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Friday 14th December 2001

Gers deny Flo speculation - source Rangers have denied they are trying to offload record £12m signing Tore Andre Flo. Reports today claimed a Norwegian agent had touted the player to German giants Bayer Leverkusen. Leverkusen, who are looking for a top-class striker to replace veteran hit-man Ulf Kirsten, knocked back the chance to land Flo. However, the Gers have today rubbished suggestions the player is for sale at any price and claimed the agent was acting independently. Flo has struggled to win over the Ibrox faithful since his record £12m record move from Chelsea, sparking rumours that he could be off-loaded to finance squad strengthening with speculation that had been offered to Bayer Leverkusen, the German Bundesliga leaders. But new manager McLeish insisted: "That's total nonsense. I have been told that I have got total, 100 percent decision-making for situations like that. I don't know if it was an agent or someone working behind Rangers' back but I'm sure that if Tore Andre Flo was to leave the club it would be Alex McLeish's decision. I have spoken to Tore and in the last couple of days and have had positive chats with the big guy on the way ahead. I do have some names in Europe that are interesting me but I will only do it when the time is right. I will only bring players to the club if I think they are better than the players who are already here."

Thursday 13th December 2001

Miller off to Wolves Kenny Miller has finally completed his £3million move from Rangers to Wolves. The striker has signed a four-and-a-half year contract. The 21-year-old has been on loan at Molineux for the last three months. Wolves fans will have to wait until after Christmas to see Miller in action as he is currently recovering from a broken collarbone. Wolves boss Dave Jones said: "This transfer has been a long and frustrating one but I know the players and the staff at Wolves, along with the supporters, will be pleased he is finally signed sealed and delivered." He added: "Now Kenny can concentrate on getting back to what he does best. Kenny is a young player with a lot of potential and we've got him for a good price. If he can quickly get back to where he was before his injury, everyone will be happy. When Kenny first came here it was never with the intention of his three-month loan becoming a permanent transfer. He was on the verge of Scotland's senior side and the arrangement was simply to give him first team football and to give us another option up front. Having seen him do so well for us, we made an enquiry and got a positive response from Rangers. We had a price in our minds for Kenny and have got him for that amount."

Wednesday 12th December 2001

Feyenoord next in Europe Rangers will face Dutch side Feyenoord in the fourth round of the UEFA Cup after the draw was made today in Geneva. The Ibrox men, who will have new boss Alex McLeish at the helm after tonight's league match against Hibs, discovered which side stands between them and a place in the quarter-finals of the competition. And they will be delighted with the outcome of the draw, which pairs them with arguably the weakest of the seeded teams in their section of the draw. Rangers and their massive Dutch enclave were keen to avoid Hector Cuper's Inter Milan in the next round, and they just managed to avoid the Italian giants, who will face Hibs' conquerors AEK Athens in the next round. Rangers were unseeded for the draw, but will optimistic of progressing against the Dutch side to make their way into the quarter-finals of the competition. Rangers also avoided Lyon and Parma in today's draw and will take on Feyenoord at Ibrox in the first leg on Ferbruary 21 before making the short trip to Holland on February 28. Rangers or Feyenoord will face either Leeds or PSV Eindhoven in the quarter-final tie

