So it has come to this for the Old Firm: two games left for Rangers, one for Celtic, with the potential to be level on 89 points when the race for the Clydesdale Bank Premier League reaches its thrilling climax on Thursday evening. Barring further mishaps, Celtic are favourites to be crowned champions on goal difference.

If Celtic beat Dundee United at Tannadice in three days’ time and win the title, it will crown a miraculous comeback by Gordon Strachan’s team. On April 6, Rangers held a seven-point lead over their rivals, with a game in hand. But losing twice to Celtic, drawing with Hibernian and Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Motherwell has caused Rangers’ domestic campaign to unravel.

A noisy sideshow to it all has been the so-called “Rangers fixtures pile-up” in which, partly due to their Uefa Cup run, Walter Smith’s men are having to play nine games in 24 days.

Over the weekend both Smith and Strachan had a further say on the controversy. “This is as awkward a period as I’ve had to handle since I’ve been in coaching and managing, and that goes back over 30 years,” Smith, the Rangers manager, said. “But it has not been about nerves or about pressure. Our last three games are away from home, so it was always going to be awkward in that respect.

“The issue for us has been going to Florence and playing in a Uefa Cup semi-final on a Thursday, then having to come back and play on a Sunday, then playing last Wednesday in the Uefa Cup final and coming back to play Motherwell early on Saturday.

“So we’ve dropped the potential four-point lead that we had with two draws immediately after European games. And I think it would be a big ask of any team not to be affected by playing such big, high-profile matches.”

Rangers face a minus-seven goal difference to catch up on Celtic, starting tonight at Love Street with their penultimate Premier League game against St Mirren, followed by the meeting with Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Thursday night. Yet Smith yesterday admitted to a deeper problem with his team.

“Seven goals in two games is difficult to turn around,” he said. “These games are never just about turning up and winning. There is an extremely high level of motivation in teams when they face Rangers or Celtic.

“The only thing that we’re lacking is that little bit of extra composure when we need it. It has been a problem for us all season — we’ve lacked someone to put their foot on the ball and do something a little bit different, as you saw on Saturday against Motherwell.”

Strachan said he was savouring the sudden race for the flag, while aiming a mild pop at those — many media pundits among them — who had written off his team. Five weeks ago there was even some solemn debate about whether Strachan should be sacked.

“I don’t read the papers or watch the sports shows,” the Celtic manager said. “But several weeks ago I was dead and buried, or so I was told, but my objective was always to take it to the last game, and now we’ve managed to do that.”

Asked if he had sympathy for Rangers’ fixtures congestion, Strachan reacted with bemusement. “Sympathy? Not really,” he said. “When I was with Manchester United and Aberdeen and we were winning in Europe, we never even thought about it \. We just got on with it.

“In years gone by, when Celtic were winning things and playing a lot of games, I don’t think they asked for any help. It’s the same now for Manchester United. I can assure you, the players and managers of the successful clubs love every minute of it.”