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From Sporting Life The Clydesdale Bank Premier League season will be extended by four days to May 22 if Rangers reach the UEFA Cup final. The Scottish Premier League have revealed two provisional fixture lists, one which will be implemented if Rangers beat Fiorentina in their European semi-final, and the other for if they are beaten by the Italians. Both fixture lists include a run of two SPL games in three days for Rangers, who would have to play the Scottish Cup final two days after their final league game if their European run continues. If they miss out on the UEFA Cup final, which takes place on May 14 in Manchester, Rangers must play St Mirren on May 13 and May 15. That would allow the season to end on schedule, on May 18. However should Rangers overcome Fiorentina those dates would become unsuitable. Walter Smith's side would instead face Motherwell on May 17, rather than travel to Aberdeen the following day, which was due to be their final game of the campaign according to the original fixture list. They would then play St Mirren on Tuesday, May 20, and face Aberdeen on Thursday, May 22 - two days before their Scottish Cup final date with Queen of the South. The other matches involving top-six sides - Dundee United v Celtic and Hibernian v Motherwell - would also be played on May 22 to ensure the season finishes for each club at the same time. Because Fir Park would be required on May 17 if Rangers reach the Manchester final, Gretna's final match would have to be moved and a date of May 8 has been pencilled in by SPL chiefs. Rangers' outstanding games against St Mirren and Motherwell presented the SPL with their problem. SPL secretary Iain Blair said: "It is well documented that this has been an exceptionally challenging season in terms of fixturing. "The combination of a number of diverse circumstances has produced unparalleled scheduling problems. "The publication of these two models now gives our clubs, their fans and our broadcasting and other partners early notice of when these games might be played. "Our aim throughout has been to protect the integrity of our competition, balance the interests of our member clubs and have regard to player welfare and fixturing precedent. The models we have prepared seek to discharge this aim. "Both models reflect the fixturing complications the SPL has faced this season. "The first model will be adopted if Rangers FC fail to beat Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup semi-finals. "The second model exceptionally provides a modest extension to the season to enable Rangers to represent the SPL and all of Scottish football in the UEFA Cup final. "It reflects the fact that the outstanding fixtures cannot reasonably be played in the available time and will involve some disruption for a number of our clubs. "This model will involve moving the last round of top-six games to Thursday May 22. "It is clear that future requests for changes to our scheduled fixture list will have to be compelling before approval is given." Games have been postponed for varying reasons this season, with four put back to later dates following the death of Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell in December. Eight have been postponed due to waterlogged pitches; the two games involving Rangers and Celtic ahead of Scotland's crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Italy were called off after a Scottish FA request; and Rangers succeeded in a request to have their SPL game against Gretna postponed in December to afford them extra preparation time for their Champions League game against Lyon. ===================================== SO if we make the UEFA final we have to play that Final on May 14, followed by a game on May 17 and May 20, May 22 in the league and then the SC Final on May 24 - Gee, thanks SPL. That is a ridiculous run of games and the sole reason it seems they are doing it is such that the SC Final is the last game in the calendar - move it back a week or two. Even if we don't make the UEFA final we are being asked to play May 13, 15 and 18 to close out the season - again, 3 games in 5 days and the Tims think everyone is trying to help US win the league - aye, right !! Why not stretch the games at least a bit - May 13, May 17, May 20 - then the SC final on May 24 ? If this was the Tims being faced with the same fixture back-log and being asked to play 5 games in 10 days there would be outrage.

Is it just me or are the Scottish press desparate for Rangers to fail in their quest for a domestic treble and a uefa cup win ? , we have been slaughterd for our peformance's and given no credit for getting through to 2 Scottish finals and into a European semi final with a reasonable chance of Reaching the Final in Manchester. Last week before the old firm game it was "Strachan must go" "Celtic in Crisis" now after a last minute winner against us everythings Rosey again and their the media darlings again. The one that drives me mad the most is Bill Leckie this man cannot hide his hatred for our club he is a prick of the highest order Also McGreedy getting young player and player of the year can someone please tell me how many good games this little weasel has turned up in this season ?? to say he is better than Cuellar is a joke. We do have a lot of injurys at the moment but the chance to do a quadruople must spur the players on , i will be there on Thursday signing till i cant sign no more and give whatever playerrs smith chooses 110% backing and hopefully we pull of a result despite being written off already before a ball is kicked. Yours in "i hate Celtic with a passion mode"

Rangers set for summer friendly with Benitez's Liverpool Apr 19 2008 By David Mccarthy Exclusive RANGERS could face Champions League hopefuls Liverpool in a sell-out glamour friendly at Ibrox in the summer. The SPL leaders are in talks with the Premiership giants and are hoping a deal can be struck. Rangers are also considering an offer from Spanish outfit Atletico Bilbao, who are looking to play pre-season friendlies in Britain. The Ibrox club have yet to decide whether to take the fixture but it would be another stern summer test for Walter Smith and his players. Meanwhile, Hampden is in danger of being half empty for tomorrow's Scottish Cup semifinal between Rangers and St Johnstone with a crowd of around 26,000 expected.

Gow could move to Sweden to further career Apr 19 2008 By Gordon Parks Scottish Cup Special... Exclusive ALAN GOW is set to take his season into overtime by joining Swedish side Djurgardens on loan. The Rangers striker has yet to start a league game since signing from Falkirk last summer and Record Sport understands he is keen on the idea of heading to Stockholm for the next few months in a bid to hit the ground running next season. The 25-year-old has featured in just two cup matches and is determined to stay and fight for a chance to prove his worth. But despite a growing list of injuries and suspensions Gow has been unable to force himself into Walter Smith's plans. The Gers boss has told Gow he would be prepared to sanction a loan move and Djurgardens are waiting to find out if a short-term deal can be agreed.

From todays Record. Davis inches closer to signing for Rangers Apr 19 2008 Chris Roberts Scottish Cup Special... FULHAM boss Roy Hodgson is willing to accept a cut-price s3million bid from Rangers for loan star Steve Davis in the summer. Hodgson sees no future for the Northern Ireland midfielder at Craven Cottage and would be willing to let him leave for s1m less than the fee paid to Aston Villa in July 2007. That is good news for the Ibrox money men and boss Walter Smith, who has made him his No.1 signing target. The only problem for Rangers would be if Fulham are relegated to the Championship and sack their manager. A new boss, with John Collins tipped to take over, might want to recall Davis and block his full-time move to Scotland.

