IF THERE is a see-sawing element to the Old Firm rivalry, it follows that, whenever they come together, one will be up and the other down. Today's lunchtime renewal of the invariably fevered fixture at Ibrox remains true to the principle, with Celtic
seeking to raise themselves to parity with a Rangers side currently ascendant.
Even with nine matches still to play in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League championships, the present title holders' status would be seriously jeopardised by defeat. The three-point deficit Gordon Strachan's side have to overcome would be doubled and, with Rangers having played a game fewer, notionally trebled.
The hosts also have the momentum in this particular fixture. Since Walter Smith returned to Ibrox 14 months ago, the teams have met on three occasions and Rangers have taken all nine points without losing a goal.
Those who participate in these anxiety-ridden events insist that the level of pressure remains constant, that it is unchanged, neither relieved nor intensified, by circumstances. To those who merely observe, however, it is virtually impossible to accept that the team playing catch-up is not at least slightly more discomfited by the fear of losing further ground.
An assignment that is testing enough at any time is made to appear more daunting for Celtic by the inescapable impression that their form has declined in the past five weeks. The deterioration seemed to be triggered by the jolting defeat at home to Barcelona in the Champions League on 20 February, since when their record has included a struggling 1-0 victory over St Mirren, a draw at home to Dundee United and elimination from the Scottish Cup by Aberdeen, also at Celtic Park.
Immediately before that reversal in Europe – made the more devastating by the comprehensiveness of Barca's superiority and the end of their seeming invulnerability on their own ground – they had run up a sequence of three morale-boosting wins over Kilmarnock, Aberdeen and Hearts by an aggregate 13-2, two of them away from home.
During this period, Strachan has been resolutely defensive of his players, his praise for their standard of performance, even after set-backs, causing media representatives to wonder if the manager was referring to a different match.
He remained upbeat when discussing this afternoon's fixture the other day, insisting that, on these great occasions, "you have to be consistent with your selections, you have to pick who you think are the most important players in your squad and depend on them."
He rejected the suggestion that the main problem with his team recently was that the form of those players widely recognised as his most influential – Aiden McGeady, Scott McDonald, Scott Brown and Shunsuke Nakamura – had dipped. "I wouldn't go along with those names," said Strachan. "Everybody has different opinions, of course, but you don't go through an entire season with everybody at the very top of their form. With one or two exceptions, I think our performances have been pretty good. For example, I know that we played much better in drawing with Dundee United and losing to Aberdeen than we did in beating Gretna last Sunday.
"The only disappointment in those earlier matches was that we didn't convert the numerous chances we made. Championships are always hard work and it's unarguable that the most consistent team at the moment is at the top of the league.
"At this stage last season, we were six points better off than we are now, but the strangest thing about that is that we have scored more goals and conceded fewer. There is obviously improvement at both ends, but the results haven't been the same, mainly because there have been specific occasions, like the game against Dundee United, when we haven't taken advantage of our opportunities."
Strachan, and Celtic's supporters, may be encouraged by the conviction that the team contains players capable of damaging any opponents. They would even be entitled to optimism if they could rely on their returning to top form on the same day.
McGeady, for example, did not play when Celtic lost 3-0 on their last visit to Ibrox in October and his confrontation with the relatively inexperienced Kirk Broadfoot on the right of the Rangers defence could be significant as well as intriguing. At his best, the young Ireland player is the most comprehensively-equipped and dangerous player in the country, capable of unnerving the stoutest of defences.
If they are to overcome Rangers however, they will require the mental and physical fortitude to which Strachan referred. "This fixture has always demanded these qualities, it can't be won without them," he said. "We obviously didn't have them when we lost in October, but I think you'll agree our team is different now."
Rangers will also be different, not least through the introduction of Jean-Claude Darcheville in attack. The Frenchman, like McGeady, did not play in the match in October and will be making his Old Firm debut. Darcheville's exceptional goal against Hibernian last Saturday testified to his capacity for exploiting opportunities and Ally McCoist, Rangers' assistant manager, enthused yesterday over the prospect of seeing him in the most intense match in the calendar.
"I look at Darcheville and I think there's a big-game player in there," said McCoist. "He'll handle the occasion, all right. He's a very clever player, quick and strong. It's always being pointed out that he hasn't played a full 90 minutes for us so far, but that's our fault, because we keep taking him off. But he is a very valuable asset to us."
Rangers have been no more impressive than Celtic in recent times, but have demonstrated a priceless capacity for achieving productive results. That knack, coupled with home advantage, seems likely to give them an edge in confidence, but the match seems to be at the mercy of so many variables that nominating a winner should only be attempted with a gun at your head.
The full article contains 1016 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
