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Scottish Premier League Update

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

Celtic | Rangers | Aberdeen

Celtic Roundup

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CELTIC manager Gordon Strachan is thrilled about the "exciting" prospect of facing Barcelona in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League and has promised Hoops fans that his side will enter the tie full of confidence. The SPL champions were the first club out of the hat at the draw and have landed a glamour fixture against the Spanish giants. Celtic will play the first leg at home on February 20, before travelling to Spain for the Nou Camp leg on March 4.

With world-class stars like Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, Xavi and Thierry Henry in their ranks, Frank Rijkaard's side are one of the favourites for the UEFA Champions League, but the Celtic manager insists his men have nothing to fear.

"It's an exciting draw," smiled the manager. "I think the lads were getting a bit edgy this morning when they were training and the draw was on. The news filtered through to a few of them, so I just decided to stop and tell all of them. Once they were told, they were all fine and the training was good. We wanted something different in the draw and most of us have never faced up to Barcelona in a competitive match. It's fantastic for us and just to be able to look at the last 16 and say, 'We're in that'.

"Okay, we might be the outsiders for the competition, but just being there is absolutely fantastic. In saying that, we want to beat them - we really want to beat Barcelona."

Asked whether it was realistic to think that Celtic could eliminate Barca and the Hoops manager was unequivocal in his response. And no wonder. In 2004, Celtic met Barca four times - twice in the UEFA Cup and twice in the UEFA Champions League - and more than held their own, winning one and drawing two of the games.

"It is realistic," he said. "It can be done because we've shown that when we are at our best, we can beat anybody.

"We know about our away form and we will try to rectify that. But as long as you give it a good shot in the home game, then you never know what will happen. We're happy with the draw."

Meanwhile, Artur Boruc is such a sensitive subject for Gordon Strachan the Celtic manager refuses to discuss in public the keeper's wish to leave Celtic Park. The Pole has been a standout for Celtic since signing from Legia Warsaw just over two years ago and rumours persist that he is Premiership bound.

The keeper is believed to be examining a loophole in his contract that would allow him to buy out the final year of his deal and quit the Parkhead club at the end of the season, and there's no doubt Celtic are bracing themselves for the loss of his services.

Boruc missed five games in December due to injury and it's no coincidence that Celtic dropped a whopping nine points in that period, including a 3-2 defeat to Inverness Caley after they had been leading the Highlanders 2-0.

Yet, if anything can keep Boruc in Glasgow it's the rivalry of the Old Firm meetings.

He said: "This is the biggest game in Scotland, the biggest game in the SPL and there isn't a player in the country who wouldn't want to play in these matches. Not only is it the biggest derby in Scotland I think it's the biggest derby in the world.

"I watched them in Poland long before I got here and all over my country people watch this match. I'm a Celtic player and I realise how lucky I am to have the opportunity to play in this fixture. I really, really love them. I love the atmosphere. I love everything about them.

Boruc is a committed supporter of causes. He was photographed leading the singing among the fans when he went home to Poland to watch his beloved Legia Warsaw last season but admitted they may have a rival for his affections.

He said: "I've been in Glasgow for two years and I feel a close bond with the Celtic supporters. I love playing for the club and it's an honour for me to be here. When I see the way the fans treat me it's unbelievable."

Meanwhile, Bobo Balde has come in from the cold to take his place in the Hoops defence after a dreaful December.

Rangers

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Walter Smith watched Rangers crash out of European football's elite - then insisted he can't be consoled by the prospect of a crack at the UEFA Cup after the Ibrox side drew Greek giants Panathinaikos.

The Ibrox side will take their place in European football's second tier by becoming one of the final 32 teams in the tournament dubbed the Consolation Cup after losing 3-0 to Lyon in their final Champions League clash.

But Smith said: ''I don't think that's any real consolation to us. 'We wanted to go through into the knockout stages of the Champions League. We are really disappointed we haven't managed it.

''But it's been an experience for us and we have improved a lot since the start of the tournament.

''We are certainly not going to use the last six Champions League games as some kind of preparation for the UEFA Cup. We are disappointed that we are in it. 'It's no great consolation because we wanted to be in the last 16 of the Champions League.

''But at the start of the season we didn't know where we were. We had a new team with no European pedigree and no real expectations. We can be happy with aspects of the way we have played in the Champions League but that doesn't take away from the disappointment when you get into a situation like the one we were in and end up with the wrong outcome.''

On a happier note, Rangers have capitalised on Celtic's lethargy to put the title holders under severe pressure, to such an extent that Gordon Strachan has declared the Ibrox side favourites for the Championship.

The Ibrox side have two games in hand over Celtic and if they win them will be four points clear of the Hoops, with a New Year Old Firm clash giving them the chance to tighten the screw.

And the Rangers boss has heaped praise on other teams in the league for taking points off Celtic and keeping his side in the hunt after fearing his side would be well adrift of their rivals after losing to Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United in a six-week spell from mid-September until the end of October.

He said: "When you look at the table, you have to give credit to the other teams. People automatically say Rangers or Celtic will win the league and rightly. It's just the same with other leagues all around Europe. But that takes away from the work other coaches are doing in Scotland.

