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Saturday 19th January 2002

Trouble marrs win Rangers have defeated Aberdeen 1-0 at Pittodrie but the Scottish premier league game was marred by crowd trouble which led to a 15-minute delay midway through the first half. The game at Pittodrie was goalless after 25 minutes when Aberdeen's Robbie Winters, preparing to take a corner, was hit on the head by a coin thrown from the Rangers section of the crowd. As police moved in to calm the visiting fans, around 20 Aberdeen supporters climbed on to the pitch and ran towards the Rangers section, triggering a few minor skirmishes. The referee immediately led the players off the pitch and, after police in riot gear had been positioned around the playing area, the game restarted. There were no further problems but the hold-up seemed to take some sting from the game, which produced few clear chances. The only goal came after 33 minutes when Italian Lorenzo Amoruso fired home a left-footer from 25 metres, securing Rangers' 12th win in 13 league meetings with Aberdeen. Amoruso said: "It's a shame when you see something like that."

Wednesday 16th January 2002

Gers facing 4 games in 7 days Rangers' failure to beat Berwick on Tuesday night means they are facing the prospect of playing seven games in the space of just 17 days. Monday night's Scottish Cup replay with the tiny Second Division club follows close on the heels of Saturday's league trip to Aberdeen. And just two days after the replay Rangers are in Scottish Premier League action once again, this time at Dunfermline. The winners of the cup replay are at home to Hibernian on Saturday January 26, which is then followed by a rearranged league game with Kilmarnock on January 30. February is no less hectic as Rangers entertain Dundee in the league on February 2 and then take on Celtic at Hampden on February 5 for a place in the CIS Insurance Cup final. The end of February also sees the UEFA Cup fourth-round double-header with Feyenoord. Director-secretary Campbell Ogilvie insisted that because the season was finishing early for the World Cup there was no alternative. He told rangers.co.uk: "Due to the fact that the season is finishing early and we are still in Europe and the CIS Cup there are simply no more free dates. So, assuming we can win the replay with Berwick, we will have four games in a week. This is a scenario which was predicted in the summer when the fixtures were put together and sadly it has come true for us.'' McLeish berates players Stefan Klos has revealed that manager Alex McLeish let his players know exactly what he thought of their failure to beat part-timers Berwick. The Second Division's bottom club stunned Scotland by holding the Ibrox millionaires to a 0-0 draw at Shielfield Park in the third round of the Scottish Cup on Tuesday night. Klos was a spectator for almost all the game and did not have a save to make as the Borderers were forced to defend. But Rangers failed to score despite having Tore Andre Flo, Michael Mols and Claudio Caniggia on the pitch, even before they sent on Shota Arveladze, Ronald de Boer and Andrei Kanchelskis as substitutes. Klos told rangers.co.uk: "We should come here and expect to play much better because we are Glasgow Rangers but we didn't do that. We now must do it at Ibrox. It never got any easier for us as the game wore on and they played with more and more players behind the ball. We couldn't find the space to play and the manager was very upset at the end of the match. I think everybody who saw the match would agree that wasn't the Rangers you normally see." It was the second time this season that Rangers had struggled against a lower division team in a cup competition. In November, in the CIS Insurance Cup at First Division Ross County, a comfortable 2-0 lead was almost surrendered in stoppage time. County pulled a goal back and then Lorenzo Amoruso was sent off for conceding a penalty that Klos managed to save to win the tie. He sighed: "I don't know why we find it difficult against outfits from the lower divisions. It's strange."Rangers were never in danger of suffering a repeat of the famous loss at Berwick in 1967 and Klos reckoned the set up of the competition helps the bigger teams. He said: "A lot of big teams go out early in the German Cup. There is a rule in that competition that you play extra time and penalties in the first round. There are more of the bigger sides going out in the early rounds there, but I didn't think that would happen to us. We were thinking we might be the ones to score. We have a lot of quality players who can do something in a one-on-one but it wasn't to be."