Rangers have the stamina for fight on four fronts, vows Ally McCoist Apr 18 2008 By Keith Jackson ALLY McCOIST last night insisted that burn-out will not see Rangers' quest for a quadruple go up in flames. McCoist was rolled out to face the media yesterday as part of his duties as "caretaker" boss for the Ibrox club's Scottish Cup run. He has been handed increased responsibility for team affairs by manager Walter Smith and will again be the front man at Hampden on Sunday as Rangers bid to see off St Johnstone and reach the Final. But while Smith and his players are still licking their wounds after Wednesday night's Old Firm defeat, McCoist remains adamant Rangers are not about to run out of gas on the last leg of their incredible journey towards a clean sweep. He said: "There will be questions levelled against us now, I'm aware of that. As far as I'm concerned it's questions that must be levelled at the players. "This was always going to happen at some stage this season. So far the lads have answered all the questions and I don't have any doubts that they will keep on answering positively. "There are a lot of strong characters in the dressing room. We'll need those strong characters, that's for sure. "But we've never, ever said that the league campaign was over. We have a cup game next but I have no doubts we'll bounce back. "I see comparisons with the team I played in back in 1992. There is a real togetherness and there is a real team spirit. There are characters who just don't know when they're beaten and you learn more about yourself in defeat. "Just like that 1992 side this lot are prepared to roll up their sleeves when they have to and that's exactly what they will do now." By the time Rangers get back to league business at Hibs on May 4, Celtic could have opened up an eight-point gap at the top of the SPL pile. But McCoist said: "I wasn't aware of that because I only look at the next game. "We have a lot of games to play in a short space of time. It's a problem but it's one we will have to address. It's a case of getting on with it. "I'm not overly concerned about the burn-out issue because we have a squad of players who can handle it. "We asked for one game off so people could throw that back in our faces. We could have squeezed games in had we looked at things a little bit better but this is the situation we find ourselves in and we have to deal with it. And I have no concerns with this squad of players." McCoist is relishing the chance to work with a group of players who could yet go down as the most successful Rangers side of all time. A win over Saints on Sunday will see the quad squad move one step closer to their improbable dream. And McCoist said: "When we pick the team we all pitch in but Walter obviously has the final say. For the cup games he is letting me handle the media and take the team talks - but he is still the manager. "I might have more responsibility but I would be foolish not to ask him for advice - even if he gave me full permission to pick the team. "But I do have a lot more to do with the cup games in terms of organising things and I am thoroughly enjoying it. "When I think back to what I was doing 18 months ago, with my TV work and that kind of thing, then yes, I must admit, I'm very surprised to be sitting here now preparing a team for a Scottish Cup semi-final. Very surprised - but delighted. "It's been a fantastic year. We've had a lot of highs and then we had a massive disappointment on Wednesday night. But you sit back and think that might not be such a bad thing. It's all part of the learning curve." Never realized that Walter was letting him basically take charge of the team during the cup run. Another season under Smith then McCoist to take over?

Words from Walter.... Manager Walter Smith saw Rangers' SPL lead reduced to one point after a last-minute defeat at Celtic Park. "For us it is a difficult one to take losing it so late in the game," Smith told BBC Sport after the 2-1 loss. "After holding out for the length of time we did the disappointing aspect for us was losing the goal just in the last seconds. "Celtic, although they had territorial possession when we were down to 10 men, didn't create many opportunities." Although the visitors were disappointed to lose the match, they remain favourites to clinch the league title having played two games fewer than their city rivals. Smith admitted that his side were over-run in the first half but it was a different story after the break. "Celtic were the better side in the first half and imposed themselves on the game better than we did, although there weren't many chances for either team in that first half. "I don't think we could argue that Celtic deserved that lead. "In the second half we started to impose ourselves as Celtic did in the first half and we played very well. "We managed to equalise in our best spell of the game and then obviously when we got a player sent off the game was always going to turn. "We were always going to be under a little bit of pressure. We had to defend and we did so brilliantly until the last few seconds." Think he is a little miffed at losing it in the fashion we did. It is a typical Bheggars goal, well into time added on, but we have to expect it.

ALLAN MCGREGOR wrote his name into the history books on March 29 when he became the first Rangers keeper to record four consecutive clean sheets against Celtic but he doesn't want to stop there. Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor show their thanks to the fansThe club's No. 1 will travel to Parkhead tonight for another crucial clash against Gordon Strachan's men and would love nothing more than to increase his remarkable run to five as Walter Smith's side look to put one hand, or glove for that matter, on the SPL trophy. Keeping Celtic at bay in front of 60,000 fans in green and white is easier said than done but Greegs is confident his team can once again do the business in the world's greatest derby. When the clubs last went in to battle it was the men in Light Blue that gained a vital psychological boost with a stunning 1-0 victory. This game will be remembered for Kevin Thomson's majestic goal but few will forget the fingertip stop which denied Andrius Hinkel a second-half equaliser. When the German right-back cut inside and unleashed a dipping shot from 30-yard the Celtic fans in the Broomloan Stand were already off their seats ready to raise the roof. McGregor had other ideas and his save brought back memories of Andy Goram's unbelievable stop to deny Pierre Van Hooijdonk at the same end of the ground during the nine-in-a-row era. It was another moment of magic from the 26-year-old who has been inspirational in Rangers quest for an unprecedented quadruple this season. Allan McGregor celebrates at the final whistle Although Carlos Cuellar may be the early favourite to scoop the country's Player of the Year awards for his terrific consistency Allan must also be in with a fighting chance of picking up a few gongs. Winning individual honours, however, will be the last thing on his mind right now. The SPL takes centre-stage this evening in Glasgow's East End and Allan is hoping it is his opposite number Artur Boruc that is once again picking the ball out of his net. He said: "Obviously I would love to keep another clean sheet against Celtic, that would be a dream scenario but as long as we get a result that's all that matters really. "All the boys will be right up for the game and we have to be quietly confident of getting a result although it will be very hard. "They will be fighting for their lives and have a league title to retain while we are trying to win it for the first time in three years. "Both Celtic and ourselves need to be on our toes right now and try to take three points from every game we play in. "That is what happens when you are with the Old Firm and tonight's game is no different. "I think we will need to play better than we did in our last two wins over them at Ibrox but hopefully we can come out on top." Allan McGregorRunning out in front of a packed Celtic Park would have a lot of players quivering in their boots but Allan can't wait to get out on the pitch and strut his stuff. "I actually quite enjoy going to Parkhead and I think a lot of lads say that. It's a challenge and if you can come away with a win it's the best feeling in the world. "To be honest I am not too bothered about the atmosphere at away grounds and that's the same at Parkhead. "Once you are out there you just get your head down and concentrate on the job at hand. "I have no doubt that tonight's game will start and it will be frantic for a while and it usually settles down after that. "It will be up to our players to get on the ball and take the game to Celtic. "We want to win the game, that is our main priority and obviously my aim is to keep a clean sheet again but if we come away with a draw it is perhaps not too bad a result."

