Latest News

Week Beginning 18 October 1997

25 October 1997

Wolves are poised to sign Ian Ferguson for £1 million. Manager Mark McGhee has agreed a fee with Walter Smith for the midfielder who signed a new contract at Ibrox in the summer. His agent Murdo Mackay said, "we're aware of interest from Wolves and there will be further contact with them. Ian has been at Rangers for 10 years and looked forward to finishing his career at Ibrox, but that may no longer be possible.

Rangers defender Sergio Porrini is rated "extremely doubtful" for today's visit to Dundee by Walter Smith after badly twisting his ankle in training. Gordan Petric has been added to the squad as a replacement and looks set to play.

Marco Negri could beat a Premier Division record today by scoring in nine consecutive matches. Walter Smith said, "Marco doesn't feel any additional pressure to score and keep his record going. He's very laid back and not the type of person who ever feels any sort of pressure. If the ball comes into the box he'll be there and hopefully be able to continue the run.

Dundee United defender Erik Pedersen has admitted that he doesn't rate Negri. He said, "personally, I don't think Negri is that good. He's scored a few good goals but not that many. You would expect any striker to score goals in a good team and Rangers are a good team. However, the players we need to watch out for are Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup."

United 'keeper Sieb Dykstra would like nothing better than to stop Negri from beating the record. The dutchman would like some revenge after the Rangers striker scored five against him earlier this season. He said, "Marco is a very good player and has been in fantastic form. His run of 19 goals in eight league games speaks for itself. But I was hurt as a professional by the five goals which went past me and the memory will act as a motivation."

Walter Smith warned his players to be on their guard against a United side full of confidence after their first league win last weekend. He said, "we've already seen both faces of Dundee United this season and this is a tough match in prospect. United are looking to atone for their poor start and we'll need to continue our recent form if we're to take anything from the game. It's helped having Richard Gough back because our defence needed organisation and he provided that against Dunfermline last week."

Smith also took time to praise the contribution of 19 year old Rino Gattuso. He said, "at the start of the season I was maybe a bit over-protective of Rino. I thought because he was only 19 that it would be better to make sure he could handle certain situations. But he has surpassed everyone's expectations. He has has a big influence on the team. We missed Stuart McCallfor most of last season and Rino is a similar type of player. It has been a bonus over the past couple of weeks to have both Rino and Stuart in the side."

24 October 1997

Terry Venables has renewed his advice to Paul Gascoigne that he must stay at Ibrox. He said, "Paul doesn't need to leave Rangers. He has done fantastically well since sorting out his problems and the best place for him to be at the moment is at Ibrox. Walter Smith has done a brilliant job in getting him back on track and a move to another club could only disorientate him and put him off the rails again."

"He has proved himself to be a pivotal player in Glenn Hoddle's side. The last thing Glenn needs at the moment is for Gazza to become erratic once more. He has led from the front in his performances for England this year and also in Euro 96 when he was at Rangers so he doesn't have to come south. He is fit enough and he is working really hard and the most important thing he can be for England's bid is stable. That is the wonderful thing he has going for him at the moment." (anybody else sick of all the Gascoigne speculation yet?- ed)

Erik Bo Andersen has seen his hopes of a return to Denmark dashed when Odense failed to reach Rangers asking price of £925,000. The Danish side couldn't manage to put together a package of any more than £500,000 for the player so it is unlikely that any deal will be resurrected. Andersen narrowly missed getting a club fine when he arrived at Ibrox on Monday after proving to Walter Smith and Tommy Moller-Nielsen that he was misquoted in the tabloids at the weekend. Andersen was supposed to have said that he hated Ibrox so much that he would not stay even if his first team place was guaranteed.

The Sun reports today that Antti Niemi is ready to challenge Andy Goram for the first team spot at Rangers. The Finnish international has not played for Rangers since they beat Gotu 6-0 at Ibrox on 30 July. He broke his finger in training the following week and then after a three week lay-off broke it again playing for Finland. Niemi had the plaster and pins removed from his hand earlier this week and has begun training again. Only a fortnight ago the papers were reporting that Niemi was out until the New Year so somebody has got their facts wrong somewhere down the line.

Paul Gascoigne will miss Rangers match against Aberdeen at Pittodrie on 15 November. The English football authorities announced yesterday that England will play Cameroon at Wembley the same day.

