Ivan not impressed by Rangers

Dundee at Dens Park, but it was hard to resist the suspicion that

inwardly he was doing a Bulgarian folk dance at the prospect of his

team's European Champions' Cup-tie with the Ibrox side next week.

Mr Tichanski, who works under the grand title of Head of International

Dept and Public Relations for Levski Sofia, would be less than human if

he did not report with some optimism to his club.

Yet he was certainly telling the truth when he said that he was sure

Rangers would ''show a different face'' when they met the Bulgarian

side. ''Scottish teams play the same way at home and away,'' he said.

''And it will be hard for us. Rangers were one of the top teams in

Europe last year. But we have a chance.''

The Bulgarian will watch the Ibrox men again during his two-week stay

during which he will also take in the World Cup match at Pittodrie on

Wednesday. He was impressed by Mark Hateley and Duncan Ferguson, as well

as Trevor Steven in the second half.

That was maybe a bit further than most Rangers fans would have gone.

Hateley scored the goal and generally worked as hard as ever to lift his

team above the ordinary, without much success. Otherwise, there was not

a lot to say about Rangers' display. They improved in the later stages

but that was born out of energy and desire rather than imagination.

Hateley was scoring his second goal in two games, but even so he did

not need to tell us he is missing Ally McCoist. ''Ideally, I'd rather be

playing with my old partner. We have proved we get goals together,''

said the man who has had a variety of assistants in the front line this

season. He meant no disrespect to Duncan Ferguson, Ian Durrant, or David

Hagen, who have been up there alongside him, but the absence of the

McCoist style of play is a gap that cannot be filled.

If Ferguson had cost a couple of million, supporters would allow him

time to settle and learn the Rangers ropes, but his #4m tag and the

publicity before and after the signing inevitably bring great

expectations. He and Hateley seem too similar to bring out the best in

each other, however, but he still managed the odd flash of skill to

remind everyone what will happen in due course.

Hateley, like manager Walter Smith, felt that the two-hour contest

with Aberdeen in midweek left its mark on the Ibrox team, especially in

the first half, and he is right to point out that every game they play

now is like a cup final. ''We have 44 cup finals in the league before we

ever get to a cup final.''

Dundee gave his words full credence with a performance that was packed

with eagerness, determination, and confidence. Like most teams that meet

Rangers now, they were fully wound up and ready to spring once the

whistle went.

They might well have hung on to the goal scored by Gary Paterson early

in the first half, had it not been for an injury which forced

player-manager Jim Duffy to have himself substituted 10 minutes from the

end.

That was followed a minute later by the sending-off of Paul Ritchie,

who had been booked earlier on, for a reckless lunge at Richard Gough,

and the reduction to 10 men, allied to the absence of Duffy, left Dundee

in some disarray just at a time when Rangers had stepped up the chase

for the equaliser.

It was perhaps only surprising then that Rangers failed to add to the

one goal scored when a Ferguson header was parried by Paul Mathers and

Hateley nipped in to knock the ball over the line.

Duffy admitted that he might not have gone off himself if Ritchie had

been despatched earlier. ''I felt I was a bit of a liability because of

my ankle injury (Mark Hateley landed on it) but after Paul went off we

played very deep and let Rangers come at us. It was understandable but

it is the worst thing you can do against a team like Rangers.''

None the less, the new manager was delighted with the effort of his

players and had a special word for Paterson, who did a fine job against

Hateley.