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Monday 30th September 2002

McLeish keeping options open Alex McLeish has revealed that although the deal for Turkey's Hakan Sukur is no nearer completion he has also set his sights on a number of other free agents. Hakan has been without a club since leaving Parma in the summer and the new transfer window regulations, which prevent club-to-club transactions from taking place until January, do not apply to unemployed players. McLeish sees the 31-year-old striker, who is a legend in his homeland, as the type of player whose pedigree is not in question despite a poor personal showing in Turkey's superb World Cup run. But Hakan is known to be interesting other clubs and getting a straight answer from his representatives over a variety of issues, including wage demands, have turned out to be more problematic than first anticipated. The indications are, therefore, that McLeish could soon promote one or more of his other free agent transfer targets to top priority status. McLeish said of Hakan: "We are still waiting to hear. It has been a bit silent over the last few days. Agents were supposed to be getting back in touch and we have seen that some of the Press have done their own digging and we have had all sorts of conflicting stories. If he turns up, or we get the green light then all well and good, but I am not going to lose any sleep over it until that happens. There are one or two others we are interested in and it is probably best that I don't start giving names because when Hakan's name came out it was on the back pages for three days running. But getting someone in for the Old Firm match (on Sunday) is not a target. No chance. The players who have been playing really well for us recently will be going into the Old Firm game, there is no doubt about that. I'm not holding my breath about getting anyone in but the search continues. The key is whether they are good enough to play for Rangers. I have to assess if they can pull on the jersey. There is a lot to playing professional football but to play for a club of Rangers' stature and expectations, plus the mental side of things, is something that has got to be considered as well." Chairman John McClelland added of the Hakan saga: "We certainly do have an interest in the player but there is a lot of discussion to be done. He hasn't arrived yet - and he may not. I would say however that we are interested in unregistered players and he was one of them. The problem is not that the wages are too big as frankly we are not at that stage yet. We are still trying to engage him in agreeing to a visit to Scotland, a trial period even, and Alex is working on that." AGM Report Chairman John McClelland has attempted to assure shareholders the club's £52million debt is nothing to be alarmed over. McClelland insisted at the club's annual meeting that although record losses had been sustained in the year up to the end of June, Rangers were still stable. He said: "It's not a major worry because we have it under control. It was not surprising either because we have invested in what I think is a very high quality squad and at the same time also invested in Murray Park and a whole youth development system. We have to manage our debt and we will do that but we are not losing sleep over it." The club lost £35million, if interest is included, during that period to move the debt up £24million to £52million. McClelland added: "The level of short-term debt at the end of the financial year was £6million. The overall level of debt is just over £50million. That includes long-term loans, including loans that are secured or assets that we have at the club." Interest payments accounted for a £3million of that loss but McClelland was quick to play that down too. He said: "Interest is important but if I tell you that the interest on that debt is about the equivalent of paying the annual wages of a top-class player then I think it puts it in context." It was his first annual meeting as chairman and he took to the platform at the Clyde Auditorium without owner and honorary chairman David Murray, whom he replaced at the helm earlier in the season. Shareholders were told Murray was away on holiday and director of football Dick Advocaat, who is to leave the club in November, was also conspicuous by his absence. The former manager had incurred the wrath of many fans for a series of newspaper articles in which he had criticised current players, including Ronald de Boer and Lorenzo Amoruso. Shareholders used a question and answer session to criticise Advocaat for that reason. McClelland insisted that the double absence of Murray and Advocaat was in no way significant. It had also been the first time that manager Alex McLeish, who had succeeded Advocaat in time for last year's meeting but did not attend, had been on the top table. McClelland said: "David and I discussed this many times and he was as anxious as I was that Alex and I move forward as a team and it is a team we are very comfortable with, and one David is comfortable with. I think the meeting went well and I'm sure we can continue to work together to drive Rangers forward. I don't think it was necessary for Dick to be here. Most of the football questions were questions Alex was ready to handle. I think it is a pity he took some stick though. Dick's footballing record was excellent and undoubtedly there was criticism in the meeting but there was also a lot of support. He was complimented on his footballing record. His record here at the club was good. It was a bit of a pity but Dick is an experienced, mature professional and I'm sure he can cope with it. Dick's departure was some thing we agreed upon. We had expected it at some point in time. It was a transition that we had agreed with Dick and Alex and nine months after Alex's appointment we felt the time was right and Dick did as well." McLeish reckoned Advocaat's legacy to the club should be remembered as a positive one. He said: "People are going to have their opinions, you can't stop that, so it was right that he got praised as well. Everybody has their detractors and I'm sure I have got a few myself. I don't think he is leaving under a cloud. I think he will be remembered for the success he brought to the club and he will always be a friend of Rangers. I know his close association with the (honorary) chairman means a lot to him and I will certainly be keeping in touch with him."