Tuesday 11th December 2001

McLeish confirmed as new boss New Rangers manager Alex McLeish says he will make no wholesale changes in the playing staff as he seeks to achieve what Dick Advocaat failed to do - overcome Celtic for Scottish honours. McLeish, whose appointment was confirmed on Tuesday night, made no rash promises about overturning Celtic's Old Firm dominance instantly. But it was clear the 42-year-old Glaswegian, a Rangers follower as a boy, regarded this as his number one priority. And with the stakes as high as in any other footballing city across the globe, he conceded that he would be judged on results alone. He said: "At this moment in time Rangers have a tremendous passing football team but it's going to take a little bit of time to evaluate the squad. I don't think it's an overnight job in terms of making changes. The points difference between us and Celtic is something we must believe we can claw back." O'Neill appears to have had an Indian sign over Advocaat, winning six of the last seven Old Firm clashes. McLeish has inherited a squad that is accustomed to being second best in these games - but the new Ibrox boss reckons there is not much difference between the sides. He said: "It's not Martin I will be fighting against. It's their team against our team. I realise that Martin has done a great job at Celtic. He's got a great team in every sense of the word. But I saw the last derby and thought Rangers were the better side. They didn't get the breaks. The bottom line is that we have got to get ahead of our biggest rivals." Once Hibernian had agreed a compensation package to trigger the deal, McLeish signed a two-and-a-half-year deal to become the club's 11th manager. He brought his Easter Road assistant Andy Watson to be his number two and Advocaat's first team coach Jan Wouters remains in his post. Bert van Lingen, Advocaat's right-hand man, will stay until the end of the season and then quit. Advocaat becomes director of football, responsible for youth development, negotiations with agents and the running of the £14million Murray Park training ground. The Dutchman also revealed he had turned down a number of other posts - including the Dutch national job and European club posts - to stay at Ibrox. Meanwhile, Gers chairman David Murray rebuffed suggestions McLeish was not experienced enough for such a high-profile post. He insisted that McLeish's best years were ahead of him, having served an apprenticeship at Motherwell and then Hibernian. He insisted: "I don't consider it a risk. It is a competent decision. We have got someone who is going to improve manager-wise." McLeish admitted he was now a man under pressure and added: "It's stunning to walk in here and be at this level of club. I suppose the pressure here is enormous but it is a challenge I wanted to make head first." By a quirk of the fixture list, Rangers play Hibernian tomorrow and McLeish will be in the strange position of watching his former team play the one he has inherited. He will be in charge of neither as Advocaat will be in the dugout one last time. He admitted: "It's like a scene from a movie. It will take some time to sink in." McLeish approach confirmed Alex McLeish will be the next manager of Rangers after Ibrox chairman David Murray last night made official his pursuit of the Hibernian boss. McLeish, who had been expected to lead Hibs at Ibrox tomorrow night, will replace Dick Advocaat in charge of all first-team affairs in Govan. The Dutchman, whose four-year term as team boss will almost immediately draw to a close, is expected to be confirmed in a new role of general manager before the agm next Tuesday. Although Hibs' board of directors had rejected Murray's official approach to negotiate with McLeish, who is tied to a three-year rolling contract at Easter Road, it is understood that it is simply a stalling tactic by the Edinburgh club, given McLeish is eager to leave Leith and take charge of Rangers. Hibs' best hope is that they will gain almost £1million compensation for the loss of a manager who led them from the First Division to the Tennent's Scottish Cup Final and qualification to the UEFA Cup. A Hibs spokesman last nightsaid: !Rangers approached Hibernian this afternoon and sought permission to speak to their manager, Alex McLeish. Following a short discussion, that permission has not been given." Murray moved quickly to snare his first-choice target yesterday, just 24 hours after Advocaat had confirmed a new boss was on the brink of being appointed. McLeish, the former Scotland international defender, will restore the 'Scottishness' which the chairman believes has been lacking at the club. Having led Hibs out of the doldrums and back into Europe, McLeish also brings a top managerial pedigree to the job. It seems inconceivable, however, that he will remain in charge of the Easter Road club for tomorrow's rearranged SPL game. His assistant, Andy Watson - who could yet follow him to Ibrox - is likely to be placed in temporary control. And club captain Franck Sauzee, the former French international, has already been installed as the front-runner to replace McLeish. Rumour of McLeish's imminent appointment grew when Kenny Miller's proposed £3m transfer to Wolves was placed on hold yesterday. It became clear that the 21-year-old would not be allowed to leave Rangers until Advocaat's successor had granted his consent for the transfer. And McLeish, who nurtured Miller at Hibernian before his £1.5m move to Ibrox, was never likely to sanction such a sale without consideration. When George Burley ruled himself out of the running for the job, McLeish appeared to be the only credible candidate. Rangers/Leeds kept apart in draw Rangers and Leeds have been kept apart in Wednesday's Uefa Cup fourth-round draw. David O'Leary's side have been placed in group one, along with fellow seeds AC Milan, Valencia and Borussia Dortmund. Among the list of possible opponents are PSV Eindhoven and Lille, both of whom dropped out of the Champions League. An easier tie for Leeds would see them up against Roda JC Kerkrade from Holland, or a return to Switzerland to face Servette, who are based in Geneva. Rangers, meanwhile, are among the non-seeded teams in group two along with Hapoel Tel Aviv, Slovan Liberec of the Czech Republic and AEK Athens. They will meet either Feyenoord, Lyon, Parma or Inter Milan. The fourth round draw will be made in Geneva at 11am, and ties will be played on February 21 and 28. The draw for the quarter-finals is made immediately afterwards and as it is open. If Leeds and Rangers are successful they could be paired in the quarter-finals on March 14 and 21.