Jonas Thern has denied newspaper reports that some of the foreign players would like to leave Ibrox after their European disappointment. He said, " I've just had the worst period of my career. Rangers have failed in three turnaments this season and to add insult to injury, Sweden failed to make the World Cup finals. "We're even more determined to win the league. The foreign players want to stay and to say otherwise is rubbish. I hope to restart my Rangers career by playing against Dundee United this weekend."

23 October 1997

Andy Goram has been offered a new contract to remain at Ibrox for another two years despite persistent rumours that he is about to leave the club. His agent Catherine Robertson said, "I can say categorically that Andy Goram is staying with Rangers. There has been no approach to me or Andy from any other club and he wants to remain a Rangers player. We will be meeting with David Murray again to discuss a new deal and the plan is to extend his contract." Rangers vice-chairman Donald Findlay added, "there haven't been any offers and we are looking at a new contract for the player. There will be talks with him about this."

Once again the Paul Gascoigne transfer saga dominates the sports pages. His agent Mel Stein yesterday said, "I have spoken to Doug Ellis (Aston Villa chairman) today and he has asked the same questions as everybody else. Everybody wants to know whether Paul is going to leave Rangers and there is no point in anybody doing anything about it until we have that answer. I know Rangers want him to stay. Walter Smith spoke to me this week confirming he wants him. We are still thinking about the situation but there is no rush. Paul is under contract with Rangers. He has only recently signed a new contract and is happy to play for them."

Aston Villa manager Brian Little is so desperate to land Gascoigne that he has offered the £4 million rated Yugoslav international midfielder Sasa Curcic in a possible part exchange deal. He said yesterday, "before the weekend I said that there might be a signing this week and that statement still stands. There might be something. The chairman and I will sit down and talk about things over the next 24 hours . Whatever the outcome remains to be seen and we will have to see what develops"

Crystal Palace have ruled themselves out of the race to sign Gascoigne. Manager Steve Coppell said, "we made an enquiry four or five weeks ago but since then there has been a snowball of media interest ans speculation and now other clubs are heading the queue. Obviously, given the finances involved, I don't think it will go any further." Coppell however said exactly the same thing about Attilio Lombardo before he joined from Juventus in the summer.

Former Rangers 'keeper Chris Woods is another who thinks Gascoigne should stay put. He said, " you often hear said in England that the standard of the Scottish League is poor but that's unfair. Whatever the standard of opposition, you have to go out and compete at the top of your game. It is silly to say that Gascoigne would be able to take it easier in Scotland than if he returned to England because the other sides don't allow that. When I was at Rangers we used to say that every game was a cup final. Because of the success we enjoyed everyone wanted to beat us and you couldn't rest on your laurels for a moment. Perhaps there are one or two games in which the opposition is inferior to what you would find in England but that doesn't mean they will lie down and die."

"Gascoigne is playing for the England national team and is one of Glenn Hoddle's main players, so to suggest that he would struggle with any level of football is surprising to hear. In the match in Italy the other weekend, Gazza had an outstanding game and you would not question his stamina or his competitive ability on that evidence. Playing a World Cup decider against the Italians would be as severe a test as you could wish for and he passed with flying colours."

"I had a great time in Scotland and I was very disappointed when different things conspired to make it desirable that I moved back to England. I was told that Rangers were a big club and it was nice to play a part in the run of success that Walter Smith's side have been able to maintain and extend. I was very disappointed to leave."

22 October 1997

English football chiefs are insisting that Glenn Hoddle will not interfere and ask Paul Gascoigne to leave Ibrox to ensure his place at the World Cup next summer. FA spokesman Steve Double said, "Glenn did a few interviews at the weekend and made it clear that considering a transfer is a matter for Gazza and Gazza alone. The England manager would not want to interfere in that decision. Paul and Glenn often talk together as Glenn likes to keep in close personal contact with his players. But there was no summit between them to decide what club Gazza should join."

Rangers' European conquerors Strasbourg beat Liverpool 3-0 in France last night. Celtic target David Zitelli scored twice and Denni Conteh added a third with just 18 minutes remaining.

21 October 1997

Seb Rozental should be back playing for Rangers before Christmas. He has just begun training again after having two metal screws removed from his knee. His father Lazaro said, "Sebastian is doing very well. He's been working in the gym and he started jogging again today. Everything is okay and he should be back in Glasgow in one month and playing again before Christmas. That would be like a present for him and the fans. He is crazy about playing again, it's all he thinks about. He had an operation in March to put in a new ligament and another to take out a screw last month. The doctors are satisfied he is recovering properly. It has been a very frustrating time for him but he's working hard and doing exactly what he's been told."

