Barry Ferguson insists Rangers are ready to fight to remain in pole position after moving top of the Scottish Premier League on Saturday.The captain was on the scoresheet, along with Steven Naismith, as Rangers recorded a 2-0 win over Dundee United to leapfrog title rivals Celtic, who are not in action this weekend.

Celtic's match against Motherwell was postponed following the tragic death of Phil O'Donnell, who died of heart failure last week.

Ferguson paid his own tribute to the Motherwell skipper by wearing an armband bearing a Motherwell badge and O'Donnell's number 10 squad number.

He has now targeted another victory against St Mirren on Tuesday, a game in hand, to bolster Rangers' championship hopes.

Ferguson said: "It was our main aim before the game to get three points and go top of the league.

"I don't think we have been there for a long time and, now that we are there, we are hopeful we can stay there.

"We have a lot of difficult games coming up and we are just looking forward to getting the three points from them all.

"We've got the two games in hand, against St Mirren and Gretna, and they are going to be difficult games.

"Those are the game you need to win, to win championships."

Those thoughts were echoed by Rangers boss Walter Smith, who said: "It was a satisfying day for us. It was a good result and a good performance overall. I think we deserved to win.

"It's important to keep winning - that's the fact. We have got games in hand but they don't count for anything if we don't win them and that's where we stand."

The opening of the transfer window has inevitably led to speculation, with Daniel Cousin's agent Willie MacKay claiming several Premier League clubs are interested in a January swoop for the striker.

Smith responded to those claims with amusement and claimed: "So far, Willie is the only person who knows these clubs are interested so that's the way it is at the present moment."

Smith also laughed off suggestions that Manchester United and Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher could be a loan target for Rangers.

He said: "He's coming on loan? Hopefully...but I've no chance of that.

"I don't know who has come up with that one. He was playing for Manchester United the other week.

"You will need to try a better one than that. Uncle Alex [Sir Alex Ferguson] will not be happy with that one."

Meanwhile, the Rangers manager praised Alan Hutton for another impressive performance, two days after rejecting an £8million move to Tottenham.

Smith said: "I thought he played very well for us, as he has been doing for us since the start of the season.

"I thought both the full-backs were excellent today and that is just something he has been doing for us since the season began."

Steven Naismith nodded Rangers into the lead with just nine minutes gone before Ferguson wrapped up the points with a controversial goal which was initially ruled offside before being eventually awarded by referee Mike McCurry.

Substitute Kris Boyd then squandered an opportunity to add his name to the list of goalscorers when his last-gasp penalty was saved by United goalkeeper Euan McLean.

United boss Craig Levein had no complaints about Ferguson's goal, choosing to bemoan his own players' lack of firepower instead.

He said: "The biggest problem for us that we didn't look we were going to score so one might have been enough for Rangers.

"I don't know the circumstances of why the goal was chalked off. I thought Mike McCurry had a good game and he must have had valid reason for allowing the goal when the linesman had his flag up.

"There are no arguments. He has

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