Celtic manager Gordon Strachan insists a "tidy up" is all that is needed to get his side back on track after defeat to Old Firm rivals Rangers left them six points adrift of Walter Smith's league leaders.

After a typically tough derby at Ibrox yesterday which produced eight yellow cards, Kevin Thomson's first goal for the Light Blues since signing from Hibernian 14 months ago was all that separated the two sides.

The momentum is now clearly with the blue side of Glasgow who have nine games remaining, but two of those fixtures are to be played at Celtic Park.

Four times Strachan has failed to beat Walter Smith since the former Scotland manager returned to Ibrox in January 2007, with the Hoops yet to register a goal against Rangers in that time.

Celtic were the better side until a minute before the interval when Thomson, arguably playing his finest game in a blue jersey, worked a one-two with Jean-Claude Darcheville before drilling a right-footed shot past Hoops goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

Despite his predicament Strachan is not too despondent.

"The first half gave me great encouragement and I couldn't see a goal coming," he said. "They got the goal which energised them for 10 or 15 minutes at the start of the second half.

"We should have defended that goal a bit better, that was too easy.

"We were hugely disappointed but I went away thinking I have a lot of good stuff to work with here.

"I think we just need to tidy up one or two things then we will eventually get back to being a good side.

"It is difficult now to keep our title," Strachan added. "We have got to win the two Old Firm games and hope that Rangers can drop points somewhere else.

"But we can't complain about it, we put ourselves in that position.

"Rangers' consistency has given them this lead and you don't win leagues when you are inconsistent."

Strachan surprised the Celtic fans when he dropped top scorer Scott McDonald to start for the first time with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Georgios Samaras as a strike-force.

The Celtic boss defended his decision to break up his regular McDonald and Vennegoor of Hesselink partnership, saying; "We have three good strikers.

"In the last five games Georgios and Jan have scored more goals than Scott.

"Georgios has been playing very well and he equipped himself very well.

"I think he justified his position and Scott took the decision like a man, which was good."