Friday 27th September 2002

Gers confirm Suker talks Alex McLeish has confirmed negotiations are under way with Turkish striker Hakan Sukur. McLeish expects to learn within the next five days whether the 31-year-old, who is also wanted by Besiktas in his homeland, is prepared to fly into Glasgow. Sukur, who captained his nation in the World Cup finals, is currently unemployed after his contract with Parma expired in the summer. As a result he is still able to sign for a new club as the new transfer window regulations prevent only club-to-club transactions. Rangers had held talks with the player's representatives earlier in the season but were put off by his huge wage demands. These are now understood to have been lowered and McLeish was keen to get the deal done in time for the first Old Firm derby of the season, at Parkhead next month. But he also revealed there were also "bureaucratic" complications holding up the deal, the exact nature of which was unclear. He said: "We understand that at the moment there are bureaucratic problems over there and we won't know until Monday or Tuesday if there is a chance of Sukur coming to have a look at the club and us having a look at him in terms of his fitness." Of course, a lack of a proper pre-season and no recent games will count against a player who also looked jaded and at odds with his younger, less religiously-inclined team-mates during the an unprecedentedly successful World Cup campaign that saw the Turks finish third. But McLeish admitted he would love to have Sukur in his side at Parkhead on October 6. He said: "If he's coming to Rangers and he looks the part then of course." McLeish, who flatly denied claims by another free agent, David Ginola, that Rangers had offered him a contract, had earlier stated that it would take an exceptional player to tempt Rangers to add another name to an already bloated wage bill. But there seemed to be no doubt that he regarded Sukur in that category. He said: "We understand that he would like to come but we don't know how many other opportunities he has in the pipeline. There are financial restrictions at the club at the moment but if there is something that we need the club have always said they would do what they could even under these circumstances. We could not do anything like this for someone whose wage demands were at the level they were last year." Defender Craig Moore reckoned the signing of a player of the calibre of Sukur, despite his troubled recent past, could only help Rangers' trophy quest. He said: "I think the gaffer has been looking for a striker for a long, long time. Once they get a striker in then I think the spending will stop there. If he does come in it will be a boost to the squad."

Thursday 26th September 2002

Rangers draw Hibs in CIS Cup Rangers will travel to Easter Road to face Hibernian in the 3rd Round of the CIS Cup. The game is due to be played on Tuesday 22nd or Wednesday 23rd October 2002.

Monday 23rd September 2002

Muscat to face SFA committee Kevin Muscat will be hauled in front of the Scottish Football Association's disciplinary committee next month after the Review Panel failed to reach a decision after viewing video evidence. The former Wolves full-back appeared to use an arm to strike Livingston player Juanjo Camacho across the head earlier this month. The newly-introduced Review Panel decided to try the Australian international using the same controversial system that Ibrox team-mate Fernando Ricksen and Celtic star Bobo Balde faced in the past. But the video evidence proved inconclusive and the incident has now been referred to the disciplinary committee. A statement from the SFA read: "The new SFA Review Panel has decided to refer an incident involving Kevin Muscat of Rangers to the Disciplinary Committee. In the 14 September match at Livingston, the player appeared to use an arm to strike Livingston player Juanjo Camacho across the head. A video of the incident has been viewed by three members of the panel, who agreed to refer the case for further consideration to the SFA Disciplinary Committee, which next meets on 15 October. The player will be required to appear before the committee."