Kris Boyd insists the time is not right leave to leave Rangers, despite reported interest from Manchester City. The Rangers striker has cut a frustrated figure for much of the present campaign, as Gers boss Walter Smith has often elected to start with his top goalscorer on the bench. Boyd has hit a remarkable 24 goals this season, despite limited playing time, yet still he remains a player that divides opinion like few others. The Scotland international could well point to 50 goals from 54 league starts for Rangers - at Kilmarnock he netted 64 in 106 starts - but his critics harbour resentment at his lack of work-rate outside of the box. It was suggested in the weekend papers that Boyd could be a target for City in the summer, but the hit-man is confident he still has a future at Ibrox. Happy for now "It's not come to that stage for me, and I don't think it's come to that stage for Rangers either," he told Sky Sports News, when asked about a possible departure. "At the end of the day if the gaffer didn't want me then he'd come and tell me that it's time to find another club." Boyd accepts there are areas of his game that could be improved but of the opinion that goals win matches, he believes he has plenty to offer as Rangers chase a quadruple. "I don't know, at the end of the day I look at what I do inside the box - and it's good enough to win games," when quizzed on whether he needs to improve his overall game. "Obviously I'd like to add the other bits to my game but (Iain) Durrant used to say to annoy a couple of the lads at Killie, 'you get the bricks and he'll lay them'. "Even the best in the world can add to their game and I'm like that too. But first I need to get back on the pitch, working hard in training. "You need games to get really sharp, to improve the different aspects of your game that people go on about." Taken from SKy Sports website. Looks like he wants to stay and fight for his place. Good man!

I'll give Rangers first chance to sign me, says loan star Steve Davis Apr 16 2008 By Colin Duncan RANGERS' hopes of making Steve Davis' switch from Fulham permanent were last night given a major boost. The midfielder revealed he will give the SPL leaders first crack at signing him. The Ulsterman has been a revelation at Ibrox since arriving from Craven Cottage on loan during the January window and has played an integral part in Rangers' push for four trophies this season. Now Ibrox boss Walter Smith has made keeping him his No.1 priority this summer. The 23-year-old is receptive to the idea of furthering his career north of the border if Fulham decide to let him go. But with Middlesbrough, Everton, Blackburn and Newcastle all chasing the �£4million-rated star Rangers might struggle to match the financial package on offer in the Premiership. Davis said: "The most important thing for me is to see this season through first. We are still involved in three competitions at the moment and that's what I need to focus on. "When the season finishes I will go away, have a break and hopefully sort out my future after that. What I can say is that I will listen to Rangers first. If they are an option then it's something I will consider. "I grew up a Rangers fan and I have enjoyed my time here. It has been good for everyone and the fact we're in the semi-final of the UEFA Cup proves we are a massive club. "The manager is well respected and it was good to read that he wants to keep me. I have enjoyed working with him. "I haven't really thought about things and I suppose a lot will depend on what happens with Fulham." Instead of fighting a relegation battle with the Londoners, Davis now finds himself closing in on four trophies with his boyhood heroes. Yet, as he gears up for his second Old Firm clash the Northern Irishman admits he was surprised Roy Hodgson allowed him to move north. He said: "I don't know why Fulham let me go. Before I came here I'd started almost every league game but then there was a change in manager. I was out of the team and when I heard of Rangers' interest I went to see the new boss. "I didn't think he would agree to the move but he did and I'm so glad I came. I've been able to add to the quality that was already here and things have worked out well." Victory at Parkhead tonight would leave Celtic needing a miracle to overhaul Rangers in the title race and while Davis is confident he knows it will take another Herculean display. He added: "We had big performance against Sporting last week, probably the best I've been involved in since I came here. "We showed we are a good footballing side and there's no doubt we've taken a lot of confidence from that performance. But it will take a similar showing against Celtic to get anything at Parkhead. "Things have gone well for me since I came to Ibrox but there's a lot of football to be played and it's now a case of seeing it through. "This will be my first experience of Parkhead but I'm looking forward to it. "There's no doubt this game is huge just because of what is at stake. It's vital we get a result. "A draw would suit us more than Celtic but you don't go into any game looking to draw. We'll be going there looking to win." GET THE LAD SIGNED WALTER

http://www.rangerssupporterstrust.co.uk/rstsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=197&Itemid=1 The facts speak for themselves: Rangers are in a European semi-final with a domestic clean-sweep distinctly possible. The performance in Lisbon was exceptional, with ball retention and composed football of the highest quality. Getting an away goal at a critical time showed genuine character and if Steven Whittaker was Brazilian weââ?¬â?¢d still be raving about his slalom run through the Sporting defence. Having beaten 3 excellent sides to progress, Rangers now face Fiorentina as equals. In the Scottish Cup, the business was taken care of with 2 first half strikes. Credit to Thistle but not their supporters, who need to learn that sectarian abuse of both the Pope and the Queen is unacceptable. Anything other than defeat at Celtic Park should see Rangers as Champions, but with Celtic failing to score or secure a point in the last 4 OF fixtures, a major ââ?¬Ë?Timplosionââ?¬â?¢ is possible. Letââ?¬â?¢s hope the home crowdââ?¬â?¢s May 1999 behaviour isnââ?¬â?¢t repeated. Stephen Smith http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/SPL-fanzone.3984993.jp Seems, as usual, it's fair game to call Rangers fans bigots but if we have the temerity to question other supporters' regarding their own sectarian chants, we're, erm, still bigots. Great column, Stevie!

