Smith Admits Celtic Are The Benchmark
http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=888729
Rangers boss Walter Smith is wary despite his side's impressive start to the SPL season, insisting that the league leaders will be chasing Celtic all season, regardless of league positions...
Admitting that your rival manager's team is far superior - it's probably the most utilised mind-game in the history of Old Firm football.
Martin O'Neill was particularly fond of the tactic during his time as Celtic gaffer, frequently harping on that his side could only hope to emulate theit bitter rivals, even if they were steaming ahead at the top of the league.
An utterance designed to take the pressure off, it's usually also a good indicator that things are, in fact, going extremely well.
Now, Walter Smith has insisted that his side, despite sitting atop the SPL pile and having won the first Old Firm derby of the season comfortably, are still playing catch-up with the Hoops.
Still, few will blame him for being a tad cautious folowing Celtic's miracle title comeback last season.
The wily gaffer said: “We showed last season that we were capable of mounting a better challenge.
“But we still have to show we can keep the form going from week to week. Celtic have shown they have the capability to do that.
“They have set the standards and we have to make sure we continue to play in the manner we have done.
“We showed it to a degree last season, until a bit of fixture congestion gave us a problem.â€
Smith, of course, won't have a fixture pile-up this season, as his Gers are already out of Europe, making the title quest all the more crucial.
Liam Black, Goal.com