Sometimes less is more. Barry Ferguson has revealed that Walter Smith will eschew Churchillian rhetoric in favour of a few, carefully chosen words before his Rangers side do battle with Celtic in the second Old Firm game of the season on Wednesday. "To be quite honest, there's not much of a team talk," said the Rangers captain.
"It's down to how strong you are inside to cope with these games. It's the shortest team talk of the season from the manager. It's not about tactics. We know what it's all about - it's a battle from start to finish. Whoever wins that battle, wins the game. I'm positive that all the guys in our squad know what it's about and that's the main thing."
Ferguson is now a veteran of the Old Firm occasion. When he first broke into the Rangers side under Dick Advocaat, he was one of the few Scots to feature in the fixture. Now, there is a strong Scottish spine to the side with himself, David Weir, Alan Hutton, Alan McGregor and a sprinkling of others. But he claims that the significance of the occasion transcends nationality.
"I don't know if it's changed because there are more Scots involved now," he said. "I've played in Old Firm games when I have been the only Scot involved in the Rangers team and the dressing room was the same as it is now with five or six Scots. People know how much it matters, regardless of where they come from.
"Our new boys like Carlos Cuellar and Jean Claude Darcheville Darche understand what it's all about. The new boys loved the first Old Firm game of this season. They thought the atmosphere was unbelievable. It just let them know what it is all about and they don't need to be told now. They know the passion involved."
Rangers have not lost against Celtic since September of last year and recorded an emphatic 3-0 win in the first Old Firm game of the season. Their 1-0 victory at Celtic Park in March, when an Ugo Ehiogu strike proved the difference between the sides, also marked a watershed.
"Winning the last one at Celtic Park was a boost because it had been a number of years since we'd done that," said Ferguson. "It's always a difficult place to go - you only have to look at the games Celtic have played this season in the Champions League.
"At times, they have looked out of them, but have done great to come back and win them. They have a lot of quality players. It's an intimidating place. It's a great arena, with 60-odd thousand in there.
"You can't beat going there and playing. We only get 3000 or 4000 fans in there, so we know the vast majority are against us. Whether it's home or away, you can always take something from these games. It's a great fixture and I don't think you need any motivation to play in them."
Ferguson has developed a bond with his Celtic counterpart, Stephen McManus, and believes the defender has been the ideal choice for Celtic captain. "I said that, for me, he was the only contender for the job," said Ferguson. "I think he has settled into it really well. He has been brought up at Celtic, he's come through the ranks and done it the hard way. He's had to fight to get in there and now he deserves the captain's job. He's a good guy into the bargain, which always helps."
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