Monday 14th January 2002

DA rejects Dutch FA Dick Advocaat says he turned down the chance of become national team coach of the Netherlands again to stay at the Scottish club. Advocaat told rangers.co.uk: "It was a difficult and emotional decision but, in the end, I have given a commitment to David Murray and to Rangers and that was very important for me." The Netherlands are seeking a replacement for Louis van Gaal, who stepped down last November following the team's failure to qualify for the World Cup finals. Advocaat, who was Netherlands coach between 1992 and 1994, became director of football at Rangers in December after three-and-a-half years as manager. However, he has not signed a contract with the Scottish club. Advocaat said: "I was naturally very flattered by the request from the Dutch Federation to manage Holland for the second time in my career. They are going through a difficult time after failing to qualify for the World Cup so it says enough of what they think of me, having done quite a good job last time, that they asked me again. They were determined to make me their new manager and there are plenty of Dutch coaches who will never receive that invitation. But I think I can make the system work here with me working between Alex McLeish and the chairman. I think you need that in football these days." Advocaat also explained why he decided not to sign a new contract at Rangers. He said: "I haven't signed a contract but then I have only ever had one contract at Rangers, the first one. I never did sign the next one because we knew each other so well at that stage. I think I will come back as a coach one day because I am only 54 but it might be in one, two or three years from now. I'm saying that because I don't know if I will enjoy this job but, definitely, I think it is a valuable role. When I coached PSV I had Frank Arnesen as general manager and it was to him I spoke rather than the chairman. I can be the go-between for Alex and I know that, at a club like Rangers, there is so much to do as a manager."

Saturday 12th January 2002

McLeish's post match reaction Alex McLeish reckoned his side's 3-0 defeat of Livingston had been the best home performance since he succeeded Dick Advocaat. Rangers have won their last four matches of McLeish's unbeaten five-game reign, with this success coming courtesy of two Claudio Caniggia strikes that followed Tore Andre Flo's opener. The first two goals came in quick succession after the half-hour mark and the result was never in doubt after that. McLeish said: "At 2-0 you know if the opposition get a goal it can make it nervous but I'm pleased to say the players showed a a lot of professionalism. They went about it in the first 45 minutes, which was the key to us winning today. It was a great performance from the back lads and the goals weren't bad as well. Today was the best performance at Ibrox since I've come here and I think all round it was a good performance." McLeish also denied reports that he had made moves to sign Hearts defender Steven Pressley. He said: "Steven is a good player. I know he is an ex-player here but I'm not at this moment in time interested in Steven." Lorenzo Amoruso was handed the captain's armband for the first time since Advocaat had stripped him of it more than a year ago. That was because skipper Barry Ferguson was rested after picking up an injury. McLeish said: "Lorenzo was up for it. He's a captain for us anyway with his presence and experience. I thought he had a great game today. He was happy to take the armband for this particular game. We need more than one captain on the field if we are going to be successful. Barry had a wee knock and he was determined to play but we decided with the games coming up that it wasn't worth the risk." Ferguson's absence allowed a recall in central midfield for teenager Stephen Hughes, who was named man of the match. McLeish said: "He showed a lot of quality for such a young man. He has been out injured a while and has also been ill with flu. He played like a veteran today."

