Amoruso Backs Walter For Euro Glory
Dec 8 2007 By Colin Duncan
THE similarities between Rangers' Champions League run this season and their ill-fated campaign of 2000 are uncanny.
However, Lorenzo Amoruso is backing Walter Smith to triumph and avoid the blunders he believes led to Dick Advocaat falling short.
The Italian defender was part of the side managed by the Dutchman seven years ago who opened up with back-to-back wins before failing to win another group match.
Rangers' exit came when they failed to beat French side Monaco in their final game at Ibrox.
Fast forward to this season where Smith's men also began with two impressive wins, at home to Stuttgart and in France against Lyon.
But just like in 2000, Rangers haven't claimed full points from any of their last three matches and qualification now rests on Wednesday's crunch return clash with yet another French side.
For the superstitious, the omens don't look good but Amoruso feels Smith will not make the same basic errors Advocaat made.
The Italian was stripped of the captaincy a few days before the Monaco game in which his mistake gave the French side a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw.
Amoruso said: "Monaco was not a great game for me because I had a lot of trouble from the manager beforehand. I was stripped of the armband but the whole dressing room was unhappy at various things.
"That was a game we should have won but we didn't because the attitude wasn't right. Everybody was pulling in different directions when we know team spirit and togetherness makes the difference between winning and losing.
"I think the current Rangers team under Walter are united but under Advocaat that was not the case.
"If everybody is pulling in the same direction on the pitch, you don't have to be best friends off the pitch. Not everybody was against Advocaat but there were a lot of players who lost their respect for him.
"He was trying to blame me and a few others for bad results while trying to save his own skin. He was guilty of bad management and it cost us our place in the last 16. I'm not talking about his ability as a coach, I'm talking about his relationships with players.
"He didn't know how to get the best out of people or how to talk to them and he allowed divisions to form in the dressing room.
"You can't expect everybody in a team to be friends but it's the job of the manager to make sure it doesn't affect what happens on the pitch."
After a 5-0 home win against Sturm Graz and a 1-0 triumph in Monaco, the wheels came off Rangers' quest to qualify from Group D.
They lost at Galatasaray, drew the return in Glasgow 0-0 and then lost 2-0 in Graz when victory in any of those games would have taken them through.
Amoruso admits players must take responsibility when they cross the white line but still feels one person was to blame - the manager.
He said: "When we went to Turkey we were top of the group and a win would have clinched it but we played with five defenders.
"At home to Galatasaray we subdued Gheorghe Hagi but never looked like scoring and when we went to Sturm Graz a draw would have been a good result but this time Advocaat played only two defenders and three strikers. The tactics didn't make any sense.
"There are similarities between the two campaigns but Walter is not the same manager as Advocaat.
"It was obvious Rangers played for the win in Stuttgart last time and while they didn't get it they were unlucky."
Amoruso says his biggest regret during six eventful years at Ibrox was not reaching the latter stages of the Champions League.
But, while that honour eluded him he believes the man who brought him to Glasgow can stamp his mark on European football's top competition.
He added: "You would put money on Walter getting it right. Lyon play great football but they always give the opposition chances. Rangers must capitalise on them."
GERS IN 2000
GROUP D CAMPAIGN 2000
Rangers 5 Sturm Graz 0
Monaco 0 Rangers 1
Galatasaray 3 Rangers 2
Rangers 0 Galatasaray 0
Sturm Graz 2 Rangers0
Rangers 2 Monaco 2
GERS IN 2007
GROUP E CAMPAIGN 2007
Rangers 2 Stuttgart 0
Lyon 0 Rangers 3
Rangers 0 Barcelona 0
Barcelona 2 Rangers 0
Stuttgart 3 Rangers 2
Rangers ? Lyon ?
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