Latest News

Week Beginning 4 October 1997

11 October 1997

Scotland have qualified for the World Cup by beating Latvia 2-0 at Parkhead. Kevin Gallagher gave the Scots the lead in the 43rd minute and Rangers striker Gordon Durie scored the clincher with 10 minutes to go.

Paul Gascoigne returned to Rome with England as they made their way to France after a 0-0 draw with Italy. Brian Laudrup captained Denmark to a 0-0 draw in Greece and they also qualify. Sweden beat Estonia 1-0 but failed to make it because both Scotland and Austria won and Finland badly missed Antti Niemi as they lost a comical 90th minute goal to Hungary which denied them a play-off place.

10 October 1997

Rangers are reported to be tracking 29 year old Barcelona star Juan Antonio Pizzi according to the Argentinian born players agent Ricardo Schlepper. Barcelona's new coach Louis Van Gaal has yet to use the Spanish international in any matches this season after signing Sonnay Anderson, Rivaldo and Christophe Dugarry in the summer. The Spanish side are looking for one billion pesetas (£4 million) for the player.

Richard Gough will arrive back in Glasgow this weekend after Kansas City were knocked out of the Major League play-offs. He said, "I'm very excited about coming back, it's another great challenge for me. When I left in May I thought that was it. I'd maybe done all I could do. But the powers that be, Walter Smith and David Murray, obviously think I can do a job there." Gough had a three week summer holiday in August while recovering from knee and hamstring injuries.

Rangers have invited goalkeeper Lee Baxter to Ibrox for a two week trial. The 21 year old will arrive at Ibrox after finishing the season with J-League side Kobi. Baxter was an apprentice under Kenny Dalglish at Blackburn before heading to Japan to play for Wim Jansen's side San Frecce Hiroshima. The player has been impressive in Japan this season and now hopes to make his name in Europe after turning down a new contract in Kobi.

Rangers players Steven Boyack and Gary Bollan joined have joined St Johnstone for £400,000. Bayack was a rpoduct of the Ibrox youth system but has failed to break into the first team at Ibrox. Gary Bollan was being tracked by a number of clubs and went to Wolves on loan last week. He joined Rangers three years ago with Alex Cleland but injury hampered his Ibrox chances.

Midfielder Derek McInnes will undergo surgery on an injured ankle today. McInnes went over awkwardly on his ankle while warming up for the match against Gothenburg. The club hoped that a rest would cure the problem but the injury failed to respond to treatment. McInnes should take over three months to recover from his latest injury setback.

9 October 1997

David Murray has qualified the remarks he made about the Rangers fans earlier this week. He said, "I want to hear from the silent minority in Ibrox, and I'm talking about season ticket holders and bond holders. People who are really committed to the club. We've heard from the others, those who can't get tickets and decide to moan on radio phone-ins and in newspapers. So now that we've listened to the disgruntled it is vitally important that we now hear from what I believe is the silent majority. I want them to get behind us and I want them to let our players know exactly what it means to play for this club."

"I think all of us, myself included, are guilty of taking what we have for granted, but now every one of us has to give more. Fans, season ticket holders, bond holders, directors, players, every single one of us must ask if we are giving 100 per cent. If we don't then it could all end in tears. The thing that really annoyed me was the way some reporters treated Walter in print and then they phoned him as though they were his friends. We have deserved some criticism and we have taken it but that sort of thing is just not on. We said nothing immediately after the Strasbourg defeat because, if I have a strength it is how I react in difficult times. When the pressure is on I am at my strongest and rather than rush around hitting my lieutenants on the head I support people."

"I tend to become stronger. I take time to reflect and to think through a clear strategy and I said to Walter after the European exit, 'say nothing until after the game against Hibs. But we must get a result at Easter Road. That was a big match for us but we won it and we can regroup now. Listen, let's all wait until we have our best players in the side for say a run of 10 weeks then we'll see how we look. I keep telling people I'm playing for the long term which is why I'm happy to be getting closer to owning our own training facility. We hope to complete a five pitch centre with facilities for senior and younger players by the start of next season."

Andy Goram is being linked with a £500,000 move to Sunderland. Sunderland manager Peter Reid wants the Scotland 'keeper to replace Frenchman Lionel Perez whose contract runs out at the end of the season. Perez can move for nothing in the summer when his contract runs out and Sunderland are keen to cash in on the player with Bordeax apparently interested. Any deal is likely to depend on the fitness of Antti Niemi. Walter Smith has already turned down a move from Sheffield Wednesday for Goram but £500,000 may tempt the Ibrox manager to sell.

