UEFA CUP Rangers v Fiorentina: WALTER SMITH yesterday said the final month of this season represented "the biggest test of my managerial career" as Rangers, in pursuit of a quadruple, prepared to meet Fiorentina in the first leg of the semi-final at Ibrox tonight.
The Rangers manager admitted his initial hopes for the season had been to offer Celtic a more realistic challenge in the Scottish Premier League - rather than being within touching distance of the title.
"This European run has been pleasing from a personal point of view," he said. "I didn't think we would get to the situation we are in now. I had no great illusions about this season. I hoped we could stabilise, mount a better challenge to Celtic [ in the league] and look to domestic cup competitions."
Rangers' regeneration since Smith returned 15 months ago has mirrored that of their manager. After a disappointing time at Everton the 60-year-old enjoyed reasonable success in charge of Scotland before his Indian summer at Ibrox. Rangers won the first trophy of Smith's second spell in charge with a penalty shoot-out victory over Dundee United in the League Cup last month and, with a league and Scottish Cup double also a possibility, can look to the Uefa Cup to provide further gloss.
Europe has taken on greater meaning with each round. Smith, long an admirer of Italian football, even resisted the temptation - albeit temporarily - to criticise the SPL for the hectic end-of-season fixture schedule announced on Tuesday. This occasion, he insists, should be handed the backdrop and kudos it deserves.
Smith regards tonight's opponents as superior to Sporting Lisbon, whom they beat in the quarter-finals, but equal in ability to Werder Bremen. Rangers defeated the German side in the round of 16 after a heroic performance from Allan McGregor - the goalkeeper who is now injured - during the second leg.
While McGregor's absence will be keenly felt, the loss for the first leg of the influential midfield partnership of Barry Ferguson and Kevin Thomson through suspension is arguably a more significant blow. To compound matters, Lee McCulloch, Chris Burke and Steven Naismith are all injured.
"That is the difficulty we have to overcome," added Smith. "I always said that, given the number of games we have played this season, injuries and suspensions would play a part. So it makes it more difficult for us but it's something we will have to cover for.
"We have no pedigree, so I'm never quite sure what to expect. The boys have kept surprising me with the performances they have turned in this season, so they are capable of surprising me again. That's what I take heart from."
There is little such uncertainty over who carries Fiorentina's most potent threat. Adrian Mutu, the former Chelsea striker, has returned six goals in this season's Uefa Cup. Yet David Weir, Rangers' former Everton defender, did not seem overly perturbed yesterday. "I must have played against Mutu in England but I don't remember him," he said. Guardian Service
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