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Scottish Premier League Update

Ali Hannah on the latest from the Scottish Premier League, March 2007

Celtic | Scotland | Rangers

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Hoops manager Gordon Strachan has denied that his side are toiling with just ten games remaining of a campaign that could be rewarded with a League and Scottish Cup double.

The Parkhead side lost back to back games against AC Milan and Rangers, but Strachan has rubbished suggestions that his players are struggling after an arduous season.

Certainly, there was little shame in the Parkhead side1s exit to the Italians in the Champions League. A 0-0 draw in Glasgow resulted in the same scoreline in the San Siro and it took an extra-time winner from Kaka to secure Milan's progress in the competition.

Strachan's young side defended resolutely against AC Milan but against Rangers four days later the problems lay in a plethora of scorned chances that ought to have put the game beyond doubt by the break.

They didn't and Rangers, like they done so often in years gone by under Walter Smith, made them pay for their profligacy as they stunned Celtic with a goal to take the points.

Celtic remain 16 points clear and can still clinch the title before the SPL split at the end of April and Strachan believes that the thought of the prizes that are at stake will keep his side going.

"I don't think we need a rest," he said. “We've handled everything brilliantly and I didn't think we were unfit in the San Siro. After 120 minutes we were running and chasing everything.
"We managed that well, and hopefully we can manage the next one well. All we need is to score a couple of goals."
The Celtic manager remains convinced that this is all that is lacking, and his side will soon be back on the goal trail to move closer to the title.

Last season's joint top scorer, Maciej Zurawski - sidelined with a calf problem for almost two months - is set to return after injury while Paul Hartley is back in the side after serving a two-match suspension.

Strachan said: "We should have everyone back and firing on all cylinders. But it's a lot to do with how we do as a team this week. We'll determine our own future.
"We've always had it tough and we will always have tough games until we start converting chances. Against Rangers we played well - until the goal went in - and that's as relaxed as I've been at an Old Firm game.
"If you play like that in an Old Firm game, nothing should scare you, and we have only ourselves to blame."

Meanwhile, youngster Darren O'Dea has agreed a long-term deal with the club until 2010 after his impressive first-team performances this season. The defender was drafted into the senior side when circumstances dictated, as the Hoops were struck down by all sorts of injury problems. Gary Caldwell, Mark Wilson, Bobo Balde and McManus have all been out this season and so O'Dea was handed his chance.

It was an opportunity that he took and, with 16 first-team appearances now under his belt this season, he is more or less guaranteed some silverware to show off this summer.

"I have signed the contract and I am delighted to be at the club, but I am in no way satisfied with myself or what I have done because in my mind I have not achieved anything yet," said the 20-year-old.
"I have played a few games and it's just up to me to play and train harder and learn as much as I possibly can off the players and coaches around me, and kick on from here."

Lean and with an imposing physique that suggests time well spent in the gym, O'Dea revealed that the extra hours put in on his fitness are what he believes gave him the edge to get into the first team.

An incident a few years back when the scales revealed stats he wasn't particularly happy about, inspired him to put in more time on the weights, a move that has served him well.

"There was one day we all got our body fat measured and I realised I was probably one of the highest," he said. "It embarrassed me to say the least, not that I was overweight or anything, but it is little things that make the difference and that certainly made the difference to me.
"As a player I understand the real importance of it. You have to eat the right things at the right times because training is so intense and games are so intense that you need to fuel your body properly and I've learned to do that."

One player who continues to attract headlines at Parkhead is Artur Boruc. The Polish keeper was excellent against AC Milan and Milan midfielder Rino Gattuso has urged the Italians to sign the stopper.
"Boruc was brilliant for Celtic in both games against us," said Gattuso. "I know Boruc has admirers at our club. There has been talk for the past couple of weeks about him coming to Milan.
"Boruc is still quite young for a goalkeeper and I think he is at an excellent age to join us. Maybe our president likes him. Boruc has a very good chance of being the one."

Rangers

Hampden might only be a few miles up the road from Walter Smith's Ibrox office, but it might as well be on the other side of the world for all that it matters now to Rangers.

Dreams of a UEFA Cup Final place on their home turf were spoiled by an Osasuna side who outclassed and outplayed Smith's team and had the Spaniards been a little more proficient in front of goal they would have dismissed Rangers by a bigger margin.

Regardless, the Ibrox side are now looking at a season in which their only fight between now and the summer is ensuring they are aiming for Champions League football rather than a return to the second tier of European club football next season.

Having beaten Celtic 1-0 at Parkhead - only their second Old Firm win in seven years in the East End - there was a degree of optimism at Ibrox but the UEFA Cup exit highlights the deficiencies that continue to prevail in Smith's side.

David Weir and Ugo Ehiogu have offered some sort of stability at the back but it was the former who was at fault for Cameroon internationalist Pierre Webo's goal in Spain, while Ehiogu has struggled at times.

The former Middlesbrough defender was the hero when he scored in his Old Firm debut to steal the points for Rangers, but at the back he has appeared haphazard and hesitant to suggest there will be any long-term deal on the horizon for him.

