Rangers aim to widen gap

RANGERS manager Walter Smith swaps the negotiating table for the dug out today as his side aim to reopen an eight point lead over Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premier Division.

Smith has spent the last three days in a hectic round of transfer talks with Brazilian Jardel and Dutchman Peter Van Vossen, while Russian Oleg Salenko heads for the Ibrox exit door.

But his priority today will be to oversee a victory over Raith which would take Rangers eight points clear again with Celtic due to play Aberdeen tomorrow. "The most important thing from our point of view is to carry on winning, insisted Smith.

Rangers are currently five points ahead having played one game more than their arch rivals. "I don't think there is a big psychological edge to be gained with Celtic idle until Sunday. We must really just think about keeping up our run in the league," added Smith.

Paul Gascoigne plays before starting a two match domestic suspension while Brian Laudrup will be recalled after being kept on the bench for last Saturday's 4-0 win over Falkirk.

Meanwhile, Celtic manager Tommy Burns looked ahead to a return to the Pittodrie field of dreams where he first glimpsed Celtic's championship potential this season.

Celtic recovered from being 2-0 down in the opening 15 minutes against Aberdeen in September to win 3-2. It was a victory stamped with class and Burns would not mind a repent when the Bhoys seek to peg back Rangers in a showdown being shown live by Scottish television tomorrow.

"Aberdeen is a hard enough place to go to get a result at the best of times so to go 2-0 down made it an uphill struggle," recalled Burns.

"But the players showed great character that afternoon and it was a result and a display we took a lot of confidence from.

"A lot of the players got a real lift from it and perhaps it was the first sign that we were ready to mount a challenge."

That determination to take the title race to the wire has inspired Celtic on an unbeaten premier division run which stretched to 16 games with Tuesday's 3-1 win at Raith.