Arthur Numan may not be considered thus by Rangers fans who witnessed him collect eight trophies in five seasons at Ibrox - particularly now that the Dutchman has made his home in Scotland - but the 38-year-old believes his former club should be looking to expand their horizons. advertisement <A HREF="http://ads.telegraph.co.uk/event.ng/Type=click&FlightID=27064&AdID=32704&TargetID=6217&ASeg=&AMod=&Redirect=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/flanders" target="_top"><IMG SRC="http://adc.telegraph.co.uk/f/flanders/cobrands/flanders_300x250.gif" WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=250 BORDER=0></A> Ironically, considering he was speaking in order to publicise broadcasters Setanta's exclusive rights to tomorrow night's Old Firm game, Numan played down the importance of that particular encounter and argued that Walter Smith should make winning the Uefa Cup the club's priority. Numan is of the opinion that winning the SPL title is a done deal and that local bragging rights should take a back seat to preparing properly for the visit of semi-final opponents Fiorentina in nine days' time. "For me the Uefa Cup is, without a doubt, the most important competition," Numan said. "Winning that would be a bigger achievement than five league titles put together. "Rangers have won 51 league titles, but how many European trophies have they won? Just the one. "In this country everyone is so focused on the league but when you look at the teams Rangers have already beaten in Europe this season you realise what this would mean. "It would also be good for Scotland as a country. Celtic and Rangers have already reached the last 16 of the Champions League and the national team has also been improving. "To be honest, I've been surprised by how well Rangers have done and I'd be lying if I said I was the only one. No-one expected them to get this far. "The home-grown players at the Old Firm know what it means to play for Rangers or Celtic but maybe you need to think like a foreigner to win the Uefa Cup. "I remember losing 5-1 at Parkhead in my first Old Firm game and afterwards Ian Ferguson just went mental. He even said he would rather beat Celtic four times each season than win the league. "But the club is now just two games away from going to Manchester for the final and that would be fantastic. It should be their priority." Celtic's management and staff claim that retaining their title remains a possibility, but Numan gives the impression that opinion is right up there with Scientology as far as questionable beliefs are concerned. "At the moment Rangers are four points clear with two games in hand," Numan said. "The way they're playing just now, realistically that puts them 10 points clear with just six games left. "Celtic have been losing a lot of games recently while Rangers have lost just one of their last 30 matches. So there's no need for them to worry -Rangers can afford to lose both games at Parkhead and still win the title. "Of course, that would make life a little more difficult for them because that's when the pressure comes. I remember in 2003 we were eight points clear with nine games left and then we lost twice to Celtic and drew with Dundee after missing two penalties. "That meant it came down to goal difference and we beat Dunfermline 6-1 while Celtic won 4-0 at Kilmarnock. But I don't think that will happen this time." Numan has been impressed by the resilience of Rangers since Smith's return, but doesn't doubt that the team he played in was superior in almost every respect. "We were a far better team and we also played better football," he said. "The strength of the current group is that they are well-organised and play as a unit.They're hard to beat and they don't give a lot of goals away." "My one regret is that the Rangers team I played in never made it past the first stage of the Champions League, especially when you look at the squad we had."

STEVIE SMITH is in a Rangers team for the first time since December 2006 for today's Scottish Cup quarter-final replay with Partick Thistle at Firhill. The full-back has not featured since the 1-1 draw with Celtic 16 months ago because of a long-term pelvic problem but finally makes his comeback against the Jags. Kirk Broadfoot's one-match suspension allows the 22-year-old to return and he is one of seven changes to the team which beat Sporting 2-0 on Thursday. Barry Ferguson, Lee McCulloch, Jean-Claude Darcheville, Steven Davis, Sasa Papac and Brahim Hemdani have also dropped out of the first XI. In their places come David Weir, Chris Burke, Kris Boyd, Nacho Novo and Steven Naismith in a 4-4-2 formation. Euro hero Steven Whittaker also starts the game at right-back. Following Queen of the South's semi-final win over Aberdeen yesterday, Rangers have a real opportunity to claim their first Scottish Cup for five years. Another First Division outfit - St Johnstone - await the winners of this tie in the last four and Walter Smith is fielding a strong side to give Gers their best chance of going through. RANGERS: McGregor; Whittaker, Weir, Cuellar, Smith; Burke, Dailly, Thomson, Naismith; Novo, Boyd. Subs: Alexander, Ferguson, Cousin, McCulloch, Furman,

Smith Keen To Keep Davis WALTER SMITH has admitted that he would very keen to sing Steven Davis on a permanent deal. The Nothern Ireland international has been a key player in the second half of the season with terrific performances in midfield since joining on loan from Fuilham. Given that the Craven Cottage side is threatened with relegation, Davis may see his long-term future elsewhere. Smith hopes that place is Ibrox. Smith said: "I haven't really spoken with Steven but I need to. His situation is different from Christian Dailly's because he was released by West Ham and free to sign for us whereas Steve is on loan. He will revert back to his club at the end of the season. "There is an option to make the deal permanent but that doesn't count for much. A lot of other clubs will be interested in him. "We would like to keep him but that might be a little more awkward than it looks."

Sunday, 13 April 2008 -------------------------Time--------TV Motherwell v Celtic-------14:00-------*** Wednesday, 16 April 2008 -------------------------Time--------TV Celtic v Rangers----------19:45-------*** Celtic get the chance to pull three points back on Rangers again on Sunday. To do that they will have to beat their public enemy No.1, Motherwell. Both will be missing key midfield players as Bob Malcolm and Scott Brown are both suspended. Adding to that the game will take part on the mud patch pitch that fir park has become it may make fighting spirit more important than classy football. I can see Celtic getting outfought in a midfield battle in this one but will go for the draw. A Motherwell win will virtually hand Rangers the League title so here's hoping. Draw. On Wednesday Rangers travel to the piggery which throws up a must win game for Celtic. Walter Smith's dominance in old firm games is almost becoming embarrassing and i see no reason to contemplate a change in fortune. Rangers are riding on a high wave while Celtic are drowning in their own saliva. I really think we are good enough to win this one and won't even contemplate a draw. Rangers win.