Sunderland have made a bid for Andy Goram. Manager Peter Reid has been tracking the Rangers 'keeper all season and has now made an official bid of around £500,000. Goram is apparently unhappy that he was fined two week's wages recently for missing training when he claimed he was unwell. His contract runs out in January so Rangers may choose to cash in now rather than risk losing him on a free transfer in two months time.

Goalkeeper Lee Baxter has finally joined Rangers on loan for two weeks after the Japanese J-League finished at the weekend. The Kobe 'keeper said, "I hold a Japanese passport and they want me to stay there as I might have a chance of playing for the international team. But it has always been my ambition to play for a British club and I will be trying my best to impress Walter Smith. I am really looking forward to this spell in Scotland. My aunt in Fife is very pleased because she is a Rangers fanatic. It will be interesting to see how football in Scotland compares to the Japanese style. It is very technical in the J-League and the players are very skilful."

Paul Gascoigne will meet England coach Glenn Hoddle to discuss his future today. The Geordie is anxious to find out whether his place at the World Cup next summer will be in jeopardy if he remains at Ibrox. Walter Smith is furious at what he sees as Hoddle's interference after he Apparently said that Gascoigne: "Needs to sharpen his fitness even more and needs a higher level of competitiveness on a week-to-week basis". Gascoigne's agent Mel Stein said last night, "Paul is committed to England's cause and is equally committed to Rangers' cause, it is quite possible that the two don't conflict. If they don't, then I suspect Paul will stay."

Gary Lineker added his voice to those who think Gascoigne should stay at Ibrox. He said: "Rangers win a lot of games comfortably and with Gazza's physical record it would be good if he didn't have to cope with close, tense Premiership games every week. It's better to keep him under wraps for the World Cup."

Terry Venables also thinks Gascoigne should stay in Scotland. He said, "frankly, I would be surprised if Paul were interested in most of the clubs he's been linked with. All I know is that during Euro '96 I could hardly have asked more of him. He was a Rangers player then and it certainly had no adverse effect on his contribution. I really don't think where he plays is that important. There are only two things Paul needs to ask himself. They are: Is he certain Rangers still want him and does he want to stay with them? He won't be in a hurry and he won't be pressured into joining another club just for the sake of getting a move."

Walter Smith seems set for another showdown with Australian coach Terry Venables over Tony Vidmar. Venables annoyed the Ibrox management last month when he called Vidmar up for a friendly against Tunisia on the same night as Rangers faced a vital European tie against Strasbourg. Vidmar now looks set to miss the match against Celtic at Parkhead on 19 November because Australia play the first leg of their World Cup play-off the same week.

Dunfermline defender Colin Miller, who has played against either side of the Old Firm this week, thinks that Celtic still have some way to go to match Rangers. He said, "people ask me how the two compare but, really, there's no comparison. Rangers are far and away a better side. Maybe I'm biased because I'm a Rangers fan but I don't think so. They simply have more potential match-winners in their team. On Saturday Paul Gascoigne was in the mood. There's no point in talking about his defensive qualities, because he doesn't have any. But you don't pay someone that much money to hang about in his own box."

"I've played for Canada against Romario and Lothar Matthaus and Gascoigne is at least as good as them when it comes to running at you with the ball. You judge players like him by what they do on the ball and he's world class. His scoring record from midfield is phenomenal. He also proved his class the other week by doing it against Italy, supposedly one of the top footballing nations in the world. Obviously, there's talk of him moving back to England but I'd like to see him stay for the good of the game up here."

"Andy Goram is also a match-winner, as I'm sure Tommy Burns would tell you, and Richard Gough is back to organise them. Then there's Marco Negri, whose four against us means he's already got 22 goals for the season. Negri is the laziest player I've ever seen but if he gets the ball anywhere from 35 yards in he's deadly. They also have Brian Laudrup, of course, and even their bench on Saturday had three guys who can turn games in Jorg Albertz, Gordon Durie and Ally McCoist. That speaks volumes for the strength in depth of their squad."

20 October 1997

Rangers are set to sign 21 year old River Plate player Marcello Gallardo for £5 million according to sources in Buenos Aires. River Plate officials admitted yesterday that the player, who has won 20 senior caps for Argentina, was involved in "negotiations which are in an advanced state". According to the Argentinian club Gallardo could move to Ibrox at the end of the Argentinian championship in December.

