Rangers boss Danny Rohl has shot down Luke McCowan’s claim that Celtic remain the best team in the country.
McCowan scored the only goal of the game as Celtic went out of the Europa League on a high by beating Stuttgart 1-0 in Germany.
Asked about carrying Thursday night’s form into the title race, McCowan boldly declared: ‘We know if we’re at it, no team in that league touches us.’
However, as the Old Firm rivals prepare to lock horns at Ibrox tomorrow, Rohl reminded the Celtic midfielder about his team’s poor form this season and the fact they currently sit third in the table.
‘I think at the moment we are in the second position, they [Celtic] are behind us,’ said the Rangers manager. ‘I think they have at the moment, seven or eight defeats.
‘Yeah, I think in general it makes no sense to speak too much about the other side, we have to focus on ourselves.
Rohl was quick to reject McCowan’s claim that Celtic are still top team in Scotland
‘We want to win this game. I see my team is ready to take points, and then we’ll see on Sunday, hopefully both teams try everything and I’m confident that we have a big chance of winning.’
Rohl watched Celtic’s game against Stuttgart, who were managed by his fellow Red Bull coaching disciple Sebastian Hoeness.
With Celtic seeking to overturn a 4-1 deficit from the first leg, Rohl claimed he was surprised that Martin O’Neill’s side didn’t go for broke after taking an early lead through McCowan
He also feels O’Neill has a major selection decision over who starts in goal tomorrow after Kasper Schmeichel was dropped in Germany and Viljami Sinisalo excelled as his replacement.
‘I think when you see their starting line-up against Stuttgart, then I expect some changes, it’s normal they try to use the full squad,’ said Rohl.
‘I was a little bit surprised after 1-0 that they were not trying to win this game 2-0, 3-0, to have a chance. They keep the result until the end, I think they’re just a little bit apart.
‘But, yeah, it will be interesting as well, the goalkeeper position, what he [O’Neill] is doing now, let’s see. But we are prepared, I think we’re focused on ourselves, we also have some interesting decisions to make.
‘I know if everyone is available, it’s also not an easy decision for me in some positions, because there are more than two or three players who are ready for this game.
‘It’s a good situation, I like this, my players showed that they are ready, I think this is crucial, and, yeah, let’s see what it means on Sunday.’
Rohl, who confirmed that Dujon Sterling and Ryan Naderi will continue to be assessed in training with regards to their availability, revealed that Rangers would be keen on extending Mikey Moore’s loan spell from Tottenham.
Moore has emerged as one of the club’s best players this season. The 18-year-old forward has become a fans’ favourite, particularly after scoring in the win at Celtic Park at the turn of the year.
Luke McCowan made his boast after scoring only goal in 1-0 win over Stuttgart in Germany
Rohl admits there is a desire from Rangers’ side to extend the agreement for another season if possible, although it depends on Spurs sanctioning the move.
‘I think Mikey made a fantastic development since I’ve been here,’ said Rohl. ‘He showed his quality, he’s still a young player, he gained a lot of good experience this year.
‘To play for a big club is always important, helpful in a young career, and a good experience; he did so well. I’m happy with him and, of course, let’s see what we can do [next season].
‘I think this is something to consider in the following weeks. This is a good thing that we are clear, we start next week as well, to speak about the summer.
‘It’s important not just what we feel, I think Mikey also feel really good here, you see the relationship between him and the fans, he likes the club.
‘But there are a lot of different people around to make such a decision. Let’s see what we can do in the future. Now let’s focus on the title race and then we will hopefully make good decisions in the summer.’
Meanwhile, former Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell has landed a plum job with the English FA after being appointed as their new head of elite coach development.
Thelwell arrived at Ibrox last summer and oversaw a £30million rebuild of the squad, but was sacked in November amid growing fan unrest.