By Julian Taylor "When Rangers limped off after a Champions League capitulation at home to Lyon in December, few thought that just four months later the same players would be eyeing a European final. The dejected Glasgow club were parachuted into the Uefa Cup and now only Fiorentina stand in the way of an appearance at the City of Manchester stadium on 14 May. It would be a remarkable achievement and long overdue for a club who have not tasted continental success since a European Cup Winners' Cup victory in 1972. HOW HAS SMITH SUCCEEDED? One of the main criticisms of Smith's first spell in charge was that, for all Rangers' domestic domination, he could not adjust his teams to the European arena. Ironically, this time around, the Light Blues have fewer resources, and their Uefa Cup run has been the result of Smith's greater experience and pragmatism. His approach has been to play with just one striker up front, with Jean-Claude Darcheville carrying the responsibility, with the prolific Kris Boyd featuring just once, against Panathinaikos. This hasn't always been popular with the fans, but the former Scotland manager's persistence has paid dividends, as Rangers have conceded only two goals in six games ahead of the semi-final clash against the Italians. Rangers looked comfortable for long periods in Lisbon, with a maturity to their possession play in midfield. Darcheville simply delivered when opportunity arose. Smith admitted earlier that the prospect of Uefa Cup football was firmly down his list of priorities, with the SPL title the main item on his agenda. But now, with each passing success, confidence and excitement has grown, with Rangers supporters eager for their club to emulate Celtic's run to the 2003 final. THE SCOTTISH FACTOR Smith's experience with the national team has helped - his emphasis on Scottish-style industry has transformed Rangers. The 60-year-old's success with Scotland - particularly when plotting the famous Hampden win over France - will no doubt have imbued him with the belief that, as a manager, he can outfox the biggest names at the highest level. Central to the Uefa Cup campaign has been the form of key Scots such as goalkeeper Allan McGregor, veteran defender David Weir plus Barry Ferguson and Kevin Thomson. McGregor's performance away to Werder Bremen was quite outstanding, while captain Ferguson has always looked comfortable in any European company. Weir's partnership with the exceptional Spaniard Carlos Cuellar - who has a rugged, traditional Scots style - has been one of the major reasons why Smith can rely on a solid backbone in pressurised situations in Europe against quality sides. RANGERS' NEW EUROPEAN RESILIENCE On several occasions the Ibrox side have answered a stern test of their character. The second leg of their tie in Bremen saw the German side dominate. Yet Rangers prevailed, thanks to McGregor, Smith's organisation and a fair slice of good luck. A tricky tie in Athens was negotiated when Nacho Novo netted a priceless late away goal against Panathinaikos, and Steven Whittaker's sublime finish against Sporting crowned a deserved win. Curiously, it could be argued that the Uefa Cup adventure has been a relatively relaxing diversion from the SPL title battle with holders Celtic, with the season set to reach another edgy conclusion. The fact is that the prospect of actually winning the Uefa Cup is only now beginning to dawn on Rangers, taking even Smith by surprise. The manager will continue to claim that winning a 52nd Scottish championship will be the main priority. However, a serious tilt at the Uefa Cup now gives Rangers a profile in Europe they certainly would not have dreamt of earlier in the season. "

by Lindsay Herron LORENZO AMORUSO can't wait for his former clubs Fiorentina and Rangers to go into battle for a place in the UEFA Cup Final. And the former Ibrox captain says the two sides are not only evenly matched but very similar in style. Amoruso, who joined Rangers for just under �£4m from Fiorentina in 1997, is eagerly anticipating the clashes between the two sides. Adrian MutuHe told rangers.co.uk: "It's fantastic that the two teams that mean the most to me are playing each other for a place in the UEFA Cup Final, but the sad thing is that one of them has to go out. "Fiorentina and Rangers will always have places in my heart because they are the best clubs I played for. "But I won't be supporting either of them when the matches come along - how can I? I will just go to the second leg here in Florence and hope that the best team goes through. "I think either side could do it and they are very similar because they are teams without superstars but fantastic work ethic. "Of course, Fiorentina have Adrian Mutu who is a big player and Giampaolo Pazzini is his strike partner who is also a good player. "But they are a team that works very hard for each other. They don't have the big names like Milan, Juventus and Inter have but they are ahead of Milan in the league in fourth position and with a bit of luck they could be even higher. "Rangers are the same. Of course Barry Ferguson is a big influence, but the team is working so hard as a unit and that is down to the good judgement ot Walter Smith and Ally McCoist." The Street is Moving

