to how we did lose.

"I'm perturbed that we played one-dimensional football in the second half, and that is the biggest disappointment other than the result. I analyse it quickly, and come back to the fact we got one dimensional.

"I tried to get the message on to keep using the width we had used in the first half to good effect. That way we could start our moves in better positions and drag their players out of the areas where they are comfortable."

Rangers

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Rangers stars will pocket an incredible £200,000-a-man bonus if they go all the way and lift the UEFA Cup. Walter Smith's men have been handed a massive cash incentive to continue turning on the style in Uefa Cup.

If they can see off Sporting Lisbon this month and book their place in the semi-final of the UEFA Cup, there is a massive cash bounty to be claimed by the players.

It's believed Barry Ferguson and Co will pick up £35,000 each if they can eliminate Sporting and progress into the semis. Early this season, they banked their biggest pay-day of the season to date when they were awarded £40,000-a-man from progressing past Red Star Belgrade in a qualifier to reach the Champions League group stage.

It’ thought a £15,000 bonus was paid out for defeating Greek side Panathinaikos and, in the following round, an awesome performance from Allan McGregor in Germany helped Gers defeat Werder Bremen over the two-legs and boost the coffers by a further £25,000-a-man.

With the bonus increasing by £10,000 for every round and capped at £50,000 for winning the final in Manchester, Rangers players could potentially earn in the region of £210,000 if they won the competition and played in every European tie, with the exception of the Champions League group matches.

With only the 18 players selected for the European matches picking up the bonuses, it means Rangers could shell-out as much as £3.7m in bonus money, but that's nothing compared to what the club are earning for the extended European run.

Already, Rangers have banked £17m from their exploits and stand to make a further £5m by reaching the Final. And the players are also on domestic bonus schemes for success in the league and cup competitions.

Walter Smith has put Gers in pole position to regain the SPL title by instilling the spirit of the nine-in-a-row era, according to former Ibrox defender Fraser Wishart.

"They were so far behind when he came in," he said."To now be six points ahead of Celtic with a game in hand is remarkable."

Despite haring ahead in the title race, however, Walter Smith has refused to accept that his side now have one hand on the Championship. We've not caught them up yet," said the Gers boss.

"Celtic are the team that have won the league - they supply us with the motivation to try to win the championship," he said.
"They are the champions and we are the challengers until the league championship is decided. And it may be that we are the challengers again next season.

"We have tough games between now and the end of the season and Celtic are our yardstick - they have shown the consistency and the winning mentality over the last couple of seasons, and we know that we have to copy that.

"It is role-reversal for me - the last time I was here we were always on top and Celtic were trying to catch us, but now it's the other way round, so we have to work very hard."

Meanwhile, former Ibrox hero Dado Prso has warned that he too remembers full well an Ibrox victory which resulted with proclamations that the title was now the Ibrox side's to lose.

A hard-fought 2-0 win had edged Alex McLeish's troops three points clear at the top of the SPL with the final Old Firm game of the season at Ibrox still to come back in 2005.

Rangers did win the league that season, but only after a frantic last day finale in which Celtic threw their title away by losing to Motherwell when they needed just a point.

The big Croat, who was back in Glasgow last week and took in the Old Firm showdown, recalled: "When we won that game at Parkhead everyone was saying that was it, that things had swung the way of Rangers because they had not won at Celtic's stadium for so long.

"It was a big moment for the team and three great points. But we knew that it was not finished, despite what a lot of people were saying.

"Celtic had a great team and we knew it would be a big fight. And, when you saw what then happened, it was crazy to hear what the reaction to that game was.

"I think that should also be the warning for Rangers this time. They have a lot of games to get through - and two of them are at Parkhead.

"And also, unlike that season when we won the title, they still have European football and the Cup. All we had was league game to league game."

Like this current Rangers squad, there weren't too many course and distance winners back in 2005.

Prso was in his first year as a Rangers player, as was the likes of Nacho Novo, although they did have the experience of Barry Ferguson to call on after his return from Blackburn Rovers.

