Smith's players will have to reach new heights of achievement in Turin
if they are to negotiate safely their journey which begins from Glasgow
this morning.
WALTER Smith was due a break. He had returned from a flying visit to
Italy where he watched Juventus play against AC Milan and was in time to
explain to the SFA his conduct during a recent premier division match.
Then he had to look at his injured players -- Paul Gascoigne, Brian
Laudrup, Charlie Miller, and Ian Ferguson -- and wonder what the future
held.
The Rangers manager, who will have trouble presenting a potent threat
to the Italian champions in the Stadio Delle Alpi tomorrow night because
of injuries to these key players and the suspension of one other, Alan
McLaren, was beginning to think the fates had turned against him.
However, news from Turin last night may have convinced him that he has
not been forsaken completely. Gianluca Vialli's misfortune could be
Smith's lucky break.
The Juventus captain, who cost #12m when bought from Sampdoria almost
three-and-a-half-years ago, was taken off just after half-time in the
game against Milan on Sunday and his thigh injury will not clear up in
time for him to play against Rangers in the Champions' League match.
Also, Vialli's front line accomplice, Fabrizio Ravanelli, is racing
against time to be fit.
He hobbled off in the San Siro at the same time as Vialli, who will be
out for a week, also suffering from a muscle strain but he is determined
to play. In fact, he says he will take a pain-killing injection if
necessary.
''The Champions' League is our priority this season and with Rangers
missing a few of their better players this is an opportunity to make
sure we qualify for the final stages,'' Ravanelli said. ''I am prepared
to play even if I am not fully fit.''
His determination to take part is typical of the spirit which has been
rekindled within the Juventus squad as a consequence of the 2-1 defeat
in Milan where they had to endure the jeers and taunts of the San Siro's
regulars. Juventus played poorly in the first half and dropped two goals
behind after only 14 minutes.
They performed much better in the second half with Alessandro Del
Piero scoring late in the game, but the defeat pained them deeply as
their keeper, Angelo Peruzzi, attempted to explain. ''We have been given
back some of our humility.
''We were all beginning to think we were like gods because recently we
had received only praise for our wonderful play. Milan have reminded us
what can happen when you believe more than is true.''
Yet, ironically, several Rangers players may have to be convinced they
are better than they actually are because, even though Juventus have
lost one of the most complete players in European football, in Vialli
they remain formidable. Smith's players will have to reach new heights
of achievement in Turin if they are to negotiate safely their journey
which begins from Glasgow this morning.
Marcello Lippi, the Juventus coach, had some harsh words for his
players and his anger was still simmering yesterday. ''If we play like
we did in the first half in Milan we will lose to Rangers also,'' he
said.
''We lost our positive mentality. It was a terrible Juventus that
everyone saw.''
Lippi added that another Champions' League match so soon after defeat
should be enough to bring out the best in his side, which is likely to
discard the favoured 4-3-3 formation for 4-4-2 in the absence of Vialli.
Still, a twin strike-force of Ravanelli and Del Piero is a powerful
weapon. After all, it was the emergence of Del Piero, who will be 21
next month, which encouraged Juventus to sell Roberto Baggio to Milan at
the end of last season.
Antonio Conte, who went on when Vialli departed on Sunday, will remain
in the midfield line, probably along with Paolo Sosa, Angelo Di Livio,
and Didier Deschamps. It is in Rangers' favour, of course, that Lippi
has been unable to use Vladimir Jugovic and Attilio Lombardo because of
injury, yet Smith suspects it may still require a performance of
extraordinary courage to subdue Juventus. They have already beaten
Borussia Dortmund away and Steaua Bucharest at home but feel they must
regain pride which was lost on Sunday.
Andy Goram, Richard Gough, and Gordan Petric, who have been the
inspiration for Rangers so far, face their most significant test. It
will be up to them, and probably Craig Moore to deal with the threat of
Juventus because, as Smith says, the Italians must be beaten.
''We must be looking to take three points from them, three more from
Steaua at Ibrox, and then maybe a draw against Borussia in Germany,''
the manager said. ''I know how that sounds, but it can be done.
''I still say the margin for error in European competition is slight
even though people make sweeping judgments comparing our game to the
European. The smallest things can make the biggest differences.
''We could have come out of Bucharest with a draw and no-one could
have grudged us a win against Dortmund. Instead, we have only one
point.''
Like Lippi, the Ibrox manager has reached the stage of dismissing
injury problems preferring to dwell on the positive and he takes heart
from the fact that his team are difficult to beat. They can take a lot
of punishment and are liable to hit back as they did against Aberdeen
recently.
Smith had to play at least seven who are defenders and the same will
have to be done tomorrow. ''I think, though, that we have a bit more
resilience than some people think,'' Smith said.
''Defenders have been our most influential players so far and the
likes of Gough and Goram have given everyone else confidence.''
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