Old Firm can take heart as European rivals stumble. Moore to slot into McLaren's position

Wednesday night, and although his squad is ravaged by injury and

suspension, the Rangers manager did leave Milan last night with his mind

a little more at ease.

He knows it could have been much worse. He could have been preparing

to play AC Milan in their remarkable San Siro Stadium.

The Milan side dominated much of yesterday's match, watched by 83,000

of the football business's most passionate fans, and Smith's dossier on

Juventus was completed with the addition of one or two points of

weakness identified in their 2-1 defeat.

Although Smith, who was accompanied by his right-hand man, Archie

Knox, was particularly interested in the manner in which Milan were able

to open up and stretch the Juventus defence, he knows that Wednesday

night's match will be one of the most difficult his side have ever

faced. Then again, he was aware of that when injury denied him the

services of Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne, Charlie Miller, and Ian

Ferguson, and he will also be without one of his central defenders, the

suspended Alan McLaren.

Before leaving Milan, Smith said that Craig Moore, Rangers'

19-year-old Australian defender, would probably take the place of

McLaren. It seems a bold move by the Ibrox club's manager, but he is

convinced that the teenager will be able to acquit himself well. ''He

has a great temperament and he will not be overawed playing against

Juventus on Wednesday,'' he said.

''Centre half is his natural position, although I have used him mostly

at full back and in midfield. He is mobile and clever, although his

aggressive style of play tends to earn him more bookings than any of us

would wish.''

One of the players Moore will have to look after, Fabrizio Ravanelli,

hobbled off the pitch seven minutes into the second half complaining

about a groin injury. Gianluca Vialli also left the pitch at the same

time and, after the match, Juventus manager Marcello Lippi said

Ravanelli's state of health would be checked in the morning.

Smith said: ''Obviously, if Ravanelli had to be left out that would be

a benefit to us, but I don't think we can read too much into what took

place in the San Siro today, because Juventus were caught by two early

goals and they took time to force their way back into the game.

''Besides, we have seen them enough to realise that they are an

excellent team. Teams with glaring weaknesses or ordinary players do not

win the Italian championship.''

Rangers will set out for Turin tomorrow morning and the state of play

in the Champions' League Group C is that the Ibrox side will be looking

to take a point from this match, although it would not be the absolute

end if they failed to do so. They will play Juventus two weeks later in

Glasgow and they have also to meet Steaua Bucharest at Ibrox before

going to Germany for the return match against Borussia Dortmund, and

much will depend on those three games.

''It would be good, nevertheless, for us to go to Turin and put on

some kind of performance, especially with the injury problems we have,''

said Smith, who, along with Knox, ran into some problems at the San

Siro. They had difficulty getting through the crowds, and when they

managed to enter the stadium, they then discovered they had no seats.

Rangers' management team studied the match from perches on the

stairway leading up to the press gallery, but they won't be allowed into

those places until they have retired and joined one of the various media

organisations. Old footballers and managers don't take their leave

quietly these days -- they merely pick up pens and notebooks or

microphones.

The treatment of Smith and Knox was shoddy and Milan ought to have

made sure their visit was much more comfortable. It isn't as though

Smith is without problems going into a match which will test his

tactical awareness and resilience.

''Despite the difficulties with players who are injured and McLaren's

suspension I am looking forward to the challenge on Wednesday night,''

Smith said. ''These are games that we should all enjoy and with a fair

share of luck we will.''

Juventus didn't enjoy yesterday's experience, falling behind after

only seven minutes, when Marco Simone scored with a free kick from 22

yards. The foul had been conceded when Alessio Tacchinardi impeded the

progress of the wonderfully gifted George Weah.

Milan scored again in 14 minutes when Weah offered an astonishing

glimpse of his skills as he skipped away from Ciro Ferrara and then left

Pietro Vierchowod for dead. Having embarrassed both defenders, Weah then

flicked the ball into the net with the outside of his right foot.

For all of the remainder of the first half, and a large part of the

second, Milan were finding it easy to subdue their opponents, who were

trying to increase their own pace. But with Vialli and Ravanelli both

off, it looked as though they would have to settle for being a poor

second best.

However, Alessandro Del Piero, who seemed to function better on his

own, scored in 81 minutes and Milan finished the match hanging on

desperately. In fact, Del Piero delivered a cross left to right in the

dying seconds and Sergio Porrini, a second-half substitute for Didier

Deschamps, ought to have scored with his header.

Unfortunately for him, he nodded the ball wide while he himself ended

up in the net. A few seconds later it was all over and Milan's fans

again came alive all around the stadium, which became a mass of colour

and noise. Firecrackers and red flares were sent off and the steep

slopes of the San Siro rippled with the red and black.

As Smith left, Joe Jordan, the former Scottish internationalist, came

down from his eyrie, where he had been commentating on the match for

Channel 4. Jordan, of course, played for Milan for two years and he

remains something of a hero around these parts. Before he could leave he

was obliged to scroll his signature on programmes, business cards, and

pieces of scrap paper.

The Italian fans are nothing if not committed, as Rangers will

probably discover for themselves come Wednesday in the Delle Alpi

Stadium. It will be a major test of the players and fans.