The level of rebuilding work that must be undertaken to make his club a more credible force next season remains high and securing some quality signings has to be paramount on Smith's agenda this summer.

The short term objective remains the securing of second place in the SPL this season to give Rangers an opportunity to participate in the more prestigious and lucrative Champions League next time around. They will retain some fond memories of the UEFA Cup run which ended in Spain and, in many ways, saved their season from being an unmitigated calamity.

To make matter worse, the Osasuna game was marred by shocking heavy-handed policing of the Rangers fans which left many injured amidst scenes of chaos before, during and after the match which will now be probed by UEFA.

"I have to be honest, we did not deserve to go through and the best team over the two legs is in the next round," said Brahim Hemdani afterwards. Like Hemdani, Dado Prso admitted that Rangers now simply have to secure second place in the eight remaining SPL matches they have to get through.

"The team wants to be back in the Champions League, so we know what we need to do," said the Croatian. “We have eight games left and we need to focus on that now."

Much of Smith's thoughts between now and the end of the season will be on the restructuring his squad. It is clear the current group of players are not good enough to play at this level and come the summer the Ibrox axe will not be blunt.

A number of players have been linked with a move to Ibrox this summer when Hibs midfielder Scott Brown will undoubtedly join Kevin Thomson at the club, but there will be more to follow, just as the door will be open for a number of those who haven't hit the heights.

Filip Sebo was handed a starting jersey against both Celtic and Osasuna but the striker looks desperately short of confidence and is unlikely to last another season in Glasgow. He has never quite lived up to his £1.8m billing while the likes of Libor Sionko, Gavin Rae, Sasa Papac and Karl Svensson might also be on their way as Smith looks to bring in some funds.

Everton keeper Richard Wright has been linked with a move to Ibrox and the 29-year-old could be grabbed on a free transfer at the end of the season. Wright has slipped out of the first-team picture at Goodison Park after losing his place to Tim Howard and has played just twice so far this season.

Now he is desperate for a move to resurrect a career that once promised a great deal. Wright cost Arsenal £6million when he joined from Ipswich in the summer of 2001 aged just 23. Less than 12 months later he was offloaded to Everton on loan before securing a permanent £3.5m transfer.

Now Wright hopes to prove to Smith that he is capable of recapturing his best form and competing with Allan McGregor for the No.1 shirt at Ibrox.

With Stefan Klos set to retire at the end of the season, Smith will sign at least one keeper as part of his summer recruitment drive.

It's believed he has identified another six positions that need strengthening and has outlined his requirements to chairman Sir David Murray. Motherwell striker Scott McDonald also remains on Smith's radar as the manager hopes to sign at least two centre forwards when the market re-opens. Falkirk forward Alan Gow and St Mirren defender Kirk Broadfoot have already signed pre-contracts.

Scotland

Scotland manager Alex McLeish will make his competitive managerial debut when the Euro 2008 double header against Georgia and Italy gets underway later this month with the former Ibrox manager keen to continue the good work started by his predecessor.

McLeish named his squad for the games and resisted the temptation to include Garry O'Connor who went AWOL after Scotland's 1-0 win over France last October.

The Lokomotiv Moscow striker failed to offer Walter Smith a legitimate reason for his absence and a recent apology has not been sufficient to win his way back into the national team.

Gary Caldwell, however, who has been out of action for four months after knee surgery was a surprise inclusion with McLeish revealing that his former Old Firm rival and close friend Gordon Strachan was crucial in the decision to name the defender in his squad.

"Gordon tells me Gary is buzzing in training," said McLeish. "He is also going to play him in midfield in reserve matches to get his stamina up before the international matches."

The Scotland manager is aiming for six points from his first two games – but would settle for four and given the nature of the task confronting him, that would be a more than credible return.

"That would be a fantastic start, no doubt about that," he said. "We know at Hampden the onus is on us to win."

With Scotland top of Euro 2008 qualifying Group B, McLeish has succeeded Smith at a time when optimism among the Tartan Army is at its highest level for years.

But McLeish, who with assistant Andy Watson has led Motherwell, Hibernian and Rangers since 1994, is confident he can handle the expectations.

He said: "There is pressure whether you are 16th or 70th, maybe it's a different kind of pressure if you are much lower down the rankings.
"If you get the results then everything is great, if you don't then there is pressure. We have been around a long time to be able to cope with it.
"We have only played four games, don't forget. In the Premier League in England you maybe get a team that is now looking at relegation topping the league after four games.
"The most important aspect of any group campaign is where you are at the end of it."

McLeish admits he has been heartened by the performances of Rangers and Celtic in Europe. AC Milan needed extra-time to knock Celtic out the last 16 of the Champions League last week while Rangers got to the same stage of the UEFA Cup before last night's defeat by Osasuna.

"There's a number of other players at Rangers, young players, that have done well this season that have been overlooked this time," McLeish said. "But what hasn't gone unnoticed is the great runs in Europe from both of them.

"I know from personal experience that it enhances your education. It makes you much more experienced when you play at the highest level."