JJ thoughts on Rangers game

Killie boss Jim Jefferies claims this weekend's clash with Rangers would be less daunting if Paul Le Guen had remained in charge at Ibrox. Rangers visit Rugby Park in the Scottish Premier League on Sunday on the back of two wins and three clean sheets since Walter Smith left his post as Scotland boss to return to Ibrox. But Jefferies feels his side have been edging closer to an elusive win over the Old Firm and he remains confident on the back of a three-game winning run. He said: "I think everybody knew they were probably more vulnerable then than they are now. "They are always tough to beat, even when Paul Le Guen was there, but I think people always had a belief they could get at them, certainly when they had the criticism of the central defence. "Walter has moved quickly to solve that problem, with Davie Weir and Ugo Ehiogu, two experienced and strong players. And that's reflected in their clean sheets since then. "They will be even more difficult to beat with these two players. "Plus, Walter's got a track record of making sure the spirit and everything about the club will kick on, and he has added Kevin Thomson to the squad." Killie have won their last two SPL games and their most recent outing saw them reach the CIS Cup final with a 3-0 triumph over Falkirk. And Jefferies said: "We have just got to concentrate on ourselves. We are going into this game on a run. "We have three wins and three clean sheets so we're going into it with a bit of confidence." Jefferies has not yet led a Killie side to victory over the Old Firm, with the club's last triumph against Rangers coming in a 3-0 victory at Ibrox in October 2000. And a draw against Le Guen's side in August was the first home point Killie had managed against the Govan outfit since they beat them in Ayrshire in May 1994. But Jefferies said: "I think we have given the Old Firm a bit more of a challenge at Rugby Park this season. "Celtic beat us narrowly 2-1 after us taking the lead. And, against Rangers, we got a 2-2 draw."