Scottish Football News

Rangers’ shock defeat to Lithuanian minnows, FBK Kaunas has given rise to many Rangers supporters calling for manager Walter Smith’s head.  Radio phone-in programmes were white-hot with supporters eager to vent their anger towards the manager before the team had even showered and changed.By common consent, it has been felt that the 2-1 Champions League qualifying round defeat by FBK Kaunas – also owned by Hearts’ primary shareholder, Vladimir Romanov - was the worst result in Rangers’ history – had soured the memory of the previous season, when the Glasgow club were fighting on four fronts that culminated in reaching the ultimate stage of each competition at home and in Europe as recently as the end of May.Instead, however, the broadcast lynch mob lambasted Walter Smith for his formation, his team selection and his tactics - the very same tactics which had put Rangers on the verge of a UEFA Cup win and also lifting the SPL trophy. It’s a sad fact - and one which has angered SFA Chairman, Gordon Smith - that while Rangers may have played a remarkable 19 games in Europe last season, they now find themselves are out of Europe before tiny Queen of the South have even kicked a ball as one of Scotland’s two representatives in the Uefa Cup, the trophy Rangers contested with Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester three months ago.  Smith believes Rangers’ departure could have ramifications for
Scotland’s co-efficient, which determines the number of clubs from each member nation can compete on the European stage.However, the Rangers supporters’ Kangaroo court have little chance of seeing their calls for the manager to be removed come to fruition - at least for the moment. Although undoubtedly disappointed not only at Rangers’ capitulation, but also seeing a potential £10m windfall and arch-rivals Celtic pocket the full share of
Scotlands’ Champions League TV revenue, Smith retains the confidence of the club’s owner, Sir David Murray.  However, with a potential banana-skin awaiting Rangers in the shape of a lunchtime visit to Falkirk, Rangers will be aware of the need to have to pick up their game sharpish to any avoid further embarrassment in the Scottish title race, which gets under way on Saturday.With three of their first four fixtures away from home – including an Old Firm derby at Celtic on Aug 31 – Rangers cannot afford to be cut adrift in the SPL, whose winners will gain an automatic entry to the Champions League group stage next season.Gratitude for last season’s exploits has already dissipated for many among the short-memoried Rangers support and the pain of defeat in Lithuania has exposed again a disillusion with his methods which was merely muted when things were going well in the spring, despite derisive calls about the quality of Walter’s football and tactics, which had led to Spanish club, Barcelona to label such a style of play as ‘anti-football’.Smith acknowledges his side’s poor form and was philosophical about the defeat in
Kaunas: “If we had been in the situation of a new team being put together we could have said, ‘OK, these things happen’. But we have been a year together and have experienced tough situations.”It seems ridiculous to reach a European final and then go out at this stage but we never felt comfortable at all. Anyway, it would be an excuse to refer to the effects of last season – we share credit and we share failure.”Christian Dailly was similarly honest when he said: “This is as low as you can be – there isn’t one word to describe how I am feeling.”We worked so hard although we never played as well as we can.”There was no way we took
Kaunas lightly – we have just struggled from the end of last season.”Now that the Ibrox coffers appear to be looking bare after splashing out on Andrius Velicka, Kenny Miller and Kyle Lafferty, it remains to be seen whether Rangers will be forced to cash in on two of their most prized assets: goalkeeper Alan McGregor and Spanish defender, Carlos Cuellar in order to recoup the losses of a gamble which has gone awry.  Cuellar has already been linked with moves to
Liverpool and Tottenham in sections of the English press. 

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