Numan happy to join in goal spree

What the Aberdeen players and supporters had failed to take into consideration, of course, was that the victory they savoured then was won against what was almost a Rangers' reserve side.

This time round, Rangers were at full strength, back from their

winter break in Florida and, as their coach Dick Advocaat had claimed on Friday, eager to restart the season in the way they did a year ago.

If the support needed any convincing that the players were ready to consolidate their lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League then it was well in evidence after an edgy opening when Aberdeen pulled all their players behind the ball in their bid to frustrate the champions.

It is a ploy which has worked for other teams visiting Ibrox and the 50,023 fans worried their way through the first 36 minutes.

That was when Rangers made their breakthrough with a goal from Craig Moore and before half time they were three goals in front and even Arthur Numan was able to celebrate a goal - the first since he signed for the club 18 months ago.

''It was a brilliant goal, wasn't it?'' he grinned afterwards, clearly as happy with the strike as his team-mates had been when they saluted it two minutes before half-time.

Then he added: ''I have had to wait a long time for the goal. I did score before, against Shelbourne, but that was disallowed for offside, though I didn't think there was anything wrong with the goal.

''Anyhow, that is my first goal for Rangers and I just want to score more if I can.

''This was the perfect start to the second half of the season, as far as we were concerned.

''It was important to come

back and to start off with three points. And we were able to see what Tugay can do. I was with him in Florida training, of course, and saw then what a good player he is.

''He is a very good technical player and he will add something to the squad. We all know that you can collect injuries and suspensions and so the stronger the squad, the better it is for Rangers.

''The winter break in Scottish football is good for all the teams. England don't have that and I think that is a mistake for their players.

''You come back from a spell in the sunshine and you feel better for it. You have a rest first and then you train hard and, when you come back, you are ready to play again.''

There was no doubting the appetite that the Rangers players had for the game. Those seven first-half minutes when they took control of the match - with Giovanni van Bronckhorst scoring, between Moore and Numan - destroyed Aberdeen.

Dons' Danish coach Ebbe Skovdahl, who still seemed shell- shocked at the after-match press conference admitted: ''We were under pressure from the very start of the game and, when we lost the three goals before half-time, it was over for us.

''At half-time I told the players that they had to fight for their honour - it was all we had left.''

Even then, all Aberdeen could do was stem the tide a little and they allowed Rangers to score only two more, though if Rod Wallace, who notched one of the second-half goals, had taken all his chances, then the men from the North-East would have been utterly humiliated.

The other goal came from Barry Ferguson, whose display impressed Rangers' new man from Turkey, who made his debut as a second-half replacement for van Bronckhorst in 72 minutes.

The midfielder, whose work permit clearance arrived just a week earlier, said afterwards: ''I have never experienced a welcome like the one the Rangers supporters gave me when I went on to the field. It made me feel very good.

''Now all I want to do is to repay them and the club. Barry Ferguson is a superb player and I am not here to take his place - we can play together in the team and we showed that today.

''I almost scored and it would have been perfect if that had

happened but, still, just being here in Glasgow and playing in such a good team is so important for me.''

Tugay impressed in the short period he was on the field. His touch was good, his passing with either foot impressive, but there was a warning from Advocaat after the match when he said: ''I was pleased with the way he came on, but he has to learn not to play to the gallery. We are a team here and always the team has to come first.''

So, while Tugay clearly has an armoury of tricks, Advocaat does not want to see them too often.

What he will demand is that the Turk slots into his midfield and works as hard as everyone else in there. Talking of work-rate, the German, Jorg Albertz, put in a powerful shift, which must have impressed his Dutch coach, even though he did go off to make way for Claudio Reyna as Advocaat shuffled that talented midfield pack he has at his disposal.

When the men called from the bench are Reyna, Tugay, and Neil McCann then it is obvious that Advocaat is taking Rangers to the level he wants to match his on-field ambitions.

Striker Billy Dodds was unable to get the goal he wanted against his old team and that must have pleased the Aberdeen supporters, who barracked the front man throughout his time on the field.

Dodds did not deserve that treatment. He did not ask to leave Pittodrie, after all - the club

wanted rid of him. It was a move they must still regret, because they had little to offer in this game.

Any revival seems as far off as it did earlier in the season and veteran keeper Jim Leighton remains prone to rash moments these days, with the second goal being one of them.

Aberdeen continue to bolster their management structure, but it is hard to see where they are going, except, perhaps, the first division.

As for the shares issue, which is scheduled for this week in the City, investors must look and wonder what return they will get, if any.

The Pittodrie club does not look a good investment at all.

Quote

''I was pleased that

Rodney Wallace was able

to score because we have had to ask him to change his role since Michael Mols was injured.

The goal will help him.''

- Rangers' coach Dick Advocaat