Rangers' Italian players have warned their national side to beware of Paul Gascoigne. Sergio Porrini said, "I played at Juve for eight seasons alongside superstars such as Baggio, Del Piero, Vialli. Paul Gascoigne ranks alongside all of them. He is of the same calibre, if not better. He is world class. I played against him in the Champions' League two years ago and while Juventus won easily, Gascoigne was the man we had to watch. Now I play with him evert week I can appreciate just how good he is. I don't think he was ever able to be at his best when he was with Lazio because he was not happy and was never fully fit. I think he may have something to prove, playing back in Italy in such an important match."

Marco Negri said, "Paul is just bursting with talent and energy. It is impossible not to be impressed by him. Some of the things he comes out with in training are just amazing. It is a natural gift and he knows how to use it. I knew about his status when I came here but even I have been surprised at just how magnificent he can be. He sees and makes passes few others can manufacture. I don't think there is a better player to play with. Paul has been really good to me since I arrived in Scotland. He can speak Italian which helps when I don't understand some things that are said in English. From his time in Italy, he knows what it was like to be a foreign player in a strange country."

Rino Gattuso said, "when I was a youngster growing up in Italy, Paul Gascoigne was a legend. He still is. Now I get to train beside him every day and play in the same team as him and it's just a dream come true. Gazza is always trying something new, trying to make others play around him. I don't know anyone who can pass the ball better than he does. Whenever he has the ball, he is dangerous. Italy will need to remember that. At least I won't have to face him with the under-21's"

8 October 1997

Rangers back-up goalkeeper Antti Niemi will be out of football for the next three months. The Finn, who cost Rangers £750,000 in the summer, broke his finger in training almost two months ago. The injury was thought to have healed and he took part in an international match but broke the same finger again. Despite resting for the past month the injury has not recovered satisfactorily and the 'keeper will have an operation today which will keep him out until the new year.

Graeme Souness was yesterday sacked as manager of struggling Italian club Torino but insisted that Richard Gough could have saved his job. He said, "when I arrived here three months ago I realised that the fans would be the problem, which is why I asked for Richard Gough. A player of his experience would have helped end our difficulties but it wasn't possible. The club had brought in 15 new players before I arrived. Despite this, I was confident that given sufficient time I would achieve the sort of success this great club and its supporters deserve. The board has now decided to pursue a new course. I remain committed to the club and I have agreed to take a wider role in the strategic development of Torino."

7 October 1997

David Murray announced an increase in the turnover at Ibrox yesterday and took the opportunity to reiterate his previous statements that he will not sack Walter Smith. He said, "we've no divine right to win anything. And collectively everyone at Rangers from the groundstaff must realise we've a fight on our hands. That includes supporters and shareholders as well. We're going to have to fight harder, but I'm sure we'll rise to the occasion. I had dinner with Walter Smith ten days ago and we'll meet again this week but there will be no knee-jerk reaction and no big statements from us. There's no mass hysteria. I get letters every Monday from Rangers fans and they're running ten to one in our favour in regard to what we're doing. Obviously the most important thing is for the team to win, and we're all disappointed with what's happened in Europe but the business is very strong."

Rangers announced an operating profit of £6 million and boosted their turnover by £1 million to over £32 million but they showed an overall loss of £13 million after writing the playing squad off the balance sheets. The loss saw Rangers shares drop from 500 pence to 460 pence wiping £18 million off the value of the club.

Murray however remained upbeat. He said, "we made a trading profit, but this particular year with such a massive injection of cash into the club there's a window of opportunity to write off the players' valuations in the balance sheet. We've done this because in a year or two there will be no transfer fees between British clubs. I feel this is a prudent move, although it's a massive step in our case because we've just bought players recently. But it's not uncommon. Newcastle did it last year in their accounts. I feel that to continue valuing players as an asset could be something that comes back to haunt us."

Brian Laudrup has vowed to do all he can to build up the team spirit at Ibrox in the coming weeks. He said, "as players we have not done well enough and we must sort out the problems. On Saturday they proved they do care for the club. You can imagine the pressure on them at 3-1 down but they didn't hide. They came back and showed character, the character some suggested didn't exist here. People have singled out the manager because it is easier than criticising 20 players. From my point of view he's been fantastic, the perfect manager. When you put your players on the park there is not a lot you can do except hope they live up to your expectations."

"People say there is no togetherness but that's unfair. We haven't had the time to get to know each other. Stuart McCall spoke about this after our game in Strasbourg and he was spot on in everything he said. But no team can bring in nine new players in one summer and expect them to have the spirit of a team that's been together for three or four years. You can't expect people to become best friends in two or three weeks. You have to go through a lot before the bond is there. It's something we need to work on but we have not had the chance because we've had so many games."

