WHEN Brian Laudrup performs as he did against Raith Rovers the other night then there is magic abroad in the air and we should all be grateful that the Danish player has decided to play his football in the premier division.

After the 6-0 victory at Stark's Park - where Laudrup made four of the goals and scored another - the man who has proved to be the shrewdest of manager Walter Smith's buys shrugged off the accolades which have been heaped on him throughout the season.

Typically modest, Laudrup smiled: ''I think the gaffer, Walter Smith, has said that this has been my best season since I joined the club. But I don't know whether that is right or not. It is always difficult for a player to tell whether one season is better than another - though I think I have been able to score more goals this year.

''All I hope is that the gaffer is right. I think I have been able to put in some good performances and that has made me happy. But I don't really think about what I am doing in an individual way. What I want is for the team to be successful and that has been harder for us this season.''

Not only the challenge from Celtic has made it that way, of course. Rangers, as Laudrup, points out, have been without key players for many of their games.

He said: ''Richard Gough has been out for key matches and everyone knows the influence he has on the team. And Stuart McCall has been missing for half of the season and Andy Goram has been injured for lengthy spells as well.

''I mean, there was even the period when we just did not have a striker available and we were able to bring back Mark Hateley which was important. But we have still put together results in what has been such an important season for everyone at the club.''

Laudrup remained downbeat about his own achievements, stressing that while personal awards are welcome and important to every player, the major importance was what could be done inside the team pattern. When that is right, he indicated, then he is satisfied.

Mostly this season that special chemistry has been operating in Rangers' favour and that is why they are now poised to clinch their ninth title in a row against Motherwell on May 5. They could be crowned before then if Celtic drop points at home against Aberdeen on Sunday, or the following weekend against Hibs at Easter Road.

It does seem strange, though, that the Ibrox club, asked to play so many fixtures at the turn of the year, should now find themselves with a near three-week break. Even more strange that a Kirkcaldy fair which has taken place at the same time for almost two centuries should be ignored by the Scottish League when the fixture lists were being drawn up.

That brought forward the Stark's Park game by four days and then, of course, television have taken the Motherwell game to the Monday holiday and celebrations are on hold until then.

Somehow, I think the Ibrox legions will be happy to wait patiently for one of the biggest and noisiest parties Govan has ever hosted.

q RANGERS last night pulled out of their trip to Arsenal for Nigel Winterburn's testimonial.

The Ibrox club had provisionally agreed to play at Highbury on Tuesday, May 13, in a game for the long-serving full back. However, the end-of-season fixture backlog has caused problems.

Testimonial committee chief Steve Jacobs said: ''We cannot play the game on another date. It's disappointing, but there is nothing I can do about it and we'll have to make alternative arrangements.''