RANGERS manager Ally McCoist has told his players they must keep the pressure on Celtic in the SPL title race as they aim to keep alive their hopes of silverware this season.

The Light Blues are out of every other competition following their exit from the Scottish Cup at the hands of Dundee United last week.

They head into tomorrow's lunchtime clash with Dunfermline at East End Park four points adrift of Celtic in the championship and knowing they have no option but to remain within touching distance of their Old Firm rivals.

McCoist said: "We have to keep asking questions and keep winning games. Everybody at our club knows the importance of that.

"It's a massive game for us on Saturday for a number of reasons, coming back off the defeat in the cup and having to maintain our league challenge."

Despite the loss to United in front of an Ibrox crowd of less than 18,000, who jeered the team off the park at half-time and full-time, McCoist insists the mood in the camp is good ahead of the clash with the Pars.

He said: "There is disappointment when you lose a game but we've had a couple of good meetings and the training sessions have been excellent.

"The boys know what's required, they know they have to win games.

"We have to do everything we can to retain our championship, which is going to be very difficult.

"Celtic had a great result again the other night and that doesn't make it any easier, that's for sure."

McCoist admits he is baffled by Dunfermline's failure to win a home game this season but knows that record must continue tomorrow for the sake of his own side.

He said: "It's certainly a tricky trip.

"I was at the midweek game and Kilmarnock probably had more of the ball but you would maybe argue the case that Dunfermline actually had the better clear-cut chances.

"It's a tough game for us. I'm bamboozled by the fact that they haven't won at home.

"On the evidence of the game I saw the other night, it's a strange and bizarre situation. But hopefully it continues."

Rangers' ongoing financial issues mean the club has had to endure negative headlines on both the front and back pages but McCoist backed his players to cope during what is a difficult period.

He said: "They are intelligent people, they read newspapers and they watch television.

"In terms of sheltering them, it's extremely difficult. I'm not sure you would want to shelter them away from everything because we have to face facts.

"Everybody knows the league is now of absolute paramount importance to us and you have to take the comments with a pinch of salt and you have to take the good with the bad.

"I don't think it's a bad thing that we all know the situation we are in."