Source: FOOTYMAD
Another Game Too Close To Call
Rangers welcome Celtic to Ibrox in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup and the outcome is unpredictable (as ever) The Old Firm meet in the Scottish Cup today with no clear division between their respective merits to win the game. Rangers do have their worries over Lee McCulloch who is extremely doubtful for the game after taking a knock to a knee problem during the midweek win over Hearts. However, striker Nikica Jelavic is hopeful of returning after missing that game with a groin strain. Ally McCoist is not reading much into the form book ahead of the game. Celtic head to Ibrox in peak form having scored 11 goals in three games, and their defensive injury crisis is also set to ease. Rangers have scraped narrow wins against Motherwell and Hearts in the build-up and lost at Tynecastle earlier in the month. However, there remains little to choose between the teams and McCoist believes the tie is as balanced and unpredictable as ever. He said: "There is very seldom a favourite going into an Old Firm game. The form book gets thrown out the window, that's certainly the case in the vast majority of them, if not all. Celtic have been on a good run. We've done okay, we lost to Hearts obviously and we're not firing on all cylinders as we have been doing. But we're confident we can win the game. There is no doubt about that. The personnel we put on the park, we are extremely confident and hopeful we can win the game. I don't care who the favourites are. If you look back over time some people's favourites have probably lost the game the majority of the time, that's how crazy the fixture is. I have no idea who the favourites are, we don't look at ourselves as favourites or underdogs, we just look upon it as a game we have to win.'' The South Korea duo of Ki Sung-yueng and Cha Du-Ri are back in contention for Celtic after returning from Asian Cup duty and manager Neil Lennon has added them to his squad for the trip to Govan. Lennon is in no rush to make any decisions over defenders Daniel Majstorovic (hamstring), Glenn Loovens (knee) and Thomas Rogne (calf) while Georgios Samaras (hamstring), is hoping to be available. Paddy McCourt insists getting ribbed by his Northern Ireland team-mates in the Rangers team is the last reason for making sure Celtic do not lose. After their Scottish Cup fifth-round meeting McCourt, along with Hoops winger Niall McGinn, will meet up with Gers trio Kyle Lafferty, Steven Davis and David Healy ahead of the Carling Nations Cup game against Scotland in Dublin on Wednesday. However, the Celtic midfielder is unconcerned about the prospect of being on the wrong end of dressing-room banter from his fellow Irishmen. The former Derry City player said: "I'm not worried about getting a wee bit of stick from the lads or whatever. There are more important reasons why we should go and win the game or at the very least not lose it. I think it's important that I don't go there (to join up with Northern Ireland) with a defeat because you just don't want to go there with a defeat. We are going to win the game, the way we do every game. Maybe some people will think it is not as important as an SPL game but certainly for us it is, we want to win everything here.'' There is every possibility that Healy will make his Rangers debutafter signing for his boyhood heroes until the end of the season just before the transfer window closed. McCourt is not surprised that the former Sunderland player has at last arrived at the home of Celtic's great rivals. He said: "There is no secret that David is a big Rangers fan. He has been linked with Rangers since I've been at Celtic, that's something that has been going on for a long time. So I'm sure he will be delighted that it has finally come off for him.'' McCourt may have to cope with watching the start of the game from the dugout following the good form of Kris Commons, who has impressed in his two games since signing from Derby. He said: "Kris Commons is a top player. I watch a lot of English football and I knew he was a top player before he came here. The club beat off good competition to get him so I think he will be a big plus for us over the next few seasons. Competition for places is something you need to get used to when you are at a big club and the more competition the better. I just hope I'm involved because it's a big game.'' Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net)This is ScottishFitba Net
