Rangers manager Walter Smith today called on his side to go on a winning run in a bid to claw their way back into the title race.

The Ibrox club face a tricky trip to Inverness on Sunday and Smith knows they have to pick themselves up from last Saturday's Old Firm defeat.

Rangers are seven points off the pace of Celtic, who play Dundee United at Parkhead on Saturday, and there can be no further margin for error between now and the end of the season.

"Obviously league-wise it gives us a lot to do now in the second half of the season," said Smith, in reference to the 1-0 defeat to Celtic.

"We have a bit of work to do. We know the importance of trying to win all the matches we have remaining, that goes without saying. There is an added edge to that simply because we have reached the half-way stage of the season and we're seven points behind Celtic, which is what anyone would want."

This time last term Rangers went on an unbeaten run to help propel them into a strong league position and Smith is looking for a similar run of results.

"No two seasons are alike, that's the thing," he told Rangers World. "We have a situation where we know we have to go on that type of run if we are to get ourselves back into championship race.

"The Old Firm games are similar. We won the game at Celtic Park and when the chances came we took them but there wasn't much between the two teams in the first-half. We capitalised on an error and went on and won the game.

"The games have been like that. We had a gap to close on Celtic last season and I felt we tried to close that performance-wise. There's not much between the sides just now. But Celtic have shown that their pride and determination at being the Champions has seen them through a period where they are maybe not playing their best football but they are winning their games. Credit to them for that. We haven't shown that edge and losing this month alone to Celtic and Hearts is disappointing and it's something we have to try and develop."

And Smith is hopeful that Madjid Bougherra will finally be back this "Of course there is. He played on Saturday and came in and did a good job for us at Celtic Park. He did well but unfortunately for us he was ill and such was his keenness to play he didn't mention it. He had a little bit of sickness and we had to take him off. He gives us good balance and a good bit of strength in that area of the pitch but when you look at the game overall I don't think there was a great deal between the teams.

"We might have edged it in terms of chances but Celtic got the goal and we had nothing after that."

Madjid Bougherra is expected to finally be back in the squad for the game against Craig Brewster's side.

"His thigh strain has taken far longer to heal than we thought it would," said Smith. "Over the last two or three weeks he has made an effort to get fit but it hasn't happened but we would be hopeful of getting him back this weekend."