Paul Gascoigne's agent Mel Stein has admitted that his client might well remain at Ibrox. He said, "Paul has a wonderful relationship with David Murray and Walter Smith, they have been like father and brother to him. Paul will not do anything to upset Rangers. There is a major decision for Paul to make because if it was anybody other than Rangers it would be a simple one. Paul is very flattered there are so many teams interested in him. There's no pressure on him to make a decision. There is no rush, no transfer deadline. I've spoken to Doug Ellis over the weekend. Last week I spoke to Alan Sugar and also Mark Goldberg at Crystal Palace. Having said that there's every chance he could still stay at Ibrox."

The apparent change of heart may have something to do with rumours that Gascoigne would lose £1 million if he joined Villa. According to the Sun the Englishman earns £2 million a year at Ibrox. Aston Villa are not willing to break their wage structure to accommodate Gazza's demands. The Midlands club broke with tradition by matching Stan Collymore's demands of £20,000 a week in the summer. They hope to tie up his strike partner Dwight Yorke on a similar long-term deal and breaking the wage structure may put that deal in jeopardy.

Dunfermline defender Colin Miller watched Paul Gascoigne destroy his side and then urged him not to quit Scotland. He said, "Gascoigne played very well and his fitness looks better now. His performance was terrific and he looks to be enjoying his football. I'd like to see him stay at Ibrox and I find it interesting that Bryan Robson also agrees. If he's telling him to stay that's good enough for me but his family must come first."

Goalkeeper Ian Westwater said, "Gascoigne showed what a good player and what an important player he is for Rangers with the magic he produced. His overall play was first class and he's very difficult to defend against. He's not just national class, he's world class. Whatever happens, if he stays at Ibrox or returns to England, on performances like that everyone will want him."

Walter Smith has banned the Rangers players from talking to the media for two weeks "because you'll only ask them about Gascoigne".

Erik Bo Andersen arrived back at Ibrox this morning after his proposed moves to Aalborg and Odense broke down. Both clubs have admitted they will renew their interest if Rangers drop their asking price. Odense manager Jorgen Baekkelund said, "we had talks with Rangers about Bo Andersen last week but we agree with Aalborg manager Lynge Jacobsen. Rangers are asking too much money for a reserve player. If we were to buy Erik he would be one of the most expensive reserve players ever brought to a club."

Dunfermline manager Bert Paton was disappointed with his sides' performance on Saturday but gave Rangers a lot of credit. He said, "some of the movement from Rangers was tremendous and you had to admire the quality of their goals. In Gascoigne and Laudrup they have players who can hurt any defence and in Negri they have a guy who can't go through a game without scoring. Rangers were very good and being ripped apart like that is a dagger in the heart! It's very difficult playing Celtic and Rangers in the space of four days, and you can see today why there is such a gap in the league and why people are pushing for a breakaway."

Walter Smith said, "it was a good result and we played well. Once we got a couple of goals we settled down and dictated the game. Negri again showed good form today and I'm delighted he is continuing his run."

19 October 1997

Walter Smith Rangers has slammed newspapers down south for urging Paul Gascoigne to return to the Premiership. He said, "why don't they just shut up and let Gazza get on with his football. What they seem to be saying in England is that he'll be a better player for England if he plays in their Premier Division. If this is so why have they kept picking him for the past two years? We've had four enquiries for but there have been no concrete bids. We've never said we are willing to sell him. He's here under contract for the next three years and seems perfectly happy to play for Rangers. Only when David Murray gets a solid offer in excess of £4.5 million will he then ask Gascoigne: 'Do you want to stay or go?' Until that happens it's business as usual."

Aston Villa manager Brian Little again admitted he was interest in signing Gascoigne. He said, "it's perhaps not fair to do it but it is difficult not to do it. A story has broken here and I have to say that there is some strength to it. We will wait until after our European match on Tuesday night to see if this can be taken further, or if Rangers want us to take it any further. This is not the way we like to do business but people have been alerted to the situation."

Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear is the latest person to advise Paul Gascoigne to return to the English Premiership. He said, "he's playing in Scotland and done well but you only have four hard games a season. If he came back to England we would certainly find more out about him. He's done it at international level. Let's see if he can do it in the Premiership now. It would be an ideal stage for him and he wouldn't necessary mean he would have to play week in and week out. These days you've got £7 million players sitting on the bench. He certainly would need to go to a club where there were good players around him. I don't think he would get away playing with a struggling club."