Friday 20th September 2002

Trio to return Alex McLeish is boosted by the return of three players for their game against Partick Thistle. Lorenzo Amoruso will take his place in the starting line-up after recovering from a hamstring strain and he is likely to be joined in defence by Craig Moore despite picking up a suspected torn muscle against Viktoria Zizkov midweek. Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta has also proved his fitness after recovering from a back injury. Rangers suffered their first major disappointment of the season when they were defeated by Czech side Viktoria Zizkov in their midweek UEFA Cup tie. McLeish knows his side will have to perform better against Partick on Saturday if they want to continue the domestic success they have enjoyed so far this term. Rangers sit one point ahead of Celtic at the top of the table and have the opportunity to extend that lead to four points, at least for 24 hours until Martin O'Neill's side play Dundee on Sunday. McLeish said: "We just have to really concentrate on winning the game. The fact that Celtic are our nearest rivals at this moment in the league, and aren't playing until the next day, means we can see how that works out. But they are a strong side to go and get points at Dundee, although Dundee have come on leaps and bounds organisation-wise under Jim Duffy."

Wednesday 18th September 2002

Advocaat to leave Ibrox role Dick Advocaat will stand down from his position as director of football at Rangers in November to concentrate on his commitments as Holland manager. He had agreed to help provide support and help to current boss Alex McLeish during his early days at Ibrox. But the transition has been so good that Advocaat, who was set to leave at the end of this season, can now concentrate solely on the Dutch. Gers fail to perform in Prague Rangers face elimination from the Uefa Cup in the first round after a 2-0 defeat by Viktoria Zizkov in Prague. The game started badly when Viktoria Zizkov captain Ales Pikl headed the Prague side into a seventh-minute lead. Barry Ferguson then passed up a chance to equalise from the penalty spot when his kick was saved by inexperienced goalkeeper Pavel Kucera. Rangers were dealt a blow ahead of the Uefa Cup first round, first leg clash with the Czech outfit as Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta was ruled out after receiving a knee in the back during Saturday's win at Livingston.

