Gus MacPherson claims Old Firm will still come out on top in title race

Published on Thursday 26 November 2009 23:00

ST MIRREN manager Gus MacPherson insists there is no chance of any club outside the Old Firm winning the Clydesdale Bank Premier League this season and he believes only a massive helping of good fortune would allow one of the other teams in the SPL to pip Rangers or Celtic to second spot as well.

The Glasgow giants may have struggled to find their best form and have already shipped a number of points between them so far this term. But, as far as MacPherson is concerned, the gulf between the Old Firm and the other teams in Scottish football's top flight is still too great for anyone else to sustain a real challenge.

"The winner will come from Rangers or Celtic and it will be like that for some time," he said, as Saints prepare to travel to Celtic Park this weekend. "They could be split but it would need a club to show a lot of consistency and have a bit of luck in terms of injury and suspensions. It would need one of the Old Firm to have a really bad run and I don't mean just for two or three games. It would need to be for two or three months to make it possible for one of the other clubs to make up the gap."

MacPherson also refused to buy into talk of a crisis at Celtic, who have a record of just two wins in their last ten games.

"It's just the nature of the Old Firm," said the Saints manager. "Some people believe there is a crisis at Rangers – and they are sitting top of the table – just because they lost a European game against a far stronger nation in terms of financial clout in the German league. That's what happens with the Old Firm and that's why they need strong characters not just in charge of the clubs but playing with them, too."