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Latest NewsWeek Beginning 6 September 1997
13 September 1997 Smith said, "Our injury situation isn't getting any better. Goram is very doubtful and touch and go for Tuesday. To make matters worse the recurrence of Niemi's finger injury will keep him out for four to six weeks. Thern is also a worry because his knee injury hasn't progressed since he picked it up in Gothenburg. He's managed to struggle through games but it isn't getting any better." Sebastian Rozental has denied having any fears about his future as he heads for another operation. Newspaper speculation in Scotland yesterday filtered through to Chile and a television crew was sent to Scotland believing his career to be over. Rozental said the problem is minor and he is hoping to be in the Rangers first team within a month. Walter Smith said, "it isn't always necessary to take the screws out. Stuart McCall never had a problem but Rozental was having pain and the situation has put him back about three weeks. We'll have to show a wee bit of patience and so will the boy."
Rangers were last night hit by another injury blow. Both Andy Goram and Antti Niemi have been ruled out of tomorrow's match with Aberdeen giving Walter Smith a goalkeeping crisis. Goram damaged his groin during the 1-0 defeat by Dundee United on Tuesday. Niemi starred in a 2-1 victory for Finland against Switzerland last weekend but returned with a broken finger, the same one which was fractured earlier in the season. He will be out for a month. Theo Snelders has been called into the first team squad.
Lorenzo Amoruso flew out to Belgium yesterday to have a third operation on a troublesome achilles tendon injury but fired a parting shot at the Harley Street surgeon who had been treating him. He said, "after two operations this should have been dealt with. That's why I am going to see a top specialist for the third one. He has helped people such as Ruud Gullit. I'll have the operation on Monday but it will be early next year before I can think about starting to play."
Lorenzo Amoruso will have to undergo a third operation on his injured ankle. He went to see a specialist in Belgium for a second opinion and was given bad news yesterday. After surgery Amoruso's leg will be put in plaster for at least six weeks. Players who have had similar operations have taken at least three months to make a complete return. Walter Smith said, "Lorenzo will have an operation next week and we expect him to be missing for three months after that. It's a terrible blow for us and for Lorenzo. He is bitterly disappointed." The 10 Premier League clubs announced their proposals for a new league setup yesterday and it looks like more of the same. - Initially an open league of 10 teams but with the possibility of adding to it later. - Automatic relegation (one team) and promotion (one team). - 36 league games per club. All teams playing each other home and away twice. - Premier clubs will, if invited, still participate in the Scottish Cup and Coca Cola Cup. - The distribution of revenue under the terms of the agreed model, including support payments to relegated clubs and the distribution of funds to those clubs remaining in the Scottish League.
AET The gamecertainly couldn't be described as the most entertaining match ever seen at Ibrox. Dundee United learned from their trip to Glasgow 10 days ago and chose to keep eleven men behind the ball rather than play an open game. Their tactics were perfect. Rangers had the majority of the game but couldn't really create a link between the midfield and Marco Negri - once again playing up front on his own - and that was their downfall. For all Rangers' pressure the United 'keeper Sieb Dykstra only had one save to make. In the 58th minute Ian Ferguson sent Jorg Albertz down the left. His first time cross was met by Negri's head but Dykstra threw himself across the line to tip the ball away from point blank range. Little else happened during the regulation 90 minutes but in extra time United applied a little more pressure on the shaky Rangers defence. The only goal of the match came in the 95th minute. Andy McLaren sent a hopeful ball into Rangers box which was poorly headed out by Staale Stensaas. Former Rangers striker Gary McSwegan ran onto the loose ball and sent a stunning volley past Andy Goram from 25 yards. Rangers pressed forward in hope of an equaliser but the only other chance fell for Dundee United. McSwegan was sent clear just inside the Rangers half but he opted to shoot from about 20 yards and Goram pushed the ball wide of the post. Another disappointing night for Rangers but the most worrying aspect was the number of injuries players seemed to pick up in extra time. Albertz and Porrini both limped off and after Walter Smith had made all his substitutions Cleland, Ferguson, Moore and Gattuso all seemed to be struggling. It remains to be seem whether any of the injuries are serious.
Rangers Goram 5 Cleland 5 Stensaas 6 Porrini 6 Moore 5 Vidmar 5 Miller 6 Ferguson 6 Negri 6 Albertz 5 Gattuso 7 McCoist 4 (Sub) Van Vossen 2 (Sub) McCall 2 (Sub)Man of the Match: Rino Gattuso Falkirk Follower
Stuart McCall has been added to the squad for the first time in 10 months. Walter Smith said, "He's had three reserve games now and there's no point in him having any more. He could be involved at some stage." Walter Smith has warned his players not to be complacent against a United side they defeated 5-1 only 10 days ago. He said, "last time we had a good victory against United thanks to an exceptional scoring performance from Marco Negri. This time we'll need an exceptional team performance. I think this match will be much tighter, more like games between ourselves usually." Italian defender Lorenzo Amoruso still hasn't seen a specialist about his problematic achilles tendon injury but Sebastian Rozental should complete his pre-season trining at the end of the week.
Jonas Thern has vowed to bury his World Cup heartache and be a success with Rangers. He said, "I have not shown anything for Rangers yet. I can still do much better. I've had my injury problems with inflammation on my knee and I've only trained twice in the last 15 days. I played with the injury against Dundee United and Gothenburg but I feel better now and hope I can train much harder when I return to Scotland. I'm new to Rangers and I'm going to train hard now to reach a good level. I need a lot of this work." "I will return to Sweden for the game against Latvia on Wednesday but I will be back in Scotland straight after that to prepare for league and European games. We have started well in the league but have to do well in the UEFA Cup. Strasbourg are a good team but I believe we are too, and it's time now to show it. I'll play the remaining qualifying games but I've played 74 games for Sweden now. There's a lot of youngsters coming through so this is a good moment to put in someone else for the next big tournament." Rangers reserve goalkeeper Antti Niemi produced a stunning display for Finland on Saturday to show Walter Smith that he is fully fit after breaking a finger in training. Finland beat Switzerland 2-1 in Lausanne to give themselves a real chance of a play-off spot for France '98.
Walter Smith watched Rangers' UEFA Cup opponents Strasbourg get hammered 3-0 at home by Paris St Germain yesterday. Brazilian star Rai scored the first with a penalty. Former AC Milan striker Marco Simone added one in the 80th minute and Florian Maurice completed the scoring towards the end. Scotland defeated Belarus 4-1 at Pittodrie this afternoon. Kevin Gallacher gave the Scots a fourth minute lead with a tap in. David Hopkin of Leeds United scored the second 12 minutes after the break and then Gallacher added a third. Belarus scored a consolation penalty before Hopkin scored the fourth. Gordon Durie played very well in the first half but a hamstring injury saw him replaced by Ally McCoist for the second. Scotland received a blow when Austria defeated Sweden 1-0 in Vienna last night. Three players, one Swede and two Austrians, were sent off in a tense match which involved the Rangers pair of Jonas Thern and Joachim Bjorklund. Andreas Herzog scored the winner with a 35 yard strike in the 76th minute.
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