Monday 16th September 2002

McLeish: "de Boer on a mission" Alex McLeish reckons playmaker Ronald de Boer is on a mission to prove he is no European has-been. The Dutchman, who was omitted from the last Holland squad, has recovered from a toe injury in time for Tuesday's UEFA Cup first round, first leg in Prague. The Glasgow giants have been drawn against with Viktoria Zizkov who, despite almost winning the Czech league last season are relative unknowns on the European stage. City rivals Slavia and Sparta enjoy a far higher profile in the capital and de Boer himself admitted he knew precisely nothing about tomorrow's opponents, who have borrowed a stadium elsewhere in the city because their own ground is too small. But the locals certainly had heard of him, with the Czech media keen for confirmation of his fitness. McLeish said: "The good news for Rangers is that Ronald de Boer is available. Ronald has been over the course. He has played at very big clubs, he has played for his country, he has won a Champions League medal, he has excelled in Europe and world football at the highest level. We brought him to Rangers to give us a better chance of being successful in European terms as well as domestic. He has a lot of experience and thus far in the league championship has proved to be a key player." De Boer was a Dick Advocaat signing in time for the Champions League campaign of 2000 which, but for a late goal conceded in the final group match, would have ended in qualification for the second phase for the first time. But his first two seasons were also hampered by fitness problems that saw him rarely recreate the form that had made him a household name at Ajax and Barcelona. McLeish, who succeeded Advocaat in December 2001, added: "I can only speak for my spell at the club and say that Ronald is probably making up for lost time. He said himself last season that injuries had blighted his Rangers career at that stage and that he was determined to pay back the good faith that Rangers had shown in him." Rangers had been labouring under Advocaat but once McLeish instilled a greater work ethic on the pitch, results improved and the team now sits at the top of the table having lifted both cups last season. And it is certainly true to say that one of the players who is working harder now than two years ago is de Boer. McLeish said: "I think Ronald's appetite for the team is greater than I have seen when he was involved before I arrived at the club but I think Ronald has said himself he was never really fully fit. It's more important that I approve but the Rangers fans I think have shown their appreciation of Ronald's exceptional work-rate this season. When he hasn't had the ball he has really worked hard for the team." Another player with claims to being world class is Claudio Caniggia, who was his side's most dangerous-looking attacker during Saturday's 2-0 win at Livingston. His previous two games had seen him net four times but at 35 he is firmly in the veteran bracket and it remains to be seen whether McLeish picks him and de Boer in the starting line-up, especially as Shota Arveladze is also in good form and the speedy Peter Lovenkrands available again following a knee injury. McLeish said: "Claudio didn't start in the team at the beginning of the season because we felt he was not fully fit after the World Cup and he had a small problem with his knee. Since coming into the team he has shown real hunger and desire to stay in the team. He may be 35 years old but he is looking very sharp at this moment. The key for us as far as Claudio is concerned is to keep an edge to his game. He is 35 and we are mindful of that but it is early in the season. We thought about sparing him on Saturday and we even thought about not starting him but I felt he was the man in form and we had to go with him." Injuries to Arthur Numan, Lorenzo Amoruso, Neil McCann and Stephen Hughes have stretched the Ibrox club's resources elsewhere, however, so McLeish has drafted two youngsters into the squad. Scotland Under-21 international Andy Dowie, a centre-back, and midfielder Jimmy Gibson both have a chance of being on the bench tomorrow. Sixteen-year-old Charlie Adam is also in the party but will take no part.

Sunday 15th September 2002

McLeish's post-game comments Alex McLeish praised rookie defender Maurice Ross for the goal that helped retain his side's position at the top of the table. Ross burst forward to capitalise on the sending-off of Livingston's Cherif Toure-Maman and a 2-0 win was later wrapped up by a Barry Ferguson penalty. Indeed, McLeish reckoned Ross, who had never scored for the club at any level before, had been an example to his talented but often far too over-elaborate frontmen. He said: "He showed the strikers how to finish. It was a great finish - hard and low under the goalkeeper. It was a ruthless one. Perhaps too many strikers go for the fantasy finish but that one was how I like to see that kind of chance taken. It was a perfectly-timed run. Livingston were stretched with the sending-off and we took advantage." McLeish readily admitted that the sending off had been crucial as Livi had more than matched their opponents until then. He said: "It was a hard game. Livingston were on the back of a couple of defeats and you could see their sleeves were rolled up. They raised their game anyway because Rangers were here. They made it tough for us but we ground it out. We have definitely played better so to win the game despite not being at our best was a real plus."

Saturday 14th September 2002

Lovenkrands returns to action Rangers welcome Peter Lovenkrands back from injury but will be without seven other first-teamers for the trip to Livingston. Ronald de Boer (toe) and Artur Numan (groin) have joined Lorenzo Amoruso (hamstring) on the sidelines. Neil McCann (thigh), Christian Nerlinger, Stephen Hughes and Michael Ball (all knee) have long since been there.

