Cautious Smith puts brakes on title talk

the new year has not yet been reached, Rangers yesterday remained

steadfastly true to form in diverting suggestions that normal service

had been resumed following their impressive 3-0 win over Dundee United

at Tannadice.

It would take an unwise manager to steer a different course, with less

than half the distance covered, but the Ibrox chief, Walter Smith, has

always tended to think that the real shape of the race only becomes

clear when the teams enter the last third of the fixture programme.

So his view that Rangers' position at the top of the table is not all

that significant has to be accepted as justified in his broader vision,

if the rest of us reckon it is immensely important. He would prefer to

put stress on the way his team performed at Tannadice and take

encouragement from that. ''I don't think league positions have a lot to

do with anything at this stage,'' he said, ''but I was pleased with the

positive attitude we showed and also how much more solid we were

defensively. The real race will not take shape until we go into the last

third of the fixture list but the next few games will certainly be

important. We meet Kilmarnock and then our closest challengers,

Motherwell, and Hibs and then Celtic.''

They will be without Basile Boli against Killie, as he is suspended,

but Craig Moore returns from his suspension in time to make up the

numbers at the back. The Australian, who will be 19 next week, is one of

two young players who have established themselves as regulars in the

Ibrox first team this season. Charlie Miller is the other and Smith was

happy to talk about his progress.

''He played consistently at a good standard in the reserves as a young

boy and it was always a matter of time before he got his chance. He and

Moore were the ones you would have picked out as being good prospects to

make it. It is very difficult for a young player to play at high level

consistently in midfield, but when the team is playing well it makes it

easier.''

He also pointed out that Miller, who is 18, had been inclined to be a

bit hot-headed in his early days at Ibrox but had worked hard to

eradicate that from his game.

Meanwhile, Richard Gough, who played on auto-pilot for most of the

second half against Dundee United after suffering concussion in a head

collision, was fine yesterday, but will be monitored for a few days to

check that he is completely recovered. ''It was scary,'' he said,

''because I can't remember anything after that head knock.''

He does not recall arguing with referee Jim McCluskey who showed sound

sense in insisting that he go off the field for attention, nor does he

have any memory of the goals that were scored in the second half.

He doesn't know, either, that he put up a fine display in his first

match since he suffered a foot injury against Hibs on October 8.

Dundee United will have to try to recover quickly from the

disappointment. Manager Ivan Golac continues his search for players when

he tries out two more Swedes this week. Striker Peter Hillgren and

midfielder Niklas Nylen, who would cost a total of #500,000 from Malmo,

will state their case in two reserve matches, againt Rangers at Alloa

tonight and Partick Thistle at Tannadice on Thursday.

But Golac has not forgotten the Swedish internationalist, Magnus

Powall, who had to return home for international duty after scoring two

goals against Falkirk in a reserve game. He would cost #300,000 from

Orebro, and Golac might still think that is the best deal.