Rangers 2, Marseille 2.
SOMETIMES the evidence of your own eyes does not equate with justice.
Rangers emerged breathless, wet, and weary from their opening Group A
Champions' Cup match on their own backyard made heavy last night because
of torrential rain and somehow they were clutching one of the two
points. How they managed it may remain one of the game's secrets from
now until the last ball in the world has been burst.
There they were, stumbling aimlessly around in the quagmire and being
sucked towards what was becoming an embarrassing defeat. The French
champions, Marseille, had taken advantage of two defensive aberrations
and were knocking the ball and Rangers' players about as though it was
all too easy.
The Ibrox regulars, one sensed, were probably preparing to jeer their
own team off the pitch, but something happened. The game turned in the
closing stages, and after having looked at defeat for so long, Rangers
scored two goals.
It was remarkable because they did not look capable of extricating
themselves from the mess in which their dreadful play had led them.
Let's just say fortune did not merely smile on Rangers, it beamed on
them.
Gary McSwegan, sent on in 77 minutes as a replacement for the
ineffective Trevor Steven, arrived at Fabian Barthez's far post a minute
later and met a searching Alexei Mikhailichenko cross from the left with
precision. McSwegan's header looped over Barthez and into the net. It
was the 22-year-old's first goal in the big team and it injected fresh
desire and will into his more illustrious colleagues.
Four minutes after his goal he played a crucial part in the build-up
which gave Ian Durrant the chance to cross from the left and Mark
Hateley stooped and headered. Rangers had equalised and stolen a point
from a team who might easily have won 4-0.
Marseille had been in total command and looked as though they were not
happy with their two-goal lead as they buzzed around Andy Goram's goal.
With a shade more luck they would have added to their tally, but when
the referee brought the match to a halt, they stood around in the mud as
though in a state of shock.
Rangers, of course, had to play without Ally McCoist, whose calf
injury is more serious than many had believed, and the suspended Ian
Ferguson. They also went into the game without Gary Stevens, Dale
Gordon, and Pieter Huistra, who had to settle for seats in the stand
because the manager, Walter Smith, opted to use Mikhailichenko, Hateley,
and Steven as his three non-nationals.
Smith used 19-year-old Neil Murray, who last played for the first team
away back in August against Stranraer in a Skol Cup tie, from the start,
and two other 19-year-olds, Steven Pressley and David Hagen, sat
alongside Ally Maxwell and Davie Dodds on the bench. It was hardly
reserve strength likely to have Marseille shaking in their boots.
Murray, in fact, did all right considering the circumstances and
conditions, and Pressley, who took over at the start of the second half
for Richard Gough, who damaged a thigh, was not too bad, although he did
cause Marseille's second goal in 57 minutes. He tried to pass back to
Goram, but succeeded in knocking the ball beyond his keeper and on to
Rudi Voller, who scored easily.
It was ironic that Pressley had taken over from Gough, whose mistake
in 30 minutes led to the opening goal. He mistimed a header, Voller
sprinted away with John Brown in pursuit, and when Gough ran to support
his partner, Alen Boksic was left in the middle waiting to be supplied
by the German internationalist. The ball arrived and he scored.
Rangers had just been taught how difficult and cruel life can be at
the highest level in Europe and for a long spell afterwards they were
treated almost with contempt by the French side, who were not slow to
make their presence felt in the tackle either.
In fact, there were times when it seemed as though Mike Tyson was not
in prison in America, but playing at the back for Marseille wearing the
No.4 jersey, and calling himself Basile Boli.
He tackles with teeth-clattering ferocity as several Rangers players
discovered and Eric Di Meco also put himself about. It was not
surprising that both these players were booked by a rather weak
Hungarian referee, Sando Puhl.
Boli bashed into Stuart McCall and Di Meco, who was sent off against
Strasbourg last Friday, almost assaulted Pressley.
The relief felt by Rangers and their supporters at the end turned
quickly to joy as they realised they had just escaped what surely would
have been a damaging defeat. Their completely unexpected comeback means
they can now head for Bochum and their second match, against CSKA
Moscow, in a fortnight with a degree of confidence.
McCoist should be fit and Ferguson free of suspension and they may
well be a different proposition. They will not be any worse than they
were last night. That could not be possible.
However, it might be time to look closely at Steven. He has had a
difficult time because of injury and illness since his return from
Marseille and there is no doubt he is not sharp enough yet, but he must
be a concern to the management.
He does not look anything like the kind of player who can take control
of midfield areas which are populated by the sort of people Rangers will
come across at this level. His form is worrying and Rangers must hope he
regains the will, touch, and vision which caused the French side to look
his way in the first place.
RANGERS -- Goram, Murray, Robertson, Gough, McPherson, Brown, Steven,
McCall, Durrant, Hateley, Mikhailichenko. Substitutes -- Maxwell,
Pressley, Hagen, McSwegan, Dodds.
MARSEILLE -- Barthez, Angloma, Di Meco, Boli, Sauzee, Desailly,
Casoni, Boksic, Voller, Pele, Deschamps. Substitutes -- Olmeta, Amoros,
Eydelie, Durand, Ferreri.
Referee -- S Puhl (Hungary).
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