No lifeline left as Rangers sink

Rangers are out of the European Cup for another year. On a day for lifeboats, when chunks of the Scottish coastline disappeared under a welter of water, Rangers' latest attempt at crossing their personal Rubicon into the next round of the Champions League foundered because they do not yet have the wherewithal to save themselves by shoring things up at the back.

Twice leading the champions of France through goals in the third minute of the first half from Kenny Miller and in the seventh minute of the second from Michael Mols, Rangers managed to toss away their safe passage.

Put bluntly, too many of the Rangers defenders are journeymen working their ticket, though at times last night Lorenzo Amoruso, Scott Wilson and Arthur Numan gave the impression they wouldn't know starboard from an ironing board.

Now Rangers must look back to the domestic horizon where Celtic are dominant, and, while Dick Advocaat's team do have the distraction of the UEFA Cup, it will be weeks before that is seen as consolation.

Had he chosen to, Advocaat could have said that - at least Rangers finished above Monaco - but then he knew Monaco had knocked Rangers out. Ousmane Dabo equalised in the first half and then the top scorer at this stage of the Champions League, Marco Simone, reminded everyone why with another calm finish that again highlighted Rangers' deficiencies. It could have been worse, Nicolas Bonnal dragging his shot wide in injury time.

As managers do, Advocaat chose a different route, almost transfering blame from his defence to his attack. Miller and Mols may have justified the gamble Advocaat spoke of on Monday but, Miller in particular, had the openings to score more than one. "We went 1-0 up and it should have been 2-0," said Advocaat. "We went 2-1 up and it was nearly 3-1. If we score at 2-0 then it's over and out. We had the chances to win."

That was a fair assessment of a game that rose and dipped with almost predictable unpredictability. Advocaat deserves credit for that, deploying Ronald de Boer as an auxiliary striker behind Miller and Mols. Playing fifteen yards in front of the Rangers captain Barry Ferguson, even before Miller's opener De Boer had unsettled Monaco.

Only two minutes had elapsed when that was confirmed as fact. A sweeping Rangers move down the right flank was abruptly switched towards the middle and De Boer. The ball, however, did not reach De Boer, instead it fell to Ferguson. He swung out a beautiful, arcing pass to the left where Numan was overlapping. Numan met Ferguson's pass on the volley, sending it to the far post. There Pablo Contreras, Monaco's right back, misjudged the bounce; Miller, lurking behind, did not. He volleyed towards goal and the ball took a deflection off the unfortunate Contreras to soar by goalkeeper Stephane Porato.

Judging by his agitation, Advocaat's frustration was immense. It was to grow as the first half wore on as Monaco gradually steadied and then equalised in the 39th minute. Yet before that silent moment when Dabo's header flashed by Jesper Christiansen, Rangers could have extended their lead.

It would not have been an unjust advantage. First Miller seized on a loose ball on the edge of the visitors' area and spiked a fierce snapshot against the legs of Porato. Fifteen minutes later another overlap and cross from Numan brought the ball to the left foot of Miller. Again Miller struck sweetly but his shot went over.

Rangers were to pay. Simone had already given us glimpses of slickness when he won a corner on the right. Simone himself took it and threw it into the near post. Dabo had been at the far one but simply ran away from his marker, Wilson. The corner was close enough to Christiansen for him to claim it, but Dabo popped up bravely to get his head in first.

Ninety seconds after the interval, when Simone spun away from Amoruso and Vidmar and rounded Christiansen, the fear was valid. But Simone took the ball wide. Five minutes later Rangers were again ahead with Mols was the target man this time.

Some 26 minutes latyer, Amoruso sailed forward into a mist of Monaco players. He did not come through it with the ball. Instead it was the substitute Dado Prso in possession. He held off Numan and slid the ball to Simone. Simone then zoomed across Wilson and struck an angled drive low past Christiansen.

And Rangers were sunk.

RANGERS: Christensen, Vidmar, Wilson, Amoruso, Numan, Ricksen, Ferguson, Albertz (McCann 86), de Boer (Wallace 78), Miller, Mols (Tugay 55). Subs not used: Brown, Kanchelskis, Dodds, Porrini. Goals: Miller 3, Mols 51.

MONACO: Porato, Da Costa, Christanval, Irles, Contreras, Dabo, Bonnal, Giuly (Wagneau 68), Gallardo (Gravelaine 25), Simone, Nonda (Prso 56). Subs not used: Biancarelli, Riise, Leonard, Rodriguez. Booked: Gravelaine, Dabo. Goals: Da Costa 38, Simone 78.

Referee: L Michel (Slovakia).