Pressure is on other sides to catch up, claims Smith

Rangers manager Walter Smith yesterday made some salient points about

the presumption that there will be added pressure on his club to emulate

their treble feat.

''People talk about pressure,'' he said, ''but it is always here,

whether we win the treble or not. It has been the same every season I

have been here and it hasn't done us any harm.''

But when he expanded on the other pressure issue he was even more

interesting. ''How can the strain be on Rangers all the time. Surely

there has to be a stage where it is up to some others to look at

themselves and accept a bit of pressure. Someone said it would be bad

for Scottish football if we won the treble but that is not Rangers'

fault.

''I don't see why we are the team that is under pressure. If that is

the case the others must be accepting the fact that we are going to win

all the time.''

Even so, he has to recognise the truth that the expectations among the

Ibrox aficionados as well as the resigned acceptance of their

superiority among the general populace could rebound on Rangers. ''It

does bother me a wee bit,'' added Smith. ''It is hard trying to keep an

edge on things and that kind of attitude can make it more difficult,

especially if your achievement is belittled.

''If you look at our two cup finals this season. Both finished 2-1,

and you could never say that they couldn't have gone the other way. You

have to take that into consideration and say that there will be the time

when the 2-1 will go against you.''

The manager faces a hard task in reigning in the euphoria of a season

which, by any standards, has been magnificent. The perceived notion that

the next step will be winning the Champions' Cup is enough to terrify

any team leaders, even ones with the track record of Smith and his

cohort Archie Knox.

As with others of his breed, he is careful to bring to everybody's

attention the way football can provide an ample supply of banana skins

for the forgetful. ''If you remember Barcelona, who won the European Cup

two years ago and went out this season in an early round. Does that mean

when they won it they were the best in Europe and the next season they

were one of the worst?

''I don't think you can say we are the third best in Europe. It

doesn't work like that. You have to keep proving yourself and we like

that challenge. But we look forward to Europe next season.

''Maybe we have a bit more confidence as a result of our efforts in

the Champions' Cup this year but we would never say we were third best

or whatever. You have to prove that in the season.''

The chances are that the great majority of the squad which has taken

Rangers through their historic season will be back in harness for next

year. Because of the demands of the game at their level, Rangers find

that a large pool is not only desirable but essential.

They used 29 players to see them over the challenges at home and

abroad and there will not be a large exodus, even if there will be room

made for one or two newcomers.

However, the emergence of the young players at Ibrox encourages Smith

to believe that he will only need to concentrate on top-level

acquisitions in the transfer market. ''I think the quality of young

players coming through will now enable us to forget about buying

middle-of-the-range players.''

He was unforthcoming about the men under scrutiny, but the money to be

spent will be considerable.

One of the young men who has helped bring about this situation is Neil

Murray, scorer of one of the two goals in Rangers' cup win, and Smith

made particular reference to his contribution.

''Murray was not played in his best position but still scored a goal

in the cup final. He and others like Stephen Pressley and David Hagen

have done well.''

He hasn't done too badly himself.