Scottish Premier League - Smith calls for title push

Eurosport - Sun, 10 May 13:16:00 2009

Rangers manager Walter Smith has challenged his players to show they have what it takes to win the title after moving into pole position in the Scottish Premier League.

FOOTBALL Celtic manager Gordon Strachan (left) and Rangers manager Walter Smith (right) together on the touchline - 0

Steven Davis grabbed the only goal of the game in the final Old Firm derby of the season to allow the Ibrox side to overtake Celtic and move two points clear of their arch-rivals at the summit.

With just three games remaining, Rangers will now be favourites to claim the silverware and end three years of dominance from Gordon Strachan's men.

Smith said: "We are delighted to have the situation that we're in at the present moment and hopefully we can take advantage of it. We were in a good position last year and we had a fixture pile-up, which didn't help us at all.

"We don't have that this year so we have to show that we have the ability to go on and take the championship.

"We are on a good run of form just now and I've been really pleased with how some of the boys have been playing. Hopefully we can continue that."

Meanwhile, Gordon Strachan declared himself "proud" of his players despite Celtic surrendering their position at the top of the table.

"It's always disappointing when you don't win a game but I'm proud of them. To come and play as they did here, was excellent," he said.

"When Rangers scored, I thought we were well in control of the game and then the rest of the game I thought, `This is good, you are not panicking, you are passing it well and getting to the right areas'.

"But we just couldn't finish Rangers off. I was also pleased by the way we started."

PA Sport

Comment 32 - 51 of 51

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  1. Gary S....R u gonna take my bet then ?

    From stub1, on Wed 13 May 10:51AM

  2. Is that a bite gary Sh.itehouse?-- if you were a fish­ you'd be in a tin!
    1st half of my prediction is up-­ now for wee Derek- R to do us a turn tonight!
    4 IN A­ ROW STILL ON! C'MON THE HOOPS!

    From martin.odonnell1, on Wed 13 May 9:51AM

  3. point 47, im not with it? you should read some of your­ own comments Fartin.

    From Gary S, on Tue 12 May 8:15PM

  4. Pt45....You are on m8....£10 at 100/1.....I will even­ give it to Cancer Research

    From stub1, on Tue 12 May 2:55PM

  5. cheers gary Sh.itehouse,I'd rather collect my £250­ in cash from the bookie than have to wait for your­ giro.You're still not with it son,this is a­ FOOTBALL column, you and the rest of the billy the­ bigot brigade should feck off.
    Celtic will hump Utd.­ tonight and then wee Derek-R will do us a turn against­ the dirty dozen tomorrow.
    4 IN A ROW STILL ON!­ C'MON THE HOOPS.

    From martin.odonnell1, on Tue 12 May 7:12AM

  6. rangers and celtic fans are united. We both agreed that­ clispyduck is an inbred @#$%. You must support someone­ in the EPL then. A league where 1 team wins­ everything!!!!! Yeah great competition mate ya f**in­ loser get tae f**k

    From Gavin C, on Mon 11 May 8:59PM

  7. point 30 Fartinodonnell, are you allowed to sign on­ when you have your own company? your really good at­ getting it wrong, your surname should be Strachan, I­ will give you 100/1 for celtic to win the league­ fartin.

    From Gary S, on Mon 11 May 8:31PM

  8. Point 32-Sorry to disillusion you alex W***** but­ I'm a practising atheist so any reference to­ religion falls on deaf ears here-and as I've­ already said I WORK for a living but judging by the­ time you spend on here your only job is the supermarket­ run before your missus comes home from work.
    I've­ put £100 today on the great GLASGOW CELTIC to make it 4­ in a row,can't believe they are only 6/4- scumgers­ 2 clear with 3 to go! Celtic should be 4/1 at least.

    From martin.odonnell1, on Mon 11 May 5:32PM

  9. doesnt matter who wins the league the 2 of them are­ stinking and will get pumped in the champions league it­ just shows how pethetic celtic are when they get beat­ with rangers/ENGLISH SAM

    From john, on Mon 11 May 4:24PM

  10. You taking the p.i.s.s, why would i do that?

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Mon 11 May 2:35PM

  11. You taking the p.i.s.s, why would i do that?

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Mon 11 May 2:35PM

  12. Paul G did you meet up with Stuart?

    From stub1, on Mon 11 May 1:41PM

  13. Pt36...for those who dont know F.O.D is Foreign Object­ Debris.....MMMMMmmmmmmmmm

    From stub1, on Mon 11 May 1:39PM

  14. WHY CANT RANGERS AND CELTIC FANS MAKE SENSIBLE­ COMMENTS?

    From john.81young, on Mon 11 May 1:28PM

  15. i cant believe wat im reading, rangers won fair and­ square, ref? diving ? cheating? not like you cuunts to­ start talking pisssh as soon as you get beat! im not­ seeing any of you talking bout 4 in a row now!!! WATP

    From madmac, on Mon 11 May 11:48AM

  16. David W & sirstevejones14 are PRIME examples of the­ social disease Clispyduck is taking about. We should­ call it in-bredoldfirmitis. Scum of the country with­ nothing but hate in their hearts.
    Does it make you any­ money? NO! Does it put fod in your kids mouths? NO! Get­ a life you mentally ill diseased scumbags.

    From MisterB, on Mon 11 May 11:40AM

  17. You talk about scott mcdonald diving i know rangers won­ fair and square but kenny miller and co were a discrace­ diving kenny miller ran into players and fell thats not­ fair sportsman ship or fair play and hes not the only­ rangers player to do so. So if rangers can only cheat­ to win then fine cheat but if you play fair it is far­ more worth while and the win feels all the better. So­ good luck rangers and good luck celtic.

    From michelle.mg.grant, on Mon 11 May 11:32AM

  18. Tip Top ha ha ha ha ha C'mon the Gers

    From css, on Mon 11 May 11:05AM

  19. I can see some comments from some sad Celtic fans, who­ are bad losers.. Never mind...
    Quote' If Mcdonald­ wants more medals, he should be in austrailas driving­ team, as he is a great diver' haha!! come on you­ GERS...

    From Marie B, on Mon 11 May 10:50AM

  20. thanks for the spell check martin, but you see it's­ not really in my vocabulary. you should know what one­ is all the same, it's that dirty old man that you­ give all your giro money to on a sunday for a b.l.o.w­ j.ob.

    From Alex W, on Mon 11 May 9:02AM
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