McLeish claims SPL is 'no walkover' for Old Firm as Dunfermline go for revenge

Alex McLeish, the Rangers manager, insists the Old Firm's domination over the rest of the Scottish Premier League is not as easy as it seems.

In their League games at the weekend, Rangers and Celtic scored a combined 10 goals without conceding. Rangers' next game is tonight's CIS Insurance Cup quarter-final against a team they beat 6-0 the last time they met, Dunfermline, in a match to be shown live on Channel 5. But McLeish is adamant the other 10 clubs in the SPL make both sides of the Old Firm work hard for their victories.

"Believe me, it's not a walkover," McLeish said. "We have to earn the right. Once we got the ascendancy at Dundee on Saturday, then we ran out convincing 3-0 winners.

"But the scoreline doesn't always tell the true facts of the game. Dundee had a man sent off and we got a break after they missed a couple of chances. So it's not a case of turning up – that's totally disrespectful to everybody else."

Earlier in the week, John McClelland, the Rangers chairman, said the chances of the Old Firm joining the English Premiership were even slimmer following Adam Crozier's resignation as chief executive of the Football Association. McLeish agreed a move south is unlikely, but still harbours some hope.

"It would be great to play there one day but it looks like a pipe dream as far as I'm concerned as well," he said. "I don't see how they can break constitution laws and rules to allow us to get into another league and another country. But, if something gives in the next few years, then of course we would like the challenge."

Both Shota Arveladze and Maurice Ross are available for the Cup tie, but McLeish will make a late decision on Lorenzo Amoruso, who is recovering from a thigh strain.

The Dunfermline manager, Jimmy Calderwood, was keen for his players to make amends for that September reverse, but he admitted it was a message he had tried to get through before, without success.

"We got beat 6-0 going on 12-0 and we gave them a start, which you can't give teams like that," he said. "It was bad communication by us and we have got to prove that it was a bad one. I've said it before though – we have had a couple of bad results against Rangers in the past."

Calderwood has a strong squad to choose from, with only Chris McGroarty missing because of a groin strain.