"Going out of Europe has been terrible but maybe that's the one good thing to come out of it, we have more time to get to know each other. Of course we have to train together and get to know each other as players, that's the most important part of all. But now we also have time to go out for lunch or dinner or maybe a golf day, things we did at least once a month in the past. Sometimes there would be eight of us, other times there would be as much as 20, but something was always on the go. As captain I'll be responsible for organising things but guys such as Ally McCoist and Ian Durrant can help me. I've sat down with the manager and explained we have not had the time so far but that we will be getting together much more in the future - and I'm sure it will help."

"It is special the way Scottish teams socialise together. It reminds me of Denmark. Back there the players go out after a good game and have a night out. We did it at Brondby and still do with the national team. When I moved to Germany I was surprised to find players only went out once in a while and even then never as a whole team. Then I moved to Italy and there was absolutely no socialising. They train, they play and they go home and live their own private lives. That's the Italian way. So when I came to Scotland it was like coming home."

"I think it is very important, one of the reasons Rangers have been successful for so long. When I arrived the dressing room was like one big family as the players had been through so much together. There were very few foreigners and the team had a really strong British spirit. Rangers cannot afford to lose this. It's vital we remember we are a Scottish club and hold onto that special spirit, that's what has got us through bad times in the past. Of course it may sound funny coming from me, but Rangers must always let the fans identify with the club."

Laudrup also dismissed claims by Peter Schmeichel in the tabloid press on Sunday that Rangers were putting too much pressure on him. He said, "Yes, look at me, I'm a wreck. I don't know where Peter got that from. I can understand what he meant about the pressure because vital players at big clubs always have to take responsibility. It can be tough but I accept it and I have never complained. I have also never regretted not signing for Manchester United or Ajax. When I made up my mind to stay at Rangers it was because I fully appreciated the job the chairman did to keep me. I wanted to stay and a couple of bad results has not changed my mind. As I've always said, I want to see out my contract here."

Richard Gough could return to Ibrox for the clash against Dunfermline a week on Saturday. After Kansas City lost 3-0 to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday the Wizards face a tense week with game two in Denver on Wednesday followed by the decider, if required, in Kansas on Sunday. If the Wizards should lose then Gough will return to Glasgow as soon as possible. He said, "I want Kansas to advance but if we don't get a result then the play-offs will be over for us and that means I can play for Rangers, so whatever will be, will be. If we go to Denver and win, or draw the game and then win the shootout, it goes to a play-off in Kansas next Sunday."

Seb Rozental has been cleared to fly back from Chile for training. He was forced to return to America to have two small metal screws removed from his knee after recovering from a knee ligament operation. Afterwards he returned to Chile to recover but he has now been cleared to return to Glasgow for light training.

6 October 1997

Rangers chairman David Murray is being credited with another stinging attack on the Rangers fans. He said, "Rangers fans are different from Celtic fans in the respect that they take it badly when they lose. Celtic have gone public, many of their fans have stumped up hard money to buy shares, which in turn has helped finance their stadium. As a result, I sometimes think that their supporters feel greater loyalty to the cause. Rangers fans basically got the stadium for nothing, and some of them have had it too easy for too long."

Rangers and Hibs both face stiff fines from the Scottish Football League after trouble in the stands at Easter Road. Hibs midfielder Chic Charnley was hit by a missile thrown from the Rangers section early in the first half. Marco Negri was narrowly missed by two bottles thrown from the Hibs end after he scored the winning goal and at the final whistle two Hibs fans were apprehended as they made their way across the pitch towards Rangers fans with a corner flag.

Alex Cleland captained Rangers for the first time on Saturday and was proud with the way his team fought back. He said, "we were due Walter something, all the criticism on him is unfair. As a team we've got to take the blame because we have not been performing. We wanted to win for the gaffer, he's taken most of the stick. The fans have been loyal as well, and it was time we gave them something back. I was stunned when the boss gave me the armband but I've got a good record now, one out of one."

