IT WAS, to some, the first sign of a crack; the first real indication that the more attack-minded philosophy of a reconstituted Rangers will bring leaks against capable opposition. Even within the Ibrox club's own ranks there was an acknowledgement their defensive display in the 3-3 home draw against Dundee United could undermine a title challenge.

As Walter Smith's side make it their mission to perform without the shackles they clamped on themselves and opponents last season, team captain David Weir believes errors committed against the Tannadice men on Tuesday must be lessons learned in today's game at Kilmarnock.

"It is a progression," says Weir of the change of emphasis made possible by the contribution of creative fulcrum Pedro Mendes within a 4-4-2 set-up. "And in looking to have better possession and dominate more, we have to deal with the fact we aren't going to have a couple of midfielders sitting in front of the defence. If you are an attacking team, you are more likely to be open.

"We will find out against Kilmarnock if the loss of three goals was a one off. You are going to have days when things don't go for you, but it is how you react. Does one bad day become two bad days… or do you use the experience to tell you what happens if you don't do things properly? You learn more about yourself in the harder times than the good times. As a group, I think we have realised positives can come out of negatives."

Madjid Bougherra's integration into the set-up could be so described. The Algerian centre-back has not been lauded in the manner of the man he replaced, Carlos Cuellar, whose £8m sale to Aston Villa financed the team's recasting. But the £2.5m buy from Charlton has, thus far, been largely as effective. Even without the screening provided by defensive midfielders in a 4-5-1 formation, Rangers have conceded only the same number of goals – 10 – as they did at the 11-game juncture last season.

"He (Madjid] has had big shoes to fill because Carlos was such a great success, but he has good habits and wants to be around for a while and make a good career for himself," says Weir.

Rangers is Bougherra's fourth club inside six years. He arrived at Rangers with a reputation for being too much the ball-playing centre-back; a man who, on occasion, would be caught in possession.

"I heard that as an addendum when people spoke about him but I've not seen any evidence of that, which is great credit to his concentration and professionalism," Weir says. "I hope I'm not jinxing him, but he doesn't really have a weakness; he's good in the air, quick, and can read the game."

Across a 15-year career with Falkirk, Hearts, Everton, Rangers and Scotland, Weir has featured in many rearguard pairings. The four years he played at Goodison with Alan Stubbs – in style not dissimilar to Bougherra – was when he feels he best "complemented" a backline buddy, with Cuellar the other he picks out. "I've played with a lot of top players, but it isn't necessarily the best player that makes the best partnership," he says. "It is all about knowing what the other player is going to do and anticipating it. In my opinion, that is as important as playing with Franco Baresi."

Weir may not be Baresi class, but in the current Rangers News Bougherra describes him as the "best defender" he has played alongside. "He's not been playing that long," is Weir's jocular response. As long as the Algerian plays with a man now in the crypto-veteran bracket, even an enterprising Rangers should rarely be as exposed as in midweek.

CELTIC

Caldwell and McManus must continue to grow in Europe, says Andrew Smith

CELTIC'S CHAMPIONS League campaign retains the capacity to prove ultimately decent, disastrous or dazzling. In that order. Defence is likely to determine where the needle finally points. And the courageous draw against Manchester United last Wednesday may just have represented a coming of age for a centre-back pairing of Stephen McManus and Gary Caldwell whose expertise had previously fallen short of their effort in Europe.

Never have the duo proved as durable when their team have been pinned in by razor-sharp opponents as they were against the planet's pre-eminent football force the other night. Now they must export such stoicism to Aalborg on Tuesday week when the Scottish champions' hopes of staying in continental competition will go on the line. Celtic need to win and hope Manchester United beat Villarreal to retain a chance of progressing to the Champions League last 16. A draw will keep Celtic in line for a UEFA Cup spot but if they are beaten the Danish club will secure a UEFA berth at their expense.

With Aalborg's last game away at United as Villarreal come to Glasgow, the Scandinavians will be in full attack mode. McManus and Caldwell haven't fared well on such occasions. You have to go back to August 2003 and a 4-0 Champions League qualifying victory over MTK Budapest to find the last time Celtic failed to concede a goal on a continental road trip. Struggling in the bottom half of the Danish league, Aalborg represent the most modest opponents Celtic have faced in the group stage. Never will they have a better opportunity to end their winless away run in the competition, even allowing for the Danes' 2-2 draw with Villarreal in midweek.

Critical to coming away with full points will be standing mighty tall in defence. That is precisely what Willie Miller believes McManus and Caldwell did on Wednesday. With Alex McLeish at Aberdeen, Miller formed the best centre-back double-act Scotland has produced in the past three decades. The Pittodrie club's director of football did so, he says, because the pair came through some "landmark" encounters with reputations enhanced. Miller suggests Celtic's 26-year-old duo might have notched up one of those in midweek.

"They've grown in stature and the United experience could be one of those games that give you the belief you can go on to bigger things," he says. "Me and Alex had it when we played Bayern Munich, then the best team in the world and the Manchester United of their day, in the quarter-final of the Cup-Winners Cup (we won in 1983].

"I thought they (McManus and Caldwell] were fabulous throughout against United. Their positional sense, getting themselves in the right place to cut out danger, and understanding were first class. It was a night for brave men and I thought Celtic had them throughout, but the central defenders, when asked to do something special or take it where it hurts, were very willing to do it. They stood up to the challenge and came out of it with honour."

Miller cites their handling of corners as "the only weak part of their game", but their handling of the aura that surrounds Alex Ferguson's Champions League holders he believes was to their great credit. "It was important they didn't let the reputations overwhelm them and they stood up to Tevez, Berbatov, Giggs, Ronaldo and Rooney."

Now the Celtic defensive pairing must endure against Aalborg. A truly landmark game for the twosome would be one in which they were a key difference between their team keeping a clean sheet away from home in Europe and not.

HOW THE OLD FIRM BACK FOURS ARE SHAPING UP

The 3-3 draw with Dundee United was the first time Rangers have conceded three goals at Ibrox since losing 3-0 to Lyon on December 12 last year.

Since Walter Smith returned to Ibrox there have been three occasions before last week that his side have lost three goals in the SPL, all away from home: a 3-2 loss v Celtic in April this year; and 3-3 draws against Hibs in 2007 and Dundee United last April.

Rangers still boast the best defensive record in the SPL this season with only 10 goals conceded.

In their past 16 Champions League games, which includes qualifiers and knockout ties, Celtic have kept only three clean sheets.

Under Gordon Strachan, they have played 12 away games in Europe and lost 11, conceding 25 goals in the process.

Celtic have never kept a clean sheet away from home in Europe under Strachan.