Monday 10th December 2001

New manager speculation mounts Rangers manager Dick Advocaat has at last confirmed that his three-year tenure as Ibrox supremo is approaching an end. But the Dutchman was his usual cryptic self in refusing to explain exactly when the changes would be made. He said: "There will be a new manager but we don't know when." It is expected that Advocaat will move upstairs into a director of football role to allow a new coach to take control of team affairs. Advocaat has already said he intends to remain as manager until the end of the season and is unlikely to change that stance now Rangers are in Europe after Christmas for the first time in eight years. But the search for the new man is understood to be already well underway and Hibernian manager Alex McLeish is the man at the centre of intense media speculation. Hibs are due at Ibrox for a league game on Wednesday but McLeish, who could legitimately have been at the Hearts game to scout on the opposition, was not there. Instead, Hibs assistant manager Andy Watson was the man with the scribbling pad. Rangers also have an AGM a week on Tuesday and an announcement may well be made to shareholders then, if not before. Advocaat said: "I read the newspapers but, like I have said before, we will announce it as soon as possible. People are talking about before Wednesday but it can also be a little later. So we will have to wait until we think we can do it." Alex McLeish insists it is "business as usual" at Easter Road, despite the fact he's emerged as a leading contender to replace Dick Advocaat at Rangers. McLeish, however, has dismissed the claims and is concentrating on Hibs - starting with a midweek trip to Ibrox. He said: "I have nothing to say on this. As far as I'm concerned, it is all paper talk. It's business as usual here and I'm preparing the players for a big game at Ibrox on Wednesday." Ipswich boss George Burley has ruled himself out of the running for the post of Rangers manager. The former Scotland internationalist has emerged as a contender for the hot-seat when Dick Advocaat moves to the role of director of football. Burley said: "It's very flattering to be linked with the job but the only thing I am focused on is managing Ipswich. It's all speculation and I've no thoughts of going anywhere else." Trip to Berwick in Cup Rangers have been handed an away tie against Berwick Rangers in the third round of the Tennents Scottish Cup after today's draw. Berwick famously beat Rangers in the Scottish Cup in 1967, and The Gers will be desperate to make sure there is no repeat result in this year's tie. Tie to be played on January 5th 2002.

Friday 7th December 2001

Reyna completes Sunderland move Claudio Reyna has completed his £4.5m switch to Sunderland and signed a five-year deal. The 28-year-old USA captain sealed his move to the Stadium of Light after taking part in a medical and finalising personal terms this morning. A work permit has also been granted, leaving Reyna clear to make his debut for the Wearsiders in Sunday's Premiership clash with Chelsea. Claudio Reyna admitted joining Sunderland provided him with a "fantastic opportunity" after sealing his £4.5m move from Rangers. The 28-year-old America star told the Black Cats' website: "I'm just glad to finally complete the move because it has been ongoing for a while. This is a fantastic opportunity and challenge for me. I've joined a club with great support and going places." Dick doesn't fancy Leeds yet Dick Advocaat has admitted he is keen to avoid a "Battle of Britain" showdown with Leeds United in the Uefa Cup - for the time being at least. Rangers have a one-in-eight chance of being pitted against David O'Leary's Premiership challengers when the draw for the last 16 is made in Switzerland on Wednesday. Leeds are one of eight seeded teams, along with both Milan clubs and Valencia, the team that knocked Celtic out on penalties at Parkhead last night. Rangers were ranked as only the 11th best of the survivors and so already know they will be handed a stiff task in February. The Light Blues are in European action after Christmas for the first time since the 1992/93 season, when they famously beat Leeds home and away to qualify for a Champions League group stage campaign that took them to within an ace of the final. Leeds were the English champions at the time of course but Advocaat reckons that the current crop at Elland Road - arguably a much better side than the 1992 collection - are best avoided at the moment. He said: "Leeds had better stay away a little while I think but all the other clubs we can compete with." But regardless of what the draw produces, the Dutchman is convinced that both halves of the Old Firm have already proved to the rest of the continent that they are forces to be reckoned with. He said: "The level of Celtic and Rangers is European class. If you play that well against Valencia then you are unlucky because penalties are a gamble. You can win or you can lose and they had played excellently. If you look at Rangers' two games with Paris St Germain, in both games we were the better side. That says enough about the quality of Celtic and Rangers and I think we have to be proud of that." Rangers kept their nerve to beat Paris St Germain on penalties in the Parc des Princes following 210 minutes of goalless open play. And Advocaat reckoned that triumph was a major boost for a side that until Thursday had been groaning under the pressure of Celtic's relentless success: "In Paris with the penalties we got the break we all needed. The only complaint with the way we played was in the last third of the pitch. Two weeks ago we were the team that was scoring the most in Scotland - in one week that changed. Now with this result behind us we are still involved in that competition, so I think it will give the club an enormous lift." Meanwhile, Bert Konterman and Tore Andre Flo both have calf injuries and are doubtful for Sunday's game against Hearts. Fernando Ricksen, Neil McCann and Shota Arveladze are back in the squad but Peter Lovenkrands misses out.