"We have to show that second half form in every game. It's going to be a long, hard season for us and we have to pull together. This will do a lot for us and for team spirit, because that's been lacking. The new lads now know they're in for a battle in every game. We're under a lot of pressure because we went out of two European competitions but we've got to overcome it. A lot of new players have been brought in, a lot of foreign players. It does take time, but this is the toughest period I've known at Ibrox. There is a pressure on us, but we are going to react to it in the right way. It will urge us to do better, to win for the manager. Recently, there has been a tendency for the heads to go down when we've gone behind. This time, we did the right thing"

Paul Gascoigne echoed Cleland's comments. He said, "the players should be taking more stick, not Walter. But he won't go in the papers and slaughter us. Maybe he should. As the gaffer said you can make the not-gelling an excuse, but we still had 11 internationals in Gothenburg and still lost. International teams are only together for a week, we had a couple of months, so we should do a lot better."

Goalkeeping coach Alan Hodgkison has left Manchester United so he can devote more time to Rangers. The Englishman has only spent two days a week at Ibrox in the past but will now concentrate on Rangers four days a week. He will continue to work with the Scotland squad. He said, "I will be working with Rangers between Mondays and Thursdays and it's a case of slowing down to work harder. I'm looking forward to continuing to help Rangers and Scotland."

5 October 1997

Walter Smith is still worried about the defensive frailties which have caused his team problems so far this season. He said, "I can't trust my defence. Even when we were 3-1 down I was always confident that we would score a goal or two. But I have to admit I am dubious about whether we can keep them out at the other end. No-one is trying to hide from the problems but if we put in effort like that I'm sure the fans will continue to back us."

Stuart McCall revealed that the Scottish players had told the foreign imports what to expect in yesterday's match with Hibs. He said, we warned them this would be a battle and we would need to stand up and be counted and we did that. I was so frustrated on the bench in the first half. I knew if we got a hiding the manager would be under even more pressure, especially after I heard Celtic were 4-0 up at half-time. It took two world class goals to get us back in it but I always felt we could hurt them. I feared for us at 3-1 but the fans stayed with us. The ones who travel are the 100 per cent die hards and they realised the flak was flying. They knew the best way to stop more criticism was to back us and they were superb."

Rangers players have lost bonuses of £70,000 each over the past month. The Ibrox stars had huge incentives to do well in the Champions' League, the UEFA Cup and the Coca Cola Cup. They lost £35,000 each for not making the Champions' League, £25,000 for the UEFA Cup and £10,000 for failing to retain the Coca Cola Cup.

Richard Gough has been given clearance from the SFA to return to Rangers. The Ibrox side had to ask Scottish football authorities for permission to re-sign Gough because he left less than a year ago. Meanwhile, Gary Bollan has returned to Ibrox after a loan spell at Wolves. Several clubs are still chasing his signature including St Johnstone, Tranmere and Luton after he was told he could leave for a cut-price fee.

Juventus star Alessandro Del Piero believes his friend Marco Negri will have to leave Rangers if he wants to get into the Italian side. He said, "if Marco stays in Scotland he will find it very difficult to ever get a chance for Italy. He's have a chance if he was scoring regularly for Rangers in Europe. But they are out and this has not helped helped him and he must be very disappointed by this. He is a good player. He was in the top three scorers in our country last season when he was with Perugia and that tells you the talent he has."

"With this in mind I was surprised he moved to Scotland because he is about to reach the peak of his career. Maybe he should have stayed in Italy to help his chances of playing for his country. Sergio Porrini is one of my best friends and I hope everything works out for him at Rangers. He was very excited about playing for Rangers and the prospect of testing himself in the Champions' League. Unfortunately it hasn't happened but he's a good player and he'll make Rangers a success.

Trevor Steven feels that the influx of foreign players has hindered Rangers' progress in Europe. He said, "the current Rangers side lacks heart. The team spirit we had in 1993 was unbelievable. Because of the three foreigners rule we were a British side made up of committed English players and men like Ally McCoist, Ian Durrant Ian Ferguson and Scott Nisbet. But when you have so many different nationalities in a dressing room the spirit can't be the same. The club is bigger now but it seems there is more finance and no heart."

Peter Schmeichel says he feels sorry for Brian Laudrup after Rangers' latest European disaster. He said, "my heart goes out to Brian because I know how much it meant to him to make Rangers a force in Europe again. Losing to Strasbourg must have come as a real kick in the teeth for someone of his class. Brian often talks of the pressure he's under at Rangers and I feel sorry and sad for him. But some of the other Rangers players should help him out more. I know they won him the league championship single-handed last season and that might be fair enough when he's playing domestic games. But they can't expect him to do that in Europe. There's a limit as to how much pressure you can put on one man."

"He will be very disappointed they are out of Europe again because he wanted everything to be perfect this season. There is extra pressure on him because he is captain but I think he needs that responsibility to bring out his best. But there is only so much he can do. Brian should have come to United and I was disappointed when he decided not to. It gives me no pleasure to see Rangers out of Europe because I know what it means to him. But I can't say whether or not he has any regrets about staying at Rangers."

