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Scottish Premier League Update

Ali Hannah on Celtic, the Rangers, and Scotland

Celtic | Rangers | Scotland

Celtic Roundup

It's been another one of those months for Gordon Strachan where the manager, although he would never admit it, can although himself a wry smile.

His side were written off at the start of the season as Scotland effused over Rangers' appointment of Paul Le Guen, but the Parkhead boss has shown little regard for the reputation of the opposition.

Celtic, despite a little rocky start to the defence of their title, sit aloft the SPL table, seven points better off than their Ibrox counterparts and with a shout at Champions League glory into the bargain.

As Strachan's side have gathered momentum since the signings coups of Thomas Gravesen and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink they have started to produce more fluent performances on the pitch that have translated into greater confidence before they even set foot on it.

They comfortably saw off Rangers in the first Old Firm derby of the season with Kenny Miller, almost inevitably, getting the second goal of the afternoon against his former side and the Scotland internationalist followed that up with the only goal of the game as Celtic beat FC Copenhagen to get their first Champions League points this year.

Miller is now the only player in Scottish football history to have scored for both halves of the Old Firm in the Champions League and after taking eight competitive games to finally get the elusive goal for Celtic, his confidence is soaring.

"When you get the goal you hope that it will lead to a wee purple patch," said Miller. "I've not had any negative comments from the crowd even when I wasn't scoring. They've always been positive towards me. It's nice to repay their faith."

Strachan revealed that while Miller was the first to raise his hand before the crucial Champions League tie to volunteer his services should a penalty arise, that he wasn't too sure whether the Scotland forward was the right contender for the job.

Vennegoor of Hesselink missed the tie because of an ankle injury while Shaun Maloney, Celtic's other penalty taker, started the game on the bench. As it was Miller kept his goal to net the kick and Strachan was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"In the morning, Kenny had told us that he wanted to take the penalties, so it meant I had a nervous seven-hour wait, given that I'd seen his recent attempt at a penalty for Scotland, " smiled Strachan. "But Kenny is happy. He's scoring goals and he gives us an awful lot. "I don't think you can underestimate that the win against Copenhagen was a big night for us. People like to say that the spirit of a team is built on things like nights out drinking, but that's nonsense. Players tell lies to each other on these occasions. It's nights like this that you really get that spirit.

"In the first half, I thought we were excellent. FC Copenhagen are a big, physical side but we didn't allow them to be physical with us, because we moved the ball about so quickly.

"In the second half, I thought our use of the ball was less good, certainly not as good as earlier on, but we got the win."
Strachan has also moved to defend Paul Telfer. The right-back has returned to the side in the absence of the injured Mark Wilson but is not a favourite of the Parkhead crowd. One slack pass against Copenhagen resulted in moans and groans around the stadium but Strachan has urged the fans to get behind the player.

"He's got mental toughness," he said. "That's what Telfer's all about. I heard the crowd groaning over one slack pass, but Paul will run 50 yards just to give a player like Shunsuke Nakamura two yards of space. You ask Nakamura who he likes playing with, and he'll tell you it's Telfer."

Celtic also eeked out a 1-0 win over Falkirk to round off their exertions for September with Aiden McGeady, the man John Hartson claimed is worth £20m, getting the only goal of the game with just six minutes remaining. It's been that kind of month for Strachan.

Rangers

It might seem like fizzy wine after their champagne experience in last season's Champions League, but as Rangers booked their place in the group stages of the UEFA Cup at the expense of lowly Norwegian outfit Molde, there were more than a few sighs of relief.

The recent malaise suffered by Paul Le Guen's side was overcome and the victory has spared the affable Frenchman from a bout of crisis just two months into his Ibrox role.

Thomas Buffel, dropped after his early performances included some glaring misses, scored the opening goal against the Norwegians to settle the nerves in the Rangers side and captain Barry Ferguson, also criticised for his recent performances got the crucial second.

Yet while the nicely worked and sweetly finished goals hardly reflected the overall nature of Rangers' performance, the result was all that mattered on a hugely significant night for Le Guen and it says much that the man of the match award was given to young keeper Allan McGregor.

Rangers were indebted to the stopper for a couple of outstanding saves that kept them in the game and now that he has ensured that his club will enjoy the financial benefits of competing in the group stage of the UEFA Cup, Le Guen now must revitalise a championship challenge that has stuttered badly in September.

Even for a man who tasted the rarefied air of the Champions League quarter-finals in charge of Lyon, this early phase of Europe's second-tier tournament had become as important an assignment as any faced in his coaching career so far.

