Smith faces tough task in getting Rangers back on road to success

Ewan Murraytalks to Rangers manager Walter Smith who is aware of the demand for instant success

It is over two years since Rangers last won a trophy, a period in which the club and their fans have experienced little but disappointment. A year ago they were preparing to start competitive life under the highly-rated French manager Paul Le Guen, but the flare of excitement which surrounded the Frenchman's arrival swiftly turned to distress as the team toiled to keep pace with Celtic and the Frenchman left after only 27 weeks in office.

In January, Walter Smith was appointed as his successor, and ahead of his first full season his task is to restore harmony between the club and a support which will be pushed to the brink of revolt if no silverware is again returned this time around.

"At Ibrox there is always an expectation level," said Smith. "It's the same at Celtic. Sometimes that expectation is higher than we can actually achieve, but the fact is, it's still there. And you need that expectation level, maybe even that bit of aggravation, if you are to succeed. I thoroughly believe this and it's no use complaining about it.

"I read some managers saying they have 'a two-year plan'. Well at Rangers you can't have that, it's a two-week plan . . . It's hard, but that's the fact of it. I had a three-month spell at Manchester United. There I saw, after the success they've had, they can go through a certain period where they are allowed to change, and build a new team back up. That's how Sir Alex Ferguson works. But we can't plan it like that."

Smith, whose previous tenure at Ibrox returned seven of Rangers' historic nine championships in a row, has signed nine players in the close season with a total outlay in transfer fees of €10.4 million. "The chairman reminded me we're over-budget," he said.

Those players are not up to the standard Smith became accustomed to between 1991 and 1998; there is no Brian Laudrup nor Paul Gascoigne equivalent available for the money Rangers, with debts of €24.5 million have at their disposal. Nonetheless, Smith insists he is happy with his squad. "We've got a far stronger group of players now than when I came in January," he said. "We have more options now, and it's down to me to make sure we use the right ones."

If he falters, the 50,000 supporters who regularly cram into Ibrox will not be shy about letting him know. Rangers were booed from the field with the score at 0-0 at half-time in Tuesday's Champions League qualifier against FK Zeta.

In reality, the howls served as the latest illustration of underlying frustrations among fans who have had to watch Celtic's dominance of the domestic scene under Gordon Strachan.

Murmurings of discontent have also been evident towards David Murray, the chairman, who some believe caused the recent malaise by financial recklessness in previous years. "We have a lot of new players who have played for clubs who, if they finished third or fourth, that would be fine," Smith said. "For the new boys here - Scottish or foreign - they now know after the booing in midweek they've come to a club where it is not acceptable to lose a game, regardless of the opponents."

It seems entirely fitting Rangers begin their campaign at Inverness this lunch-time. On their previous visit to the Highlands, last December, a 2-1 defeat effectively ended Le Guen's aspirations of succeeding; two games later and he departed for France.

Smith's team have improved significantly since the turn of the year, but their defensive robustness may not prove enough. Rangers remain short of guile and genuine strength in depth. The manager, though, has some cause to be positive, not least because he enjoyed remarkable success over Celtic during the nine- in-a-row years. Moreover, Smith has always enjoyed good fortune when it matters most, in a similar manner to Ferguson.

"Last year we lost more points to the bottom teams than we did to the top teams," Smith explained. "So that is something that has to be looked at. But it's not for me to comment on the previous manager, that's not fair.

"The biggest thing for this club must be mounting a far better challenge than we have done in recent seasons. But Celtic will be ready, I'm well aware of that."

Inverness CT v Rangers

Inverness striker Dean McDonald has returned to training after an ankle injury, while Graham Bayne will be given until this morning to get over a toe injury. Romanian Marius Niculae has not yet received a work permit.

Rangers will be without new signing Steven Whittaker, who serves a suspension carried over from last season. Andy Webster is also banned, while Chris Burke is out with an ankle injury.

Last season:Rangers 1 Inverness CT 1, Inverness CT 2 Rangers 1, Rangers 0 Inverness CT 1.

Match odds:H 5/1 A 4/9 D 11/4.

Tomorrow

Celtic v Kilmarnock

Mark Brown will stand in for injured goalkeeper Artur Boruc. Summer signing Scott McDonald and defender Steven Pressley are suspended.

Kilmarnock will have fit-again David Fernandez on the bench. Defender Grant Murray is suspended, skipper Garry Hay (ankle) is a slight doubt, while Danny Invincibile (groin) is unavailable.

Last season:Kilmarnock 1 Celtic 2, Celtic 2 Kilmarnock 0, Kilmarnock 1 Celtic 2, Celtic 4 Kilmarnock 1.

Match odds:H 1/5 A 10/1 D 4/1.

Rest of Premier Division Fixtures

Today:Dundee United v Aberdeen, Gretna v Falkirk, St Mirren v Motherwell. Monday:Hearts v Hibernian.