EMBOLDENED by his team's 7-2 victory over Alania Vladikavkaz in the away leg of the qualifying round, Rangers manager Walter Smith seems prepared to go for, broke in the opening match of the Champions League in Zurich tonight. Smith made no effort to camouflage his intention to play three forwards against Grasshopper at the Hardturm Stadium, with Ally McCoist, Brian Laudrup and Gordon Durie the nominated trio.
There remains a slight doubt over McCoist's fitness he has a hamstring problem but the manager quickly assured us that, if McCoist did not make it, he would be replaced by Dutch forward Peter vanVossen.
Smith's eagerness for three points, rather than the avoidance of defeat, was impossible to miss, even if he did add a rider based on last season's experience in the corresponding fixture, when the Scottish champions lost their first game to Steaua in Bucharest. They failed to win any of, the other five, losing twice to Juventus and drawing with Steaua at home and in both matches with Borussia Dortmund.
"What we have to avoid," he said, "is being pushed hack as we were in Bucharest. Don't forget, we played a very attack minded side that night, with Paul Gascoigne, Ian Durrant and Charlie Miller in midfield. "As things turned out, we rarely got into our stride in the forward areas. We have to do better in that respect over here. It's not as if we'll be on a 11 out attack. You would always expect the home team in these circumstances to be pushing forward themselves, but we can't allow ourselves to be out on the hack foot as we were against Steaua."
In Kubilay Turkyilmaz and Viorel Moldovan, Grasshopper have forwards who are capable of inflicting damage on any opposition. Turkyilmaz is the inspiration of the Zurich side and Moldovan, a Romanian, was bought for a record £1,000,000 at the end of last season, which he finished as top scorer with 19 goals for Xamax Neuchatel.
Grasshopper didn't win a match in the Champions League last season, but included in their draws was one against Ajax at home. "That tells you enough to know that they will be tough," said Smith. "But I'm sure we've improved since last year and we've become stronger. Our plan, basically, is to get a more positive start than last year."
