Rangers will rise to pressure, vows Madjid Bougherra

MIND games may have become as integral to the SPL title race as fixture rows and conspiracy theories in recent years, but Madjid Bougherra doesn't want any part of them.

In the week that Rangers' lead at the top of the table was reduced from ten points to eight, Celtic striker Marc-Antoine Fortune has offered the view that the Ibrox club's players will crack under the pressure of being pursued by their Old Firm rivals in the remaining 14 games of the campaign.

If his comments were intended to provoke any blurring of focus in the Rangers camp ahead of their match against third-placed Hibs at Ibrox tomorrow, they appear to have failed if Bougherra's reaction is a reliable indicator.

"We won't fall into that trap," smiled the big defender when Fortune's assessment was put to him at Murray Park yesterday. "Honestly, I don't care what other people say about us. When I get to the pitch, all I care about is the ball. People can say what they want, but the reality is on the pitch.

"The pressure is not a problem for our players. Last year we were under more pressure when we were behind Celtic and we won the title. The pressure is a positive thing for us.

"We are confident; it is the opposite to what he (Fortune] says. We are eight points clear and all of the players here won the title last year, so we have a lot of experience."

Bougherra was keen to stress, however, that confidence among the Rangers squad should not be confused with any sense of complacency over a title defence he knows is still far from secure.

"Our confidence may be no good," he added. "You might think everything is done, but it isn't. Eight points can go quickly in this situation. Last year Celtic were leading by seven points, but, in the end, we were champions. Football is never easy and we must have the mentality to win every game.

"All of the players know what we have to do. We have to forget about the eight-point lead, because it can be lost very quickly, but our destiny is in our own hands."

Bougherra's return from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Algeria in Angola last month, where his performances saw him named in the team of the tournament, coincided with transfer speculation linking him with both Barcelona and Sevilla. But the 27-year-old, under contract with Rangers until 2012, insists he has no clear idea of what his future holds beyond this summer.

"It is difficult to speak about it, as I have no news about this," he said. "Only what I read in the newspapers. In football, you want to play at the best level you can; that is normal. So when you hear speculation about you, it is positive. You work hard and it is good for any player in the world to hear things like this.

"I know if I do well for my country and for Rangers, then automatically good things are said about you. That's a good thing for me, my country and for Rangers.

"I have two years left on my contract and I don't know what will happen. Maybe I will sign a new contract, maybe I will stay for the two years, maybe I will go. You never know in football. Honestly, in my head at the moment I can't say.

"I want to win the title for Rangers so they get the Champions League money next season which is better for me and the club. We know there is a financial problem but I'm very confident a new owner will come in because this is a big club."

Bougherra will be part of a full strength Rangers squad tomorrow as manager Walter Smith welcomes DaMarcus Beasley back from an eight-week injury lay-off. The American winger had struck a purple patch of form in December and Smith is hopeful his return can help restore some fluency to his side whose performances have been laboured in recent weeks.

"December was the first time we were able to have genuine width in our team," said Smith, "so it was disappointing when DaMarcus got injured. He has been in full training for a week now and he is ready to play. It looks as though we will have everyone available to us for the first time."

Smith is wary of the threat posed by a Hibs side who remain within range of the title race.

"It hasn't surprised me that they have been going so well," he said, "when you look at the players John Hughes has added to an already decent Hibs team. You have to praise their consistency. They have a lot of forward-thinking players, yet also have an excellent defensive record. I don't see why they can't keep it going for the rest of the season. They won at Celtic Park recently and are still in contention. You can't just talk about Rangers and Celtic at the moment, you also have to bring Hibs into the picture.

"From our own point of view, we need to get back to the sort of consistency we had towards the end of last season. That's what we will require to win the championship this year."

Smith, meanwhile, shrugged off reports that Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee was considering resting some of his players for their match against Celtic at Pittodrie today in order to ensure their availability for Tuesday night's Scottish Cup fifth round replay against Raith Rovers. "We'll wait and see," he said. "You always put out a team you think can win the game."