Lorenzo Amoruso and Sebastian Rozental have begun training and both players could be back in the light blue before the turn of the year. Rozental will begin light training in Chile this week while Amoruso hopes to be given the green light to start training next Saturday. Walter Smith said, "they're at home right now because nothing can be done here at the moment. Lorenzo will see a specialist about his achilles on 25 October and I'm looking for the go-ahead to get him back to work. Seb should be back in light training next week."

Craig Moore is out for another fortnight with a broken bone in his foot and Antti Niemi has had a metal pin inserted in his injured finger. Jonas Thern missed yesterdays match with Dunfermline but he is expected to return to training this week.

Erik Bo Andersen looks like being back at Ibrox tomorrow after his move to Aalborg or Odense fell through. Both clubs only offered Rangers £800,000 for the player with the Ibrox side looking for £900,000. Andersen said, "I've been told if nothing is sorted out I will have to fly back to Glasgow on Sunday and report for training on Monday. " Walter Smith said, "I like him and I recommend him to a lot of managers. He is a victim of circumstances at Rangers because we have Brian Laudrup to link things and Erik is simply an out and out scorer. He will do a very good job for someone."

Alan McLaren hopes to return to training soon in a desperate bid to kick start his career. He said, "there's simply no cartilage left on the outside of my knee. The surgeon had to drill a hole in the bone which then produces scar tissue to replace what I've lost. What's happened scares me because I've had this done once already and it hasn't taken. I have to hope it's right this time. I could have had a man-made cartilage but that would only have helped me to walk around not play football. I had to do this. I thought I was going in for a clear-up op and when I woke up I found out I was facing eight months out it was devastating."

"I knew I was having an op after nine-in-a-row but I just didn't expect it to be so severe. Yet sticking it out didn't do me any more harm, the damage was done. I had to keep going anyway because for spells we missed players like Gough, Petric and Moore. That was the story of nine-in-a-row, a team down to a minimum. My last game was the clincher against Dundee United. There was pain by then and major swelling. But I wasn't forced to play. I wanted to play."

"I will really have a fight on my hands if I want to get back into the first team at Ibrox because the manager has bought a lot of players. If everyone is fit then we will have eight players fighting for three places in central defence. I could be making my comeback at the same time as Lorenzo Amoruso, who cost £4 million and is certain to get his chance. I'm glad too that Gough is back but it's just one more ahead of me. But I haven't bottled anything in my life and I won't start now.

Alex Cleland thinks that the return of Richard Gough will strike fear into the opposition again. He said, "Richard will bring stability back to our defence and we badly need that. We've been given stick and we've deserved it. Some teams have come to Ibrox and found it easy to score two or three. But Richard's return has given everyone a lift and he's been looking very sharp since he got home from America. He'll help turn Ibrox into a place that frightens the opposition."

Former Rangers player Pieter Huistra who is now starring in the Champions' League with Belgian side Lierse knows all about the problems which have been experienced at Ibrox this season. He said, "Lierse won the Belgian league last season but I was one of eight new signings in the summer. We're only fourth in the league at the moment and it's the new signings who've had the bulk of the criticism. I'm the top scorer at present with four goals, so I've managed to escape relatively unscathed but the other two foreign players have come in for close scrutiny. I think this happens at most clubs when things aren't going well. People forget that things don't fall into place immediately. The things that the team were doing automatically last season aren't happening - and that is because of all the new players. I'm sure it has been the same at Ibrox."

"I was very disappointed Rangers went out of the Champions' League. When I knew I was moving to Lierse, it was always at the back of my mind that I'd get to go back to Scotland to play Rangers in the Champions' League. I knew Gothenburg would be tough but I was surprised that Strasbourg beat Rangers in the UEFA Cup. I liked the look of Rangers' summer signings and thought they would help them to a long run in Europe. The fact that didn't happen probably comes back to the number of new players Rangers had in the team."

18 October 1997

Rangers
 
Goram       6                  
Miller      8                   
Stensaas    4
Porrini     7                  
Bjorklund   7
Gough       7
Gattuso     7
Gascoigne   9
Negri       8
McCall      7
Laudrup     7
 
 

Man of the Match: Paul Gascoigne

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