by Darrell King RANGERS fans will be celebrating their team's historic march into the Uefa Cup semi-finals today - and a possible �£25million Euro windfall. Walter Smith's side beat Sporting Lisbon 2-0 on their own patch last night to set up a last four showdown with Italian side Fiorentina and a guaranteed �£20m. Jean-Claude Darcheville and Steven Whittaker were the goal heroes as the Light Blues kept alive dreams of making the final in Manchester on May 14. And while 4000 Gers fans partied into the small hours in the Portuguese capital, the club's money men were also celebrating all the way to the bank. Reaching the semis is worth a further �£2.5m for the club, who have already earned �£17.5m for their eight-month European campaign that has so far seen them play 16 ties - 10 in the Champions League and six in the Uefa Cup - and visit seven different countries. Rangers will be paid a qualification bonus of �£500,000 by Uefa for making it to the last four. And with 50,000 fans set to cram into Ibrox for the first leg against the Italians on April 24, that will be worth another �£2m in ticket revenue and additional spin-offs. Should Rangers go all the way to the final in the City of Manchester stadium, they would bank at least a further �£2m, and �£500,000 more than that if they can win their first European trophy in 36 years. The side also stand to rake in millions more in marketing and vending opportunities. And Rangers players are also quids in. They were on a �£35,000 a man win bonus to beat Sporting last night and have now earned more than �£100,000 each for their exploits in Europe this season. They are believed to be on �£50,000 a man if they win a European trophy for the first time since 1972 when Rangers beat Moscow Dynamo in Barcelona to win the Cup Winners' l Cup. There will, however, be a massive ticket scramble for the second leg against Fiorentina which will be played in Florence on May 1. The Stadio Artemio Franchi only holds 47,000 and Rangers security chief Kenny Scott, who will fly to Italy next week to begin planning for that game, doesn't expect the away allocation to be much more than 2000. Today, Gers fans were rushing to book budget flights with Ryanair, who fly from Prestwick to Pisa, which lies about an hour away from Florence. But travel prices went through the roof within minutes of the final whistle blowing in Lisbon as the low-cost carrier hiked prices for the route. At 10pm, return flights were selling for a reasonable �£195. But as more and more fans logged on to the airline's internet site, prices jumped by �£100 within minutes. Thousands are also expected to travel via other air routes and on buses to be in Florence for the semi-final second leg next month. Rangers chairman Sir David Murray shelled out �£50,000 from the club's earnings to buy the official 2500 allocation for last night's match in the Jose Alvalade Stadium as a thank you to their fans. But a further 1500 supporters travelled independently and managed to get tickets. Ladbrokes today cut the price on Barry Ferguson lifting the trophy in Manchester from 14/1 to 11/2. Fiorentina are 5/2, Bayern Munich 10/11 favourites and Zenit St Petersburg 11/2.

BILLY KIRKWOOD'S Rangers under-19 side is showing as much spirit as Walter Smith's first team after their 2-0 win over Dundee United yesterday. Isa BagciThe youths beat the Arabs at Glenesk Park with goals either side of half-time from Isa Bagci and captain Andrew Shinnie. Collecting another three points takes the young Gers a step closer to retaining the SPL title they won last year. When they will have a chance to claim the trophy once more is unclear because of the situation regarding Gretna and their remaining fixtures. If the Borders side is unable to fulfil them and points won against them are removed from the standings, nearest challengers Hibs would move three points closer to Rangers. Regardless, Kirkwood's team could win the league on Monday when they take on United again at Murray Park, although Friday's clash with Motherwell is a more likely date. Yesterday's victory was all about grit and determination and the manager was delighted with the application his men showed.Andrew Shinnie Kirkwood said: "It was an exceptional team performance. Every single player, including the subs who went on, showed real desire and resilience. "Without playing fantastic football, there wasn't a single failure and that was the most pleasing thing. "We have still got a wee bit of work to do, but only because we don't know the situation with Hibs. "Our result yesterday puts us nine points ahead of Celtic, who only have three games left, and we have a superior goal difference to theirs. "That means Hibs are probably our only realistic challengers and if we can win on Monday then take a point next Friday, that could clinch it." RANGERS: S. Gallacher, McLachlan, Kinniburgh, Perry, Harvey, Ness, Stirling (Hutton), Shinnie, Bagci (Little), Fleck, Efrem (Durie).

Recently there has been much informed (but much more ill-informed) discussions regarding the short and long-term futures of both Old Firm managers. Some journalists have even gone as far as to claim that they know that Gordon Strachan will leave Celtc this summer, no matter the outcome of the SPL. Apparently, he has had enough of the baggage that associates itself with being an ââ?¬Ë?Old Firmââ?¬â?¢ manager. Funnily enough, we never hear of this baggage when a Rangers manager is ââ?¬Ë?strugglingââ?¬â?¢. Did this apparent baggage affect Alex McLeish or Paul Le Guen? Anyway, I digress. GS is in an extraordinary position as no matter how well he does (2 SPL titles, 2 domestic trophies and 2 last 16 appearances in the CL) will never be enough to appease the (growing) vocal minority (which will increase to the majority if we are to clinch the SPL title) as he isnââ?¬â?¢t termed ââ?¬Ë?Celtc Mindedââ?¬â?¢. Yip, once again that mysterious term or Celtc mindedness raises its ugly head. In this instance, I believe that the media have gotten it correct, no matter how the season ends, GS will leave Parkhead for pastures new. Liewell and his PR machine will go into overdrive and promise to deliver a ââ?¬Ë?Blue Chipââ?¬â?¢ replacement, with names from abroad being touted about, but I believe any new manager will come from much closer to home. In fact, I donââ?¬â?¢t think youââ?¬â?¢ll need to look much further than Motherwell. Mark McGee will fit most of the criteria Celtc are looking for, and most importantly to appease the fans, he is what can be termed ââ?¬Ë?Celtc Mindedââ?¬â?¢. Other names that will enter the frame and could become part of a management team are Mick McCarthy, Tony Mowbry, John Hughes and Peter Grant (see a pattern developing here!). Our manager is in a slightly different position. Walter Smith was brought back to steady the ship, to get us back challenging for domestic honours whilst continuing to progress in Europe. So far this season, it can be argued that he as ââ?¬Ë?over achievedââ?¬â?¢. If we finish the season with say the domestic treble, or even just with the much coveted SPL trophy, Walter Smith may decide that he has delivered and might want to take a step back. However, I donââ?¬â?¢t think he can as his successor is just settling into a new job at the moment and wonââ?¬â?¢t want to ââ?¬Ë?jump shipââ?¬â?¢ just yet. Some believe that Ally McCoist is being groomed as Walter Smithââ?¬â?¢s long term replacement but I donââ?¬â?¢t think Ally will be ready in 12-18 months. In my opinion, weââ?¬â?¢ll have another manager before Ally McCoist. As I said recently, I wouldnââ?¬â?¢t rule out Craig Levin, but I believe that our next manager will be George Burley. But, as I said above, I canââ?¬â?¢t see WS moving on until the end of next season at the earliest. This may come as a disappointment to the minority of Rangers fans who for some reason believe that we arenââ?¬â?¢t improving under Walter Smith. We have won our first trophy in 3 years, are leading the SPL, have a great chance of the domestic treble and are racking up the European coefficient points like never before. WS was brought in to steady the ship ââ?¬â?? he has done far more that steady us, he has turned us around into a very efficient team that is hard to beat ââ?¬â?? but I suppose, like our friends from the east end, some of us will never be satisfied. Cammy F -

