Rangers forced to alter team

RANGERS' Champions League ambitions - initially lofty enough to embrace the winning of Group A - seem to have been modified to the point where the priority is merely the avoidance of further ridicule.

An unmissable residue of the shock suffered during their opening 3-0 defeat in Zurich, still permeates Ibrox, where Walter Smith and his players prepared yesterday for tonight's visit of the French champions, Auxerre.

Even Paul Gascoigne, who normally exudes brazen confidence and jauntiness, seemed subdued in the hours before a match which could have a significant influence on Rangers' prospects of reaching the last eight of the European Cup.

"We're ready for it, all right," said the England mid-fielder, "but we were ready for Zurich, too. At least, we thought we were, but we played badly and got stuffed 3-0. We were really all in shock in that match.

Smith will be forced to alter his team, not just in personnel, but in formation, thanks to the suspension of central defender Gordan Petric and the absence of Alan McLaren because of injury. He will also be without Ally McCoist from the front line and, almost certainly, Stuart McCall from midfield.

That means playing with a back four, rather than the habitual three central defenders and two wing-backs. But he is most encouraged by the relative newness of the French defence.

Having lost the formidable Laurent Blanc to Barcelona in the summer, Auxerre will also be without the injured Franck Silvestre and Ned Zelic, their regular central defenders.

"We have to look to our forward players to exploit that area as a possible weakness," said Smith.

Guy Roux, the 57-year-old fox who has transformed Auxerre from a village team to French league and cup winners in his 35 years at the Abb; Deschamps Stadium, has been making confident noises about the match. Having lost their opener at home to Ajax, the French are in the same straits as Rangers, which should be at least a guarantee of open, attacking play from both sides.