"The SPL teams are stronger this season than they have been for years. That has been shown by the Old Firm dropping a number of points. We lost three games in the first section of matches and I thought we would be a bit further behind Celtic by now. But we're not and that's credit to the other teams.

"Motherwell and Dundee United are much stronger this year. Hibs are always difficult opponents and even though Hearts aren't challenging they've still damaged the Old Firm. I sense within our group we have a better confidence in terms of believing we can mount a challenge for the title. Now we've all got to work together to show the consistency needed to do that."

Smith will have French striker Jean-Claude Darcheville back in his line-up for the trip to Parkhead in January and he's praying the former Bordeaux man can stay injury free in the second half of the season. He has been plagued with hamstring problems since signing on a Bosman in the summer but Smith hopes Darcheville can give them an extra edge in the fight for the championship flag.

Smith said: "We've not had Darcheville playing at his top level since he came due to different injuries and bereavement in his family last week. It has been really stop-start for him and that has been my biggest disappointment since coming back - that we've never had him fully fit. We know what Kris Boyd and Daniel Cousin give us but Darcheville is a bit different.

"If Jean-Claude had been fit he would have helped Cousin and others settle in to the side. It would be great to get him fully fit for the new year. It can be a new start for him. Certainly if we can get him playing on a regular basis it would be a big boost for us going in to the final part of the season."

Aberdeen

Aberdeen's thrilling 4-0 win over Copenhagen was rewarded with a lucrative UEFA Cup draw against Bayern Munich as the Dons revel in the chance to savour European football after Christmas.

Dons manager Jimmy Calderwood described the December win over Copenhagen as the best night of his football career.

"It really was a great performance from the lads," he said. "We know they are capable of it, which is why we get so angry on Saturdays. But it was a wonderful night. It's wonderful, something to look forward to, but all credit to the lads.

"It doesn't matter who you get, but the prospect of a tie against Bayern Munich is brilliant. It gives us all something to look forward to in February."

The Dons' victory was built on two early second-half goals from Jamie Smith. But the winger, who had returned to the side following injury, modestly paid tribute to his colleagues.

"A lot of credit must go to my team-mates," he said. "Defensively, we were brilliant. I got two goals, but most of the credit must go to them. We created a few chances in the first half and we were a bit disappointed at half-time.

"It's a massive achievement for the club. It's great for the city and the fans. It's just great to be part of."

Goalkeeper Jamie Langfield echoed Smith's sentiments, saying: "It is absolutely brilliant. We were always in the game. All credit to the boys, I thought defensively we had to take a lot of credit. Hopefully we can take it on in the next leg."

Phil O'Donnell

Scottish football was plunged into mourning at the end of December when Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell tragically died on the pitch in a game against Dundee United.

The 35-year-old midfielder suffered a seizure at Fir Park, where medical staff from both clubs made efforts to revive him en route to Wishaw General Hospital. O'Donnell did not regain consciousness and was pronounced dead at 5pm.

Motherwell chairman Bill Dickie said minutes after the game: "Unfortunately I can confirm the very, very sad news that Phil O'Donnell has lost his life. We don't know what it was but there will be a post-mortem. This is a tragic happening and that's all I can say."

The father of four and former Celtic player was stretchered off 12 minutes from the end of the Premier League match. He was about to be replaced by Marc Fitzpatrick but collapsed as the change was taking place.

O'Donnell's nephew, David Clarkson, was also playing for Motherwell and was substituted following the shock of seeing the incident.

Motherwell owner John Boyle said: "This is an unspeakable tragedy for Phil's family. Everyone at Motherwell is shocked to the core and we are sure everyone involved in Scottish football will feel the same. Phil was not only an inspirational player but an inspirational person. All of us at Motherwell are thinking of his wife Eileen and their four children."

As news of his death broke, former teammates and prominent figures in Scottish football paid tribute.

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell expressed the club's sadness at the death of their former player. "When the news came through, everyone at the club was obviously shocked," he said. "Obviously our thoughts are with his family to whom we offer extreme condolences for a tragic loss of a young life."

Former first minister Jack McConnell, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, said he would be "sadly missed by his family and by football fans, but will be mourned by the whole community. Phil O'Donnell was a great professional who was admired by fellow players and fans alike. As captain he helped transform Motherwell this season."

Gordon Smith, chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, said the news was "absolutely devastating."

"Phil was not just a wonderful footballer, he was a great human being. My thoughts are with his family," he said. Motherwell have had to deal with tragedy in the past. In 1995 Davie Cooper, the team's winger, died at 39 after suffering a brain haemorrhage. Cooper, a former Rangers and Scotland star, had been a Motherwell team-mate of O'Donnell for several years.

O'Donnell made his Motherwell debut at 17 and went on to score, aged 19, in the 4-3 victory over Dundee United in the 1991 Scottish Cup final. He also won a Scotland cap in 1993 as a substitute in the World Cup qualifier against Switzerland. He returned to Motherwell after being released by Sheffield Wednesday in 2003, and made his second debut for the club in January 2004.

He played for Motherwell in the 2005 Scottish League Cup final and was appointed captain in 2006.