WALTER SMITH has praised his fantastic players after Rangers progressed through to the semi-final stage of a European competition for the first-time in 36 years against Sporting Lisbon tonight. Kirk Broadfoot celebrates with DarchevilleTerrific second-half strikes from Jean-Claude Darcheville and Steven Whittaker secured a hugely memorable victory in the Portuguese capital. The Light Blues thoroughly deserved their win and the gaffer was understandably beaming with pride after the final whistle in the Jose Alvalade Stadium. He said: "It is a terrific achievement for us to be in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. "I thought we played extremely well tonight, especially in the second-half. "In the first we were a bit disappointed as our final ball let us down a few times which was a bit frustrating. "But I was delighted with the way we performed after half-time and the goals were terrific. "The first was a great move involving Jean-Claude and Steven (Davis) and the second was excellent work from Steven Whittaker. Walter Smith instructs his team in Lisbon "When he picked the ball up it looked as though he was going to feed in Daniel but he kept going and showed brilliant composure to score. "That was a bit of icing on the cake for us and I am so proud of the players. "They have worked ever so hard and when you consider that after the Fiorentina games we will have played 18 games in Europe, that underlines the effort they have put in. "They are a great bunch of boys and it is a pleasure to be working with them." Serie A giants Fiorentina now lie in wait for the Gers in the semis and the club's Chief Scout Ewan Chester watched the club's opponents tonight against PSV. He said: "Ewan was in Eindhoven to watch Fiorentina in action so we will get the full run down from him. "We don't know a great deal about them but we will get the full run down by David Moyes at Everton. "At the end of the day we are just delighted to be in the semi-final as it raises the profile of our club. "It is the first time we have been in this position for a long time and we are just delighted to be there."

I will keep knocking back buy-out bids unless they make the club stronger Sir David Murray by Darrell King RANGERS owner Sir David Murray today revealed how he almost sold the club last summer. But the Ibrox supremo did not feel that the interested suitor was right in terms of taking the club forward. The Edinburgh-based millionaire is approaching his 20th anniversary as chairman, and has said on a few occasions in the past year or so that he would sell up to the right person. But Murray - who again insisted major plans to revamp Ibrox and the surrounding area WILL be unveiled soon - remained at the helm despite the in-depth talks over buying his controlling shares. advertisementMurray said in an interview on RTV: "I repeat this again, I will not sell the club to anybody who I don't believe is in the best interests of Rangers. "I could have sold the club last summer when we had an opportunity to do a deal. But when I examined it, I genuinely did not believe it was in the best interests of the club. "Yes, eventually, I will go. All I can say is that when I do move on, I will hopefully leave the club in good shape and leave it to the right people to take Rangers forward. "As I come up to my 20th year, I have won 13 titles and 28 trophies overall. I have been reasonably successful, I have enjoyed the highs and gone with the pain of the lows - that is part of being chairman of a big club like Rangers. "If you haven't got the broad shoulders, then don't take it on and leave. But I am happy to take on the responsibility, it goes with the ticket. "We won the CIS Cup recently and that was very satisfying for all Rangers fans, including myself, and I would love to win more this season, that is what we are striving for. "I have always tried to be honest and treat everyone correctly. You can't keep everyone happy, everyone has an opinion, but I think throughout my stewardship I have always tried to have an integrity, and hopefully I will be judged that way when I finally leave." Rangers' plans for Ibrox have been met with raised eyebrows given the overall figures of �£750m that have been bandied around. Three options are being looked at, one of which would see the stadium rebuilt to a 70,000-capacity based on the Sapporo Dome in Japan, and Murray is adamant all will be revealed. He rapped: "There has been a lot of cynicism about this, but that is the way of things here in Scotland. But I had further meetings last week with councils and developers. "As soon as it is possible, and all legals are drawn up, we will make an announcement. "There is a wonderful opportunity to regenerate the whole of the area, the stadium, the areas across the road and the whole Hinshlewood area of Govan. "I hope our supporters will be pleasantly surprised when we make an announcement as soon as we can." Fans are more interested, as always, on what will happen on the pitch. Murray has vowed to back manager Walter Smith in the transfer market this summer, with a fund of �£10m said to be available. There was, of course, the �£9m sale of Alan Hutton to Spurs which offset just about all of the net spend last summer on 12 players. The chairman revealed that Smith wants to buy "three or four" first team picks instead of squad bulk like last summer. Murray explained: "The fact is we can only spend the income we have got. If we make a profit, then I'll spend it, if we don't make a profit we can't spend it. "People can moan and groan all they want, but we must balance the books as a football club. I have read people saying: Are Rangers a selling club?' We will only sell if the figure is seen to be one that you can't turn down, as with Alan Hutton. "That was a figure that we, as a board, could not turn down. We did not want to lose Alan, and initially he didn't want to go. "But he came round to the idea that it would be in his best interests, and give his family the security of a wage structure that was so much higher than he could ever get in Scotland. "I don't mind spending money on players who are young and who have their best years ahead of them. What we must not do is spend a lot of money on 30-year-olds when there is no residual value. "If you spend and invest on Steven Naismith and Steven Whittaker, players of that ilk, then it's good sound business. "But where we perhaps got it wrong was buying players at the wrong end of their careers as we strove to get European success - that backfired on us. "Financially, this club is in good shape. We have funds to spend, we showed good interim profits for six months and we will make a profit for the year net of all costs

