Smith: Celtic still favourites

Walter Smith has refuted Gordon Strachan’s claims that Rangers are now favourites to win the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

There may still be several days to go before the sides clash in the new year Old Firm derby but it would appear the mind games are in full swing already.

Celtic boss Strachan made use of his pre-match press conference ahead of their match against Gretna to talk up Rangers’ chances of wresting the title away from his players.

But Smith quickly retaliated by claiming the Scottish champions remain on course for three in a row.

“If Gordon says that, I’m sure he means it,” said the Rangers manager.

“For us, the fact that we’re not 16 points behind as we were last season is a big enough thing for us at the present moment. No one can deny that we’re challengers. They are the champions and we are the challengers and we’ve got to show we can handle it.

“That’s what happens, you’ve got to show you can handle the season. I don’t know why Gordon would say we’re now favourites. I don’t think with the way the league is you can say that.

“We’ve made an improvement and maybe have put up a more worthy challenge, but it’s far too early to say that we’re favourites.

“The players have shown that we’re better than we were last year. But it’s down to how well we continue to do. That’s the challenge that we have as a team.

“Celtic have won the league two years in a row so they know what they’ve got to do – that’s a fact. There’s nothing fanciful about that, they’ve done it.

“We haven’t and the Rangers players who are here haven’t done it in the last couple of years. They’ve got to show that they can.

“For me it’s simple: it’s a challenge. In my mind, there’s no doubt Celtic are favourites!”

Meanwhile, Smith does not anticipate too many departures in the January transfer window, particularly on short-term arrangements, despite the vast squad he has assembled since his return to Ibrox a year ago.

He said: “I’m not looking to send boys out on loan and nobody has expressed a desire to go out on loan.

“With the games we’ve got coming up, it will be important to keep a good squad about us. It’s encouraging that nobody wants to go but nobody has approached us asking for anybody either.

“They’ve all expressed a desire to stay and play and that’s a good thing for us. You look at the number of fixtures coming up and we’ll need them.

“I try to keep them all as match fit as I can but they deserve credit for the manner in which they’ve kept themselves fit when they have been inactive in terms of games.

“Their attitude has been terrific and they haven’t let the fact they haven’t been playing get them down.”