But Rangers made a real mess of trying to see the job out, and only Celtic's post-split collapse allowed them to steal back in and land the crown on that now infamous day, when Scott MacDonald scored late on to seal Motherwell's win at Fir Park over the shattered Parkhead men.

"Inverness were always a problem side when I was at Rangers, and I remember they came to Ibrox and scored a late goal which saw us dropping points," Prso said.

"Dundee United also then beat us at Ibrox, and Celtic were soon ahead of us again because we began to get nervous and failed to win the games we had.

"When Celtic came to Ibrox and beat us 2-1 in the first game after the split, they went five points clear - and the people who had been saying we were certain to win the title, were now saying Celtic were certain!

"Of course, they started slipping up and we won four games in a row to do our job. And they lost on the final day.

"It was unbelievable that season, but it proves that you are never a champion until you have that medal.

"I think that is something the experienced people at Rangers will be telling the players: Game by game, do not look too far.

"And the people at Celtic will say remember what happened to us". They will use that as inspiration, so there is still nothing decided."

The one factor Prso believes could be crucial in all of this is the man at the Ibrox helm.

Before Dado retired last season the ex-Monaco man, who became such a fans' favourite in his three years at Ibrox, believed Walter Smith would regain the title.

The experience of the boss he worked under for just six months, Prso says, is something the players will learn from.

"Walter is a great manager and a man who gets respect - because he treats the players properly," Prso said.

"He demands everything, and he is the type of manager players want to give everything for.

"I said before I left last year that I felt Rangers would win the title under him this season, and they have worked hard to get into a good position.

"I have watched them in the past couple of games and they have a tremendous spirit considering that many of the players are in the first season. That, and the manager's knowledge, could be very important."

Scotland

Scotland boss George Burley admits the side he fields against the Czech Republic at the end of May will again be under strength. The new Scotland manager enjoyed a 1-1 draw against Croatia in a friendly at Hampden this month to march his new regime but was without five Old Firm players for the match due to injury.

For his second friendly in charge Burley may have to manage without Scotland's Celtic contingent who are likely to be on a club trip to Japan.

The Scots will face the Czechs in Prague on May 30, in the week after the Scottish Cup final, when clubs and players not involved in Euro 2008 are beginning their summer breaks.

Burley said: "The trouble is, the one in Prague is not an international date and I know for a fact Celtic have got contractual commitments to go abroad.

"I felt with the World Cup (qualifiers) coming up so quickly it would still be a good idea to play at the end of May.

"It will give other players an opportunity to play against another top European side."

The former Ipswich and Hearts manager has brought in former Motherwell boss Tommy McLean to analyse match performances from a seat in the stand.

Burley said: "It's always good to have somebody up there and maybe come down at half-time and have views."

Meanwhile, Burley satisfied with his first outing as Scotland manager after earning a 1-1 draw against Croatia at Hampden.

Kenny Miller ensured Burley's debut did not end in defeat when he cancelled out an early opener from Portsmouth's Nico Kranjcar to provide an encouraging start to a new era for Scotland.

"Croatia are one of the top teams in Europe and we had to work very hard, which we did," he said.

"They started brightly and we conceded a goal but we hung in there and got back in the game. We showed a lot of character and overall I was very pleased with the commitment and the performance.

"The commitment showed and that has been the quality of the side in the last couple of years under Walter (Smith) and Alex (McLeish) and that's something we have to keep going and building on.

"They are a committed squad of players. They went down to a quality team and it was hard work but they stuck to their task and deservedly got a draw."

Burley believes maintaining the momentum is crucial after getting off to a decent start, following the national team's narrow failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

He added: "It's always important. We missed out on qualifying in the last campaign but there were some very good performances.

"We are now in the build-up to the World Cup and it was a tough game tonight. We have another one at the end of May against the Czech Republic and it's another opportunity to work with the side.

"Each game is about learning a little bit more and having that belief against top sides in Europe. Hopefully we can take that into the World Cup qualifiers.

"It was an honour for me to manage my country so I'm going to try to enjoy it and work as hard as I can.

"There are areas we have to improve but I have a squad of players who are very committed and it's enjoyable working with that type of character."