Thursday 12th September 2002

Dutch duo injured in win Rangers 2-0 Ibrox win over Hearts on Wednesday night propelled them to the top of the table for the first time since August 19, 2000. But de Boer and Numan both picked up injuries that look set to sideline them during a hectic spell when Rangers attempt to hang on to top spot, starting at Livingston on Saturday, and also make progress in the UEFA Cup, beginning at Prague on Tuesday against Viktoria Zizkov. Numan has a groin injury and de Boer faces an X-ray on a damaged toe, with the only good news coming from the Ibrox camp being that Peter Lovenkrands is expected to return in time for both matches following a spell out with an ankle problem. Shota Arveladze believes the crocked Dutch duo will not be forced to miss much of their side's double challenge for honours. Arveladze said: "It is a big squad and we have a lot of players. Of course, it is nice to have all the players fit, but I don't think they have big problems. They are only small problems so they will come back quick, I think." Rangers boss Alex McLeish was more pessimistic though. He said: "They have got to be doubtful for Europe at the moment. The bonus will be if they make it." Arveladze was on target for the third time this season, with Claudio Caniggia the other scorer against Hearts. The Georgian was delighted to be part of a team that is finally above Celtic, who had lost at Motherwell on Tuesday night. He said: "It's the first time since I came, although I would prefer to be on the top of the table at the end of the season than now. What we have to do is continue to do well and do our job. This week is a heavy week. Of course, it is nice to be top but we know it is a very long competition and we will have to work really hard to be champions."

Tuesday 10th September 2002

Czech game to be shown on PPV Setanta Sport have been given another chance to get their football coverage right after Rangers announced that they would screen next week's UEFA Cup first-round clash with Viktoria Zizkov live. The company's first big adventure into pay-per-view television was a disaster when their broadcast of Celtic's Champions League qualifier against FC Basle was hit by major problems. The tie kicks off at 1630 BST next Tuesday, but Ibrox commercial director Martin Bain said: "We worked with Setanta to screen the high-profile friendly with Leeds earlier this season and it went extremely well. I'm sure this game will be equally successful."

Friday 6th September 2002

Club announce heay losses Rangers have announced trading losses of £19.1million and operating losses of £31.9m for the year to 30 June 2002. The staggering results are compared to the £7.9million and £16.m figures respectively of the previous year. Former chairman David Murray expected such results having spent big on a new training complex and players while also forging a bond with Australian club Northern Spirit. The honorary chairman said: "Last year, like previous years saw a combination of investment both for current and long term success. Expenditure of £55million over the last three years on the current playing squad has created a team of European quality. At the same time our investment of £15million in the Murray Park training facility is to ensure we can maintain this standard in the future without incurring the scale of expenditure previously seen on transfers in. A dramatic change in the market for top-flight players has been seen across Europe affecting the ability of clubs to realise previous values in the transfer market. This together with the exceptional accelerated amortisation of player values as a result of Financial Reporting Standards (£4m), the write down of Goodwill in Northern Spirit (£1.4m) and the time required to restructure the player pool, resulted in the Operating loss increasing to £31.9m from £16.3m." The club took drastic cost-cutting measures when Murray warned of the possible consequences that would hit them if spending continued. They brought in just two new signings during the summer while offloading players like Scott Wilson and recently Tore Andre Flo. Murray Park is now fully functional and the future of Rangers, under manager Alex McLeish, now lies clearly in the hands of youth. He continued: "It is anticipated that most of these exceptional items will not recur which will benefit future periods. In previous reports, under my own chairmanship, I stated that losses of this nature could not be sustained in the future. Demonstration of the club's determination to tackle this situation is reflected in the post year and activities which have seen the cost of only two players, Arteta and Muscat matched by the sale of Flo. At the same time Hughes, Malcolm, McGregor and Ross have all graduated from the youth development programme to regular participation with the first team." New Rangers chairman John McClelland admitted the club were paying the price for the current financial problems to hit the game. But he has vowed to fight on in his new role despite the daunting challenges ahead while expressing his confidence for the future. He said: "Although these are changing times in football and business in general there are many important aspects of Rangers Football Club that will not change, one of these being the excellence displayed in Rangers operations under the outstanding leadership of David Murray. In his time as chairman he has given the club the most successful period in its history. As honorary chairman he will continue to have a key role and will be there to provide ongoing advice to all of us at Rangers in the future as well as remaining the majority shareholder. That continuing support, together with the youth development and commercial plans already under way, will bring us through these difficult financial times still ready to take on the challenges which make football so popular and exciting. When I took over the role as chairman on July 5 I believed that my passion for Rangers, my business experience and my knowledge of football, increased over the last year as vice-chairman, would stand me in good stead in dealing with the issues facing the club. After a few months I am still convinced of this and am committed to working with everyone at Rangers to drive for future success both on and off the pitch."