Laudrup meanwhile hit back at claims that he is about to leave Rangers now that they are out of Europe. He said, "there is no gentleman's agreement with Ajax. I won't decide my future until next May. My agent has had contact from clubs in Italy and Spain but there is no question of me going there. I want to help Denmark qualify for the World Cup. After that all I will concentrate on is making sure people know Walter Smith is the right man for Rangers. He bought all the players here and they owe it to him to prove he has good judgement."

Joachim Bjorklund revealed that the start of the season has been the worst of his career with Rangers crashing out of Europe and Sweden look like they have failed to qualify for the World Cup. He said, "I feel for the manager. He's not playing, we're making the mistakes. For instance, the goals we lost against Motherwell and Strasbourg have been down to individual errors rather than the defence not functioning as a unit. I have to say it's great news for us that Richard Gough is returning. He's a true leader and that is what we need right now."

"It's the worst spell in my career. I've gone out of the Champions' League, the World Cup with Sweden, the Coca Cola Cup and the UEFA Cup. I'm hurting. It all started in Gothenburg with a poor performance. I had to go to a Swedish international camp after that and I took so much stick. It's not nice to play as badly as that in your own country. The last World Cup Finals in 1994 when Sweden were third were such a high and now we're not there at all. Yes, the last two months have been hard to take."

Rangers and Celtic have been been contacted to see if they would be willing to provide the opposition for Colin Hendry's testimonial in two years' time. The Ibrox side seen to be the likliest opponents for Blackburn provided they can get police clearance.

4 October 1997

Rangers got back on track with a good win against Hibs at Easter Road. Rangers had lost their first match of the season at the same ground for the last two years and for a while history looked like repeating itself. The Ibrox side did not play their best football of the season by any stretch of the imagination, but at last they showed the fighting spirit which has characterised the team over the past few years.

Rangers took the lead in the 19th minute. Sergio Porrini sent Charlie Miller into the box with an inch perfect pass and the midfielder was sent flying by Hibs 'keeper Ole Gottkalksson. Marco Negri stepped up to send an unconvincing penalty right down the middle but it slithered under the goalie into the net.

The lead lasted for only three minutes. Gordan Petric had time to clear the ball but he dithered and was dispossessed by Stevie Crawford who set up Pat McGinlay whose shot was deflected wide. Barry Lavety flicked on a Chic Charnley corner and McGinlay slid in to knock the ball home from close range as Tony Vidmar was caught flat footed.

Two minutes from the break Hibs took the lead. McGinlay picked up the ball inside his own half and ran at the Rangers defence. Porrini and Petric both backed off waiting for support and then both stepped up at the same time. The Hibs midfielder slid a pass to Lavety and he steered the ball low past Theo Snelders.

Within a minute of the restart Hibs went further ahead. Another defensive mix-up, this time between captain for the day Alex Cleland and Petric, allowed Lavety to break free down the left. He sent a cross into the box and Crawford nicked in front of Vidmar to glance a header just inside the post.

It was going to take a piece of brilliance to get Rangers back into the game and in the 50th minute Paul Gascoigne provided it. The England star picked up the ball at the half way line and ran at the Hibs defence but he was halted by a tackle from the back by Tony Rougier at the edge of the box. Gascoigne himself stepped up and curled the free kick into the 'postage stamp'.

Incredibly Rangers were level within two minutes. Jorg Albertz picked up the ball on the left and as the defence backed off he before smashed a powerful shot into the top right hand corner of the net from all of 35 yards.

On the hour mark Rangers took the lead. The Ibrox side strung 15 or 16 passes together before Stuart McCall threaded a perfect ball through to Negri. The Italian took one look up and as the defender and 'keeper closed him down rolled the ball between them and into the far corner of the net.

Rangers survived a late scare when Darren Dods hit the bar with a header from a corner but that apart Hibs never really troubled the Rangers defence much to the fan's relief. With the Scotland game next Saturday Rangers now have a fortnight to try and improve the team morale. Undoubtedly today's fightback will help bring back the belief but defensively things will still have to improve if they are to retain the league title.

Rangers
 
Snelders    5                  
Cleland     5                   
Stensaas    4
Porrini     5                  
Petric      4
Vidmar      4
Miller      6
Gascoigne   8
Albertz     7
Negri       7
Gattuso     7
McCall      7   (Sub)
Durie       1   (Sub)
 
 

Man of the Match: Paul Gascoigne

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