Changing Formation Well, the ââ?¬Ë?Walter Smith is too negativeââ?¬â?¢ brigade got their wish on Saturday when our esteemed manager finally changed his formation, tactics and preferred starting line-up. What happened? Well, we lost 3 very poor goals, looked nervous, didnââ?¬â?¢t play particularly well and can count ourselves lucky that we escaped from Tannidice with a draw. In saying all of the above, lets take nothing away from Dundee Unitedââ?¬â?¢s performance as they were exceptional. They were full of running (out paced us all over the pitch), creativity, movement and no little skill ââ?¬â?? we on the other hand were devoid of the above. So what positives can we take from Tannidice? Well, we ended the weekend 1 point better off than we started it (a very unexpected bonus) and we can take heart and encouragement from the (dare I say it!) ââ?¬Ë?Never Surrenderââ?¬â?¢ attitude of the players. A lesser team would have lost that game. For me, and itââ?¬â?¢s easy to say with hindsight, we donââ?¬â?¢t have the personnel to play 4-4-2 at the moment. Our midfield looked weak and were easily overran ââ?¬â?? that was a direct result of having 2 players exposed to 3 fast DUFC midfield players. Our wide men were terrible yesterday and contributed nothing to the game. When playing 4-4-2 you require genuine ââ?¬Ë?wide-menââ?¬â?¢ in midfield and / or in the full-back positions. Players like Burke, Hutton, Beasley, Adam even Naysmith or Novo (who were unavailable to play these positions for varying reasons) would be preferable to SW, Daily, McCulloch and Papac who were deployed against Dundee United. We left Novo and Boyd isolated upfront and offered them little service or support. Novo, as usual tried his heart out (and took his goal brilliantly) whilst Boyd was his frustrating self. He really does split the fans down the middle, but in my opinion did little on Sunday to enhance his reputation or chances of securing a continued starting place. Yes he took his goal well (his 50th SPL goal for Rangers) but continues to give the impression that he has never before been introduced to a football. He loses possession to easily for a striker and MUST improve his hold-up and link up play. Yesterday, as in the CIS Cup Final, De Vries showed how to play as a ââ?¬Ë?target manââ?¬â?¢. He hustled and harried our centre-halves and didnââ?¬â?¢t give them a minutes peace. In conclusion I for one hope that WS has learnt his lesson regarding altering / tinkering with his preferred formation and we can only speculate as to weather we would have emerged from Dundee with 3 points if we had gone 4-5-1. One thing that is certain, playing 4-5-1, we wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have lost 3 goals. Coming home from the game, we had a discussion on our bus regarding an eventual replacement for Walter Smith ââ?¬â?? personally, I think we would be mad not to consider Craig Levin ââ?¬â?? he has bought some fantastic players and has DUFC playing some wonderful football (and they look fitter than our squad at the moment). So Whatââ?¬â?¢s The Agenda This Week? So we can leave the disappointment of Tannidice behind and concentrate on this weeks upcoming fixtures. Thursday sees us in Portugal for the return leg of the UEFA Cup Tie with Sporting where we are trying to secure a semi-final spot. The tie is not beyond us and itââ?¬â?¢s surprising to see that we actually secured the best ââ?¬Ë?homeââ?¬â?¢ result of all the quarter final ties. We know what we need to do, keep the game tight and try to score an away goal. This game will follow a familiar pattern as itââ?¬â?¢ll be a carbon copy of the Pana away tie (hopefully with the same outcome). We will revert back to 4-5-1 and play with 3 defensive midfield players (Fergie, Thompson and Hendami) with McCulloch out wide left and possibly Novo out right. Daily will replace the suspended Weir alongside CC with Broadfoot and Papac playing fullback. JCD will start as the lone striker with Cousin replacing him if and when required. I cannot believe the stick we have taken from some quarters (even very close to home) over the first leg result and performance. As I said above, just look at the outcome of the other ties to see that we actually secured a decent result against a more than decent team. Some (thankfully small) sections of our support really need to think before they start ââ?¬Ë?booingââ?¬â?¢ the players. We have over achieved in Europe this year ââ?¬â?? we gave decent account of ourselves in the CL Group of Death and are doing superbly well in the UEFA Cup. Just have a look at our coefficient points tally to see how well we are actually doing. On our return from Portugal, we have a tricky Scottish Cup reply against Partick Thistle to negotiate. This game will NOT be a walkover, as the original tie at Ibrox proved. We will inevitably have to make changes in this tie and fringe players may have to be relied upon to ensure that we are still on course for a domestic treble come the end of the Sunday. Appeasement So Celtc lose another OF game and the fans are showing an increasing disillusionment with wee Chesney. Okay, a mass (sic) exodus to the car-park isnââ?¬â?¢t imminent, but of they continue to drop further behind us, it looks inevitable, Peter Liewell and John Reid hatch a wonderful plan to appease the restless natives. The biggest criticism of Wee GS from the Tims is that he isnââ?¬â?¢t ââ?¬Ë?Celtc Mindedââ?¬â?¢ (what ever the hell that means ââ?¬â?? well, I could give you my thoughts but thatââ?¬â?¢s for another day!!!!) so what do they do? Well, they got on the phone to the Lurgan Bigot and ââ?¬Ë?createââ?¬â?¢ an opening for him. As predicted, Lennon jumps at the opportunity and the Tims fall for it hook, line and sinker. Hey presto, they have their favourite bigot back (after Saturdays defeat, I wonder if thereââ?¬â?¢s room for their favourite Nazi, Mr PDC?) and a ââ?¬Ë?Celtc Mindedââ?¬â?¢ coach to keep Wee GS in check. Now, Liewell will tell you that Lennon is being ââ?¬Ë?groomedââ?¬â?¢ and that a ââ?¬Ë?real roleââ?¬â?¢ will be created in the summer. Cynical me just thinks Lennon needs the cash to pay child support for all the illegitimate children (I toned that down as this is a family publication) he spawned in his time in Scotland. Cammy F ââ?¬â?? Support The Dublin Loyal - We Are The Peopleââ?¬Â¦.

Rangers reserves are back in league action this afternoon when they take on Inverness Caley Thistle at the Tulloch Stadium. Ian Durrant is likely to field a young starting eleven with only Steven Smith and Graeme Smith making the journey north. Today's game will kick off at 2pm. http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ReserveDetail/0,,5~1284436,00.html

Carlos Cuellar has become a doubt for the match in Lisbon. The Spaniard, who has been in fine form for Walter Smith's team this season, has been floored by a virus. And with central defensive partner David Weir already suspended for the match, the Rangers boss could face a selection headache. Cuellar has been ordered to remain in bed for two days, although the club is hopeful he will be able to travel to the Portuguese capital on Wednesday. Cousin has been passed fit.