Source: Team_Talk
Jefferies: Old Firm not untouchable
Jefferies has watched with interest as Aberdeen, Hearts, Dundee United, Motherwell and St Mirren all earned positive results against Rangers and will head into Saturday's clash at Ibrox hopeful it is now Killie's turn to put a dent in their title hopes.[LNB]And, with a win apiece and a draw from the three Old Firm derbies so far, Jefferies insists it will be the rest of the teams in the SPL who will ultimately have the biggest say in who clinches the championship at the end of a campaign which is proving impossible to call.[LNB]He said: "The Old Firm managers have said in the past, quite rightly so, that the games between Rangers and Celtic decide the league. Not any more.[LNB]"I know Walter Smith has said that it's down to who is going to drop the fewer points against the rest of the teams because, on the evidence of the season so far, they are capable of dropping more points against the rest of the teams.[LNB]"So that gives us all hope that we can get a result. If you take that belief, it just gives you that little bit more confidence.[LNB]"It's not about what Rangers and Celtic do, it's about what you do. But, if you don't perform, they'll beat you."[LNB]The standard of Scottish football was criticised after Sunday's highly-anticipated Old Firm clash at Parkhead ended in a drab goalless draw.[LNB]But Jefferies insisted: "I thought it was over the top. Both managers, a week before the game, had said a draw wouldn't be the worst result.[LNB]"Rangers were a lot better in the second half and could have gone on to win it. But I think, for both managers, a draw was a fair result.[LNB]"If it wasn't the greatest game, you have to understand why. There is big pressure on both clubs to win the title this year and they know that two points isn't a big gap - it's one game.[LNB]"They are counting on the games against the rest of the teams because both of them know they are going to drop points; that is the one thing that's guaranteed.[LNB]"We've seen a lot of really great Old Firm games so to have one game that wasn't that great in the circumstances, the criticism is over the top."[LNB]Kilmarnock are boosted by the return of recent signing Kevin Kyle from suspension ahead of the trip to Ibrox.[LNB]And Jefferies has challenged the one-time Scotland international to prove he still has what it takes to perform at the highest level.[LNB]"It's a great stage," he said. "He was involved in the Scotland thing a few years back and it didn't work out for him.[LNB]"A lot has happened to him since then but he has the chance now to put himself on the big stage.[LNB]"If you want to impress people, there is a chance to do it against the top teams and that's where you are judged if you have ambitions to get back into the Scotland set-up.[LNB]"You've got to be fair to him and give him time to adapt to Scottish football.[LNB]"He was out for four or five weeks before he played but he is getting sharper. In training today, I thought he looked quite a handful.[LNB]"We know we have to play in the right way and get the ball into the box and we feel he will get on the end of a lot of them and get us goals that will give us a chance.[LNB]"We are not too far away from the top six but we have to start winning games."[LNB][LNB] Rangers 2/9[LNB], Draw 5/1[LNB], Kilmarnock 12/1[LNB]