Thursday 5th September 2002

Livi game moved As Rangers UEFA Cup game with Viktoria Zizkov has been scheduled for Tuesday 17th September, the SPL game at Livingston has been brought forward 24 hours to Saturday 14th rather than Sunday 15th. The kickoff remains 3pm Gers went for Kyle Rangers tried to sign Kevin Kyle on Friday - 24 hours before the transfer deadline. Kyle revealed that he learned of the move for him from Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson. He said: "When I joined up with the Scotland squad, Barry told me Rangers had made their move for me at the weekend. Sunderland's decision to sign Tore Andre Flo from Rangers was like a kick in the teeth to me. It was a real knock to my confidence when I came into training last Friday morning to find Flo and Marcus Stewart from Ipswich there as Sunderland's new signings. I'm pleased Flo scored on his debut against Manchester United last Saturday because I know that he had a hard time at Rangers. But at the back of my mind I think I might have to look at a move in January if I want to keep my place in the national side."

Monday 2nd September 2002

McLeish happy with performance Alex McLeish hailed his side's 6-0 thrashing of Dunfermline as the perfect answer to the critics who reckon his strikers waste too many chances. But he admitted that one high-profile pundit had still managed to get one over him. Claudio Caniggia marked his return to the starting line-up with a hat-trick, Barry Ferguson notched another penalty with aplomb, Fernando Ricksen silenced the boo-boys in the home crowd with a fine strike and Mikel Arteta's first goal in a Rangers shirt was the pick of the bunch. It could even have been more had Pars goalkeeper Marco Ruitenbeek not pulled off a host of quality saves. Many of those stops were from Shota Arveladze as the Georgian international tormented the home defence all afternoon yet somehow failed to find the net. Arveladze had been the subject of a pre-match article by former Rangers legend Ally McCoist, who had suggested that the striker was not a natural goalscorer. McLeish insisted his former Scotland colleague had got it wrong, but admitted that McCoist probably would not see it that way. He said: "Arveladze was amazing. On another day he could have had a hat-trick. Despite Coisty saying in the newspaper he's not a natural goalscorer, he scored 28 goals in Turkey and 38 goals at his peak in Holland for Ajax so I think he knows where the goals are all right. I wound him up with that one though - so thank you Coisty! But he will say he never scored so as usual McCoist gets the last word." The East End Park massacre came just two days after Rangers had banked £6.75million from the sale of Tore Andre Flo to Sunderland. The Norwegian was not missed but McLeish insisted that those who thought he had been glad to see the back of him were wide of the mark. He said: "Contrary to some reports that I was happy to see Tore leaving Rangers, that's complete nonsense because it weakens my squad. But it also throws down the gauntlet to others to show there are places up for grabs. The guys in possession are doing really well just now. Caniggia came in with a magnificent response and he has really said 'I need to show the manager he was wrong to leave me out in recent weeks. He gave me that response. He's 35 but he is as fit as a fiddle. He's had a couple of wee niggly injuries but I know a guy who is as smart as Caniggia is smarting about not being involved. He could easily have been playing in recent weeks, never mind being on the bench. But we have to choose the bench tactically as well and unfortunately it means some very good players are left on the sidelines from time to time."