CL : Porto vs. Rangers
Porto wary of wounded Rangers
Tuesday, 22 November 2005
Loss of form
It has been reported that McLeish has two weeks to prove he is still the man to take the Glasgow club forward after a dramatic loss of form and confidence among players who were crowned Scottish champions six months ago. Adriaanse, who knows his opposite number from last season's UEFA Cup meeting between his then club AZ Alkmaar and Rangers, has sympathy for the position the Scot finds himself in, but warns his own team's supporters that it could bring out the best in McLeish and his men.
Expectation
"If you are the coach of a top club you have to win and in Scotland all the supporters expect Rangers, or Celtic [FC], to be the champions so it's pressure," Adriaanse said. "But a top sportsman, a top footballer, can achieve better results if there is pressure and there is also pressure on us because we have to win to go through to the next round. I have a lot of sympathy for him but not so much that I will say, 'OK Alex, here's three points for you'."
Scottish first?
Rangers, in second place behind FC Internazionale Milano, have a two-point advantage over Porto who prop up Group H with three points. Should the visitors repeat their Matchday 1 victory over the Portuguese side and Inter see off the challenge of FC Artmedia, the Scottish team would become the first from their country to reach the knockout stages of Europe's premier club competition.
'Phenomenal result'
McLeish admits that would be a "phenomenal result against the odds", and it would certainly represent a major change of fortune. Since the 13 September encounter, won by Sotirios Kyrgiakos's late goal, Rangers have tasted victory in only three of nine Premier League fixtures, and have just suffered back-to-back reverses against Celtic.
Fine victory
Porto, meanwhile, won and lost against Inter before posting a 5-1 weekend triumph against A. Académica de Coimbra to stay within two points of Liga leaders SC Braga. Victory would have the 2004 European champions dreaming of the knockout rounds for the third successive season.
Gloomy atmosphere
It does not help Rangers' cause that principal striker Dado Pršo sits out the game after damaging a hamstring last Saturday. "Pršo is very important as a target man and in Glasgow he was very difficult to play against," said Adriaanse. McLeish acknowledged that the match represents the biggest challenge of his four-year reign and that victory would completely alter the atmosphere around Ibrox.
'Highest praise'
"It is a daunting task against a good team who had an impressive result at the weekend and if we can do it, we will be deserving of the highest praise," he said. "We've reminded the players that everybody has written them off and that only they can shut people up. We are striving to qualify and we will do everything we can to achieve that. If we succeed I will probably be happy to retire there and then.
'Bit of magic'
"We can't go all-out attack against opponents of their quality but that doesn't mean we can't present them with problems. We have to set out a strategy and hope for a bit of magic when we have the ball."
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