Thursday 6th December 2001

Gers win Paris shootout Rangers ended their penalty-kick hoodoo to knock Paris Saint Germain out of the Uefa Cup. The Scottish club had never won a shoot-out in Europe but took their chance in France after both ties finished without a goal being scored in open play. Claudio Caniggia and Bert Konterman had missed from the spot for Rangers, but captain Pochettino was the villain for PSG, missing what proved to be the vital kick. It saved Ronald de Boer's blushes, the Dutchman having missed a penalty four minutes before the end of extra time. Controversial French international striker Nicolas Anelka had been left on the bench by Paris St Germain after his injury problems and rumours of a bust-up with his coach. Rangers manager Dick Advocaat made three changes from the side that drew with Dundee. Lorenzo Amoruso, Ronald de Boer and Peter Lovenkrands were in the line-up, with Michael Ball, Claudio Caniggia and cup-tied Shota Arveladze dropping out. Young defender Maurice Ross was again given the responsibility of deputising for the suspended Fernando Ricksen, sent off in the 0-0 draw with PSG in Glasgow. Lovenkrands was a suprise selection, but his speed immediately worried the French defence. He latched on to Tore Andre Flo's pass behind the PSG rearguard and goalkeeper Lionel Letizi did well to block the Finnish striker's low drive with his knees. Ross then delivered an excellent cross, but de Boer could only send his near-post header flying across the face of the PSG goal. Rangers started brightly, but it was the French side who gradually established control. But they were limited to long range efforts and a Ronaldinho corner that dropped on to the bar. Rangers were forced to pull off Lovenkrands after 30 minutes, the striker failing to shake off a leg knock and being replaced by Caniggia. Caniggia set up a great chance six minutes later, his cross finding Flo unmarked 10 yards out. But Letizi blocked the Norwegian's header superbly. Stefan Klos was left scrambling at another Ronaldinho corner and the Rangers goalkeeper was pleased to see Bartholomew Ogbeche's overhead kick drop on to the top of the net. Flo should have put Rangers ahead after 43 minutes when he was again in the clear from a Claudio Reyna free kick but headed straight at the goalkeeper. Edouard Cisse came close after 57 minutes as PSG pinned Rangers back after the break, his 25-yard drive flashing inches wide of the post. Anelka came on midway through the second half and almost snatched the lead after 76 minutes with overhead kick after some panic in the Rangers defence. Russell Latapy was thrown on by Adovaat and the midfielder almost immediately scored a vital opener, his low drive forcing a fine save from Letizi. But it was PSG providing the pressure and Klos pulled off a superb save to prevent a 20-yard effort from substitute Mendy bulging the top corner of the net.

Monday 3rd December 2001

Woodburn passes away Rangers legend Willie Woodburn has died at the age of 82, the club have announced. Woodburn played at Ibrox during the late 1940s and early 1950s alongside the likes of Bobby Brown, George Young, Jock Shaw, Ian McColl and Sammy Cox. The centre-half - who was nicknamed 'Big Ben' - won four Scottish League titles, four Scottish Cups and two League Cups during his time with the Light Blues and was part of the first-ever Treble-winning Rangers team. But Woodburn is widely remembered for becoming the first footballer to be banned for life in 1954. The Scottish Football Association punished Woodburn after he retaliated against a Stirling opponent in August of that year and was subsequently banned for life after the SFA had warned him following a dismissal in the previous year. The SFA lifted the ban after three years but, by then, the player's career was over.