I can bank on my boys

[ian1964 10,720]

THE flames have been licking around his feet for the past two weeks.

 

His revelation that the banks are running Rangers placed him at the eye of a ferocious financial storm.

 

Yet this crisis management lark is nothing new to 61-year-old Walter Smith.

 

The Gers gaffer reckons he's been fighting the fires which threaten to engulf the Ibrox club for the past TEN MONTHS.

 

By his reckoning, nothing has changed since January.

 

Every player in his squad remains up for sale.

 

And that's why Smith reckons his side's participation in this season's Champions League is all the more remarkable.

 

In an emotional meeting with his players last Christmas Smith warned them of the financial crisis looming large.

 

He told them they all faced an uncertain future.

 

If they'd let the title slip on that last day at Tannadice Smith could not have blamed them.

 

But instead the boss watched in awe as his players put their woes to one side and summoned the spirit to deliver Rangers' first championship in four years.

 

That's why Smith is backing those same players to restore some pride in Bucharest tonight.

 

The Ibrox chief said: "In the last few games we've certainly been brighter than we have been. We've been inconsistent but the signs are there.

 

"The players are handling things better than they were.

 

"But I don't think it has anything to do with what is going on off the field.

 

"People seem to think the circumstances that have been documented in the past two weeks just happened a fortnight ago.

 

"That's rubbish, all this happened last January and the players have handled that.

 

"They've done brilliantly to handle that.

 

"It's not easy to sit down with a group of players and tell every one of them that they're up for transfer. You still then expect them, as they did, to go on and win a championship.

 

"The players have done really well. We've not lost a domestic game this season.

 

"They have been inconsistent and while the circumstances surrounding the club don't help, they certainly haven't hindered the players.

 

"They've handled all of this for six months prior to the start of this season. We did well but we have dipped this season, that's something we're working hard to rectify."

 

Pride, and more importantly Champions League points, are at stake for Gers tonight.

 

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Humiliated at home by Dan Petrescu's Euro rookies a fortnight ago, they must put the shame of that crushing defeat behind them. Yet Smith knows his side will face another tough test in front of 25,000 baying Unirea fans.

 

He said: "We have set out to win all of our games but we haven't managed to do so.

 

"It's now up to us to acquit ourselves a bit better than we have done so far, even if we feel a little aggrieved at losing the last two games 4-1.

 

"We still have three games to go and we have an opportunity to qualify from the group. It's down to us to turn it around, starting with this game.

 

"We've had some terrific away performances before but we achieved them through hard work. We'll need to replicate that over here.

 

"There has been an edge missing from our game. There is no doubt about that - and now we have to get it back."

 

Smith slammed his side's defending two weeks ago and insisted last night: "The one thing we do need to do, regardless of overall play, is defend set pieces better than we did in the last game.

 

"We lost three goals from straight forward set plays and a fourth from a quickly taken free-kick which caught us out.

 

"We have to show we can handle those situations better.

 

"It's not very often you lose a game from three deflected set plays but it happened."

 

Away from home Smith has stuck rigidly to his tried and tested 4-5-1 formation.

 

The tactics have delivered success, but prompted criticism by those who want to see a more attacking approach, and Smith hinted that he may go with two up front tonight.

 

He grinned: "We will play forward players although I must admit, I'm frightened if I do play a lot of attacking players that people will say 'There's Smith attacking now' I'd hate to lose my image!

 

"But the most important thing will be the attitude of the players that we use. We need to rediscover that edge to get a good result."

 

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/2712288/I-can-bank-on-my-boys.html

[fraser54 0]

Yet Smith knows his side will face another tough test in front of 25,000 baying Unirea fans.

 

I was thinking you will be lucky if there is 2,500 Unirea fans at the game tonight !! Could be probably like a home game for Rangers if the Bears are in fine voice !!

 

Away from home Smith has stuck rigidly to his tried and tested 4-5-1 formation.

 

The tactics have delivered success, but prompted criticism by those who want to see a more attacking approach, and Smith hinted that he may go with two up front tonight.

 

He grinned: "We will play forward players although I must admit, I'm frightened if I do play a lot of attacking players that people will say 'There's Smith attacking now' I'd hate to lose my image!

 

Walter being a jokester ! Very funny though