Zero shots on target as Rangers go out of both European competitions

Published on Tuesday 24 November 2009 22:59

RANGERS manager Walter Smith last night accepted culpability for his team's dismal elimination from the Champions League and admitted his players crumbled under the pressure of having to win their home matches.

The Scottish champions slumped to a third consecutive Ibrox defeat, losing 2-0 to VfB Stuttgart to ensure they will finish bottom of Group G and miss out even on the consolation of dropping into the Europa League.

In a bid to change his team's fortunes following the previous 4-1 defeats to Sevilla and Unirea Urziceni, Smith deployed an experimental 3-4-3 formation. He abandoned it after just 12 minutes but Stuttgart, currently in the Bundesliga relegation zone, still cantered to a victory which would have been far more emphatic but for Rangers goalkeeper and man of the match Allan McGregor.

In a campaign which has seen Rangers far more resolute away from home, earning 1-1 draws in both Stuttgart and Bucharest, Smith was left to rue their lack of mental strength at Ibrox and last night's failed attempt to find a solution.

"When you lose your first two home games 4-1, then you have to try and come up with something that you think might help," said Smith. "As it is, it didn't help that much. So it's all my fault.

"Everyone was unhappy with the way we played in the previous Champions League campaign. They will probably be unhappy with the way we played in this one as well. But there is no doubt we were far more dependable and solid in our previous Champions League escapade.

"This season, we have not been good enough when the expectation level is to go and win the game. We have to take that on board. There are no excuses from us. Regardless of systems, the home matches have all finished in similar fashion. The pressure of having to create at home is something we have not been able to handle particularly well.

"We take it in the context of the group. We have struggled at home to impose ourselves on the games while trying to keep a decent level of defending. That has been the biggest problem, considering we took points away from home and looked comfortable. We never looked comfortable at home. Tonight was very similar to the last two home matches.

"Away from home, the expectation is not as great in having to go forward and try to win the game. We have been better in possession of the ball away from home."

Smith handed a rare European start to Kris Boyd last night but refused to attach any significance to a missed opportunity by the striker just before half-time when the score was still 1-0.

"We had opportunities like that in all of our home games," said Smith. "You can't say it was a turning point. It was an opportunity to get back into the game. The variation and disparity of our play at home and away from home has been the biggest disappointment of the group."

The Rangers manager, who said it had been "a fairly straightforward decision" to leave Madjid Bougherra out of the team following the defender's late return from international duty with Algeria, found some consolation in the performance of McGregor.

"Towards the end of the game, you can lose discipline when you are going forward chasing the game," said Smith. "It was always going to open up. Allan is doing well for us, his form has been terrific. If there is a better goalkeeper around, I have yet to see him. One thing we do have is an exceptionally good goalkeeper."

Last night's defeat maintained a miserable trend for Scottish clubs in Europe, with only six wins recorded and 24 defeats suffered in the last 37 matches played.

"I can't talk about Scottish football, I can only talk about Rangers," said Smith. "Maybe some other Scottish teams have performed better in the Champions League. From our own point of view we are just disappointed in the manner we played the home games."

While Rangers now face a meaningless final fixture against Sevilla in Spain on 9 December, Stuttgart can clinch a place in the last 16 if they defeat Unirea Urziceni in Germany. The Romanian champions defeated already-qualified Sevilla 1-0 in Bucharest last night.

"I'm very proud of my team," said Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel. "Defensively, we were really good and we created chances going forward."