Paul: Title's Heading To The Last Day

Jan 13 2008 By Gavin Berry

PUMPED-UP Paul Hartley insists Celtic have the bottle for a title battle this season and reckons the SPL could be heading for another dramatic final-day decider.

This time last year the Hoops were 17 points ahead of bitter rivals Rangers and coasting to their second successive runaway championship success.

But that has all changed with Walter Smith's resurgent Gers side sitting a point clear at the top with a game in hand.

Hartley, though, is adamant Celtic can scrap their way to glory - a quality they haven't needed to display too much under Gordon Strachan.

The Old Firm face a hectic winter schedule with their crunch derby clash rearranged for later this month at Parkhead. And Hartley believes the title race could go down to the wire just as it did in 2003 and 2005.

The midfielder said: "Rangers have improved but you enjoy it and it's a great challenge. You thrive on pressure at a club like Celtic.

"The title isn't won in January or February and it will probably come down to the last few games.

"There's a good chance the race will go to the wire because it has been much closer this season.

"It's about whoever handles a hectic run of games better.

"We have Kilmarnock, Rangers, Motherwell and the Champions League coming up so it's a big two months for the club.

"Rangers have added to their squad and Walter knows what pressure is like. He's a manager who gets the best out of his players.

"But it's what we do that matters.

Hopefully we can continue to win and be champions again.

"When you're at Celtic the pressure is there to win.

"Over the last two seasons we've won the league by a number of points but that's the way football goes at times. You never get it easy so we have to bementally prepared for the challenges ahead."

Celtic have yet to play a league game in 2008 after the fixtures with Rangers and Motherwell were postponed after the death of Fir Park star Phil O'Donnell.

And Hartley believes the rest could benefit the players.

He said: "We've had two weeks off, although the circumstances were pretty difficult, and it's important to recharge the batteries.

"The next couple of weeks are going to be Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday. So it was important to get that rest and hopefully we can kick on until the end of the season.

"You have a fitness base and probably won't get any fitter but sometimes it's important to get a break for mental reasons.

"When you've had so many games for club and country it can be hectic but we've come back fresh and hungry from the lay-off."