IF ANY single player is likely to inspire Rangers to a memorable, even
historic, win over AEK Athens on Wednesday, Andy Goram is favourite.
The Scotland international keeper confirmed his magnificent current
form against Partick Thistle in the 2-0 win at Firhill with two great
saves and one that came into the incredible category. In this mood, it
will take something special from the Greeks to beat him.
Like all goalies when they are in form, Goram is carrying some good
fortune. Alex Taylor would be the first to back that statement. He hit
one of the best shots all afternoon, bending it with the side of his
foot so successfully that it left Goram stranded on his line before
hitting the bar and bouncing away.
There is nothing you can do to cope with the predestined. But his
team-mate, Isaac English, thought he had managed a genuine moment of
defiance when he attempted to nullify the unfortunate own goal of his
colleague David Byrne in the first half.
The chance had come to him after a Richard Gough clearance was knocked
straight back into the penalty area and bounced off a defender to him.
English turned and hit the ball to the left of Goram, who was only a few
yards away. Remarkably, the goalkeeper instinctively threw his right arm
down and managed to get a hand to the ball, pushing it out of danger. It
was a save that left English devastated and the rest of us
flabbergasted.
The keeper, Brian Laudrup and Mark Hateley were all major contributors
to a win that was only just earned against a Thistle side which might
have come up with a surprise if they had been a little more fortunate
and Goram had been elsewhere.
Laudrup was well subdued in the first half, but he made some telling
interventions after the break, in particular the run which ended with a
chip to the far post for the Hateley goal which secured the three
points.
But the most influential Ibrox player was Stuart McCall, who is
beginning to recapture the form that has won him so many admirers. In
the kind of game that is the norm when one of the Old Firm is challenged
at Firhill, his energy and ability to match physical strength with
intelligent running are invaluable.
But even in the different kind of contest that will ensue at Ibrox
against the Greeks his style will be important. If Rangers lack a Ray
Wilkins or Trevor Steven, unless he recovers in time, the midfield has
to be compensated with energy and skill of the type McCall provides. His
youthful aide, Craig Moore, is made of similar stuff but, as an
Australian, is likely to miss the European tie because of the
three-foreigner rule.
Thistle do not have any of these elite concerns, but they gave their
fans a worthy afternoon's work, with Derek McWilliams and Chic Charnley
major players for them in different ways. Overall, though, it was
teamwork and determination which served manager John Lambie well, even
if he felt disappointed at the outcome. ''I felt Rangers were there for
the taking and we didn't do it,'' he said. ''We opened them up so many
times it wasn't true.''
That may have been a slight exaggeration, but there was no doubt the
Ibrox defence looked oddly uncomfortable at times. Gough had a lot of
work to do to maintain a steady line, but the problem may be the unusual
style of his new colleague, Basile Boli.
The Frenchman is a great player and will no doubt prove that in his
time in Scotland, but for the moment he seems at times to be playing to
the gallery, rather than concentrating on the job in hand. The game can
do with all the characters it can find, but maybe Basile needs to learn
the Scottish game first before he indulges himself.
He suffered his first yellow card since coming to Glasgow after a
lunging tackle on Roddy Grant early on but, to his credit, retained his
sense of perspective and did not let himself down again. Grant said
later that he felt Boli, like Paul Elliot when he came to Celtic, would
suffer a lot of bookings in his first season before settling down.
He is certain to be a favourite with the fans and he has some
endearing touches. For example, he waved the Thistle trainer on to
attend to an injured player before the referee had reached the scene.
Basile rules, okay.
Rangers took the lead after only eight minutes when a Moore throw-in
was volleyed across goal, where Byrne instinctively stuck out a leg and
steered it over his own line.
That stayed the situation until Laudrup, who had already brought out a
fine save from Craig Nelson, went on a meandering run before crossing
from the right to the ubiquitous Hateley. That ended a gallant stand by
the Jags, but they still look capable of testing any side in this
league.
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