Mjallby urges Celtic to seize title chance after speeding past Rangers

JOHAN MJALLBY: The Celtic assistant manager has warned against complacency (Getty Images)

Celtic's assistant manager, Johan Mjallby, has warned his league leaders against complacency ahead of the team's visit to Dunfermline today. Celtic's 1-0 triumph over rivals Rangers on Wednesday took them two points clear at the top of the table. Mjallby, though, is wary that on 5 November Rangers were 15 points ahead of Celtic, albeit Neil Lennon's team then had two games in hand.

Mjallby said: "Two months ago I would have probably not believed you if you told me we would be two points ahead at this time. But we still need to keep our feet on the ground. There is a long way to go and we need to keep on going and keep the momentum."

"We need to be careful," Mjallby continued. "It is even more important for the staff and the manager to make sure that the players need to be as focused as they were on Wednesday [when they beat Rangers] because it is a tricky game.

"There is no pressure on them, they are going to go out there with a lot of freedom. The hard work we have been putting in has been paying off. We are playing really well at the moment and the confidence is there but as I said, it's a case of making sure the players don't get ahead of themselves."

After being made aware that the average age of Celtic's starting line-up was just under 23, Mjallby said: "It shows that we have been signing good young players and hopefully we have done our job in improving them, which is good for the future of the club. If we can keep hold of them, Celtic have the chance to be very strong in the future."

Rangers centre-back Dorin Goian, meanwhile, insisted his side can still retain the league title despite their loss of form. Rangers host Motherwell today seeking to avoid a third straight defeat.

"I feel the team we have is capable of winning the title," said Goian, who missed Wednesday's defeat to Celtic through suspension. "People should remember that the championship is long and there are still many games to play. I still think it is in our hands to win the championship.

"We have to rediscover our confidence and I think we can do that against Motherwell and win the game."