Wednesday 9th January 2002

Young Italian signs Rangers have snatched Daniele Fortunato, one of Italian football's hottest properties, from under the noses of reigning title-holders Roma. In a deal which mirrors that which saw current AC Milan and Italy international star Rino Gattuso arrive in Scotland from Perugia, Fortunato has arrived at Ibrox on a three-year contract and, initially, will seek to establish himself in the Murray Park Under-18s. Fabio Capello's Roma were close to completing the centre-back's capture but Fortunato himself scuppered the deal after he was told he would have to immediately head out on loan to a lower league Italian side. He chose a permanent move to Ibrox instead. Bermudan striker on trial Rangers have taken Bermudan striker John Barry Nusum on a two-week trial. Nusum, who plays for Bermudian club Wolves, has been likened to his countryman and Manchester City star Shaun Goater. The 20-year-old will hope to impress Rangers' head of youth development Tommy McLean during his spell at Ibrox so as to win a permanent move to Scotland. McLean admitted that it was McLeish who had been tipped off about the powerful striker and he has decided to take him over to Scotland to have a closer look at him. McLean said: "Alex called me to say there'd be one more for training on Monday and that's all I know at this point. Maybe Alex heard about him when he was at Hibernian, but we will take a good look at him."

Tuesday 8th January 2002

Spurs not interested in Sherwood deal Tottenham director of football David Pleat has insisted the club has no intention of selling its top players to Rangers - despite recent discussions with the Ibrox club. Rangers have been linked with a move for former Blackburn skipper Tim Sherwood on loan until the end of the season. Pleat admits he has had talks with Rangers manager Alex McLeish but he insists Tottenham are loathe to weaken their squad by selling players. He said: "I spoke to Alex McLeish last week and there were several players mentioned. But we're not selling Sergei Rebrov, Sherwood, Steffen Iversen or anyone else because we need our squad for the cup competitions we're involved in. The ball is firmly in Rangers' court."

Saturday 5th January 2002

McLeish still looking for midfielders Alex McLeish has revealed he is using his time away from the dugout to continue his search for new midfield talent. The Rangers manager, who has seen matches with Kilmarnock and Berwick Rangers postponed because of the bad weather this week, has been linked with a number of Premiership players. Tottenham's Oyvind Leonhardsen and Stefan Schwarz of Sunderland are two names in the frame and now Leonhardsen's White Hart Lane colleague Tim Sherwood has joined them. But McLeish denied that any move to rebuild a midfield that has been shorn of Claudio Reyna, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Jorg Albertz and Tugay was imminent. He said: "I want to bring in a tenacious midfielder on loan but I am also interested in certain players for the long term. A few names have been mentioned, like Leonhardsen and Schwarz, but there has been no contact yet."

Friday 4th January 2002

Berwick game called off The Tennent's Scottish Cup tie, Berwick Rangers v Rangers has been postponed because of the weather. The game has been rescheduled for Tuesday, 15 January, with a 7.45 pm kick-off. Sky Sports have confirmed that the Berwick Rangers v Rangers match will still be shown live on television on the new date.

Thursday 3rd January 2002

SKY to show Hearts game Rangers' trip to Hearts on February 9 will have a 5.35pm kick-off for live television coverage

Wednesday 2nd January 2002

Killie game postponed Kilmarnock were forced to postpone their Scottish Premier League game with Rangers due to a frozen pitch. The match was scheduled for a 7pm kick-off in front of BBC Scotland television cameras, but it was called off after a 2pm pitch inspection. The game has been rescheduled for Wednesday January 30th with a 8.05pm kick-off

Tuesday 1st January 2002

McLeish to spend wisely Rangers manager Alex McLeish has revealed his New Year's resolution on transfers, by admitting: "I don't want to waste the chairman's money." McLeish, who leads Rangers to Kilmarnock on Wednesday night, confessed he is no closer to making his first signing since succeeding Dick Advocaat. He will persevere with Ronald de Boer in central midfield alongside captain Barry Ferguson, rather than be rushed into a stopgap purchase. And he warned the Ibrox faithful that the multi-million pound 'impact' signing they covet could still be several weeks away from arriving at the club. McLeish admitted: "I am no closer to making a signing. I am still looking for the engine-room player I think we need in the midfield. But I don't want to waste the chairman's money. I would like to make sure that we buy the right player when I spend the club's money. At the same time, I realise that people will be looking at the first signing and looking for an impact signing. But we will only do that if we feel it is going to make the team better."