Source: Team_Talk
Smith: Gers will have to earn big lead
With the Hoops' own game against Kilmarnock on Wednesday night falling victim to the weather, the Scottish champions know they now have the opportunity to pile on the pressure ahead of the New Year clash if they can take maximum points from United.[LNB]Rangers stunned the Tayside club when they romped to a 3-0 win at Tannadice earlier this month and Smith warned that they will be on a revenge mission when they face his side again at Ibrox.[LNB]He said: "When we played Dundee United a couple of weeks ago, there was always going to be pressure on the team to win.[LNB]"We managed to win not only that one, but also our subsequent games, and we have been going well.[LNB]"But any gap that we achieve will have to be worked for.[LNB]"We played extremely well against Dundee United at Tannadice and when that happens and you play them again so soon, they will want to make up for what was a disappointing performance from their point of view in comparison to the way in which they had been playing.[LNB]"We are ready for that and we know we are going to get every bit as tough a game as we did at Tannadice.[LNB]"We had to play extremely well to win the match there and we will have to do that on Wednesday night if we want to get the result we are looking for."[LNB]Rangers boast a 100% record in December, with Sunday's 4-1 win over Hibernian bringing their goal tally to 19 for the month.[LNB]But, as far as Smith is concerned, the match at Easter Road was only the first in what he claims is the toughest three games Rangers could face in the SPL.[LNB]He said: "We have been happy with the way we've been playing after coming out of a poor European run in the Champions League.[LNB]"We have settled down a bit and we are gaining in confidence. We have been playing well and scoring well.[LNB]"But the games that we have this week - Hibs on Sunday, Dundee United on Wednesday and Celtic on Sunday - is as tough a week as you're likely to get in a domestic situation.[LNB]"Our boys will have a full test over this week but none more so than the Dundee United game because I do feel they will have a positive reaction from what was a disappointing performance for them in the previous game."[LNB]Kris Boyd is now three goals from equalling Henrik Larsson's SPL record and boasts an impressive strike rate against United, which Smith hopes will continue on Wednesday.[LNB]He said: "He has scored a good number of goals against the majority of teams in Scotland so hopefully he can continue to do that.[LNB]"From my point of view, I just hope the team can continue to play in the same manner as they have been for, really, the first time this season.[LNB]"Over the last four or five games we have been showing the level of consistency that is required. We did that in the second half of last season and we have started to do it a little bit now.[LNB]"But the games we are encountering this week against Hibs, Dundee United and Celtic is probably as tough a period as any team will have domestically in Scotland."[LNB][LNB] Rangers v Dundee Utd. Click here to bet.
