GORDON STRACHAN refuses to become involved in controversy over fixture scheduling for the title run-in.

He is focused only on winning the final two SPL games, which could see Celtic cross the finishing line ahead of Rangers.

But the Parkhead boss has delivered another psychological blow by declaring that, after 52 games - including 10 in the Champions League - the biggest problem he has with his players is containing their energy. Celtic have powered their way back to the top of the table after being written off at also-rans by many people when they lost at Ibrox in March.

And Strachan is delighted with the way his players have dug deep to shoot seven points clear at this crucial stage of this marathon campaign.

Boosted by the introduction of more sophisticated sports science, he predicts there will be no fall off in commitment when they face Hibs on Sunday then Dundee United 11 days later on the night the curtain finally comes down on this league season.

Strachan said: "We have bags of energy at the moment, and those with the most energy are the ones who are playing.

"We have plenty of energy in training and that is good as well.

"But we are feeling better about ourselves as the games go on because we have put ourselves right back in the race.

"That is all we wanted to do. We just wanted to get back and make a challenge out of this and not go meekly."

That objective has already been reached, with Celtic's five straight wins while Rangers have stumbled setting up a dramatic finish.

Rangers can reduce the gap to four points if they can win against Motherwell tonight and it would be down to just a single point if they can add another victory against Dundee United on Saturday before Celtic run out against Hibs the following day.

But, if Walter Smith's men drop any more points, the odds on Celtic making it three championships in a row would be slashed again.

Strachan acknowledges that there is no margin for error for either club at this stage, but argues the pressure has been on for the last 10 months.

He said: "They say that is the results end of the season. But we were told about a month ago that that was results time as well.

"It's results time all the time at this club. It was even a results business when we drew with Kilmarnock in the first game of the season."

Strachan is just delighted that his men are back on scoring form, and that, for the first time in a long time, he has almost an entire squad to chose from as they prepare for Sunday's final home game against Hibs.

He said: "They always give us a hard game and in heads-to-heads this season we have won one each and drawn the other.

"It is going to be hard and, although the fans have been smashing for us, we need another of those European atmospheres on Sunday."