Curiously, Le Guen stated a few weeks back that no matter what McGregor achieved he would resort to being a squad player when injured keeper Lionel Letizi resumed full fitness. It was an odd thing to say given that McGregor has been outstanding for Rangers since he was asked to step in and the youngster has produced a number of man of the match displays since Letizi moved onto the treatment table.

Celtic would have ran up considerably more than just a 2-0 win in the first Old Firm derby of the season had McGregor not been there to thwart them on a number of occasions and the player has admitted that he will be gutted if goes straight onto the bench as soon as Letizi is fit.

The Ibrox crowd chanted his name as he kept out Molde and he knows that giving up the number one shirt at this pivotal stage in his career is a step backwards.

"I'd be disappointed if I was dropped now as I feel I have done quite well since I came into the side," he said. "I enjoyed the fans chanting my name against Molde.

"European nights at Rangers are always special and it was really good for me to hear that. I was happy with my own display against Molde, but I am happier the team got through. That was our target before kick-off and we achieved it.

"But I played all of last season for Dunfermline on loan and it was hard for me to be on the bench at the start of this season with Rangers. Basically, I am just trying to do my best when I get a game. The most important thing for me is to be consistent. I think I have done that."

Whether that's enough remains to be seen.

Scotland

Rangers and Scotland captain Barry Ferguson has rounded on the critics who have questioned his commitment to his country and the midfielder has revealed that he is intent on forcing his way into the SFA Hall of Fame.

Ferguson is expected to resume the Scotland captaincy after an injury absence of five months when France visit Hampden on Saturday for the daunting Euro 2008 qualifier.

The 28-year-old midfielder has appeared closer to his influential best in the recent victories over Molde and Aberdeen, which have steadied the stuttering start to Paul Le Guen's tenure.

A heel problem kept him out of the back-to-back victories over the Faroe Islands and Lithuania which have given Walter Smith's side a perfect start to Group B. That success has led to an apathy from some quarters about Ferguson's return, with suggestions he does not produce his best for the national side.

The player, though, has emphasised that he would not consider his career complete without leading Scotland into their first major championship since the 1998 World Cup.

"I've never been there with Scotland and that's something I am desperate to achieve," said Ferguson.

"There has been a lot made about whether I really have the heart to play with Scotland, but that's bollocks. Total bollocks. I don't know where people get ideas like that.

"I've missed games with injury but every game I play for Scotland is special. I've got 36 caps so I'm 14 short of the Hall of Fame. That is something I would love to achieve."

Ferguson was part of the Scotland side which came within a whisker of reaching Euro 2000, after a 1-0 win over Kevin Keegan's England at Wembley saw them lose the play-off 2-1 on aggregate. That strutting performance remains his favourite memory on international duty but it could be surpassed with success over the World Cup finalists this weekend.

"Beating England at Wembley would be the top for me so far," said Ferguson. "We gave them a doing on their own patch and I enjoyed it.

"It's a hard question whether beating France would eclipse that, but if it helped us get through to a major championship then it would.

"It's a massive game. You should want to play against the best and I don't see why we can't get something. The spirit and work rate is there since Walter took over. He has got us believing that we can beat anybody.

"When the group came out, it was a case of 'look at this.' But we're five points ahead of Italy at the moment and if we could come out with points from France and then Ukraine next Wednesday it would be a great boost."

Ferguson insisted there were no lingering effects from his spell on the sidelines and feels he is closing on peak form to face Patrick Vieira, Claude Makelele et al.

"I'll be there very soon and I would rather people judge me when I am fully fit," he said. "I knew myself it would take time to get fitness but I've felt I was getting there in the last couple of games."

Victory against Aberdeen on Sunday was only secured in the 88th minute when Filip Sebo struck the goal that kept Rangers within seven points of Celtic at the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier league.

"It was a massive win and it should have been wrapped up before that," said Ferguson. "Hopefully that can kick start our season.

"It's not been the greatest of starts and we've dropped a lot of points. But then we've got new management, new staff and new players; it takes a bit of time for everyone to realise what Scottish football is about. Ask anyone who has come over here and they'll say it's not as easy as people make out."

Memories of the 2004/05 season, when Rangers recovered a five-point deficit over the final four matches to be crowned champions, prompt Ferguson to encourage belief among Le Guen's newcomers.

"It's up to myself and the guys who have been through it before to do that" he said. "It's seven points but there is a long way to go and hopefully now we can move forward."

Scottish Premier League Fact file

SPL Official Site www.scotprem.premiumtv.co.uk

Ali Hannah

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