LIKE men who have lost a fortune and regained it, Rangers are likely to have a little more care in their dealings with Premier Division rivals through the rest of the current campaign.
Having established a five-point lead over Celtic when they won the first Old Firm match of the season in September, the champions promptly blew it with defeat by Hibernian and draws at Raith Rovers and Aberdeen. This allowed Celtic to replace them at the top on goal difference until another victory was secured at Parkhead in November.
By last Sunday - Celtic having dropped two more points against Hearts and the Ibrox side having beaten Aberdeen - the five-point gap was restored. It is Hibernian, the only team to have beaten Rangers in domestic matches this season, who visit Ibrox today.
They will encounter a home side beefed up once again by the return of Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup, the formidable duo who missed Wednesday's Champions League defeat in Auxerre through suspension and injury respectively.
The Easter Road side are still under the `caretaker' managership of Jocky Scott. The man whose dismissal created the vacancy, Alex Miller, found employment against yesterday when he became assistant manager to Gordon Strachan at Coventry City. _
Miller will continue as assistant to Craig Brown, the Scotland coach, on a part-time basis. "It's good news for us," said Brown, because Alex will be able to monitor players in England for us almost on a weekly basis.
"It's also a good move by Gordon Strachan, who has great experience and success as a player, but who is new to management. Alex will bring all the experience and help Gordon will need and, between them, they will make a good job of it.'
There is every chance that the weather will give Rangers an opportunity to extend their ad vantage over Celtic in the league, as the challengers' match at Motherwell is the subject of a ground inspection this morning. There has been severe frost in the area and the prospects are not bright.
If the match does go ahead, Celtic will be without Paolo di Canio, suspended as a result of his ordering-off against Hearts last week.
. Portadown and Glenavon could reach the point of no return in the Irish League Premier Division Championship over the next few days.
Portadown, the reigning champions, go to Cliftonville this afternoon intent on arresting a slump which has seen them lose three matches in succession. Their neighbours, Glenavon, are at home to Linfield - to whom they have already lost three times this season - and then face leaders Coleraine on Tuesday night.
