Soccer

European failure leaves Smith under fire

FBK Kaunas 2 Rangers 1 (agg 2-1): Rangers manager Walter Smith admits he faces a massive challenge in picking his players up…

Tue Aug 05 2008 - 01:00

FBK Kaunas 2 Rangers 1 (agg 2-1):Rangers manager Walter Smith admits he faces a massive challenge in picking his players up for Saturday's Clydesdale Bank Premier League opener at Falkirk after crashing out of Europe tonight.

The Ibrox side had looked set to progress to the third qualifying round of the Champions League with an away-goals win over FBK Kaunas in Lithuania.

The first leg in Glasgow had ended in a goalless draw but Kevin Thomson opened the scoring in tonight's clash, before Nerijus Radzius levelled for the hosts.

Rangers were then hit with a sucker punch when Linas Pilibaitis snatched a late winner with only three minutes to go.

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Smith said: "It's a blow in every aspect, including the financial side and everything that comes with it.

"We just have to face it and get on with it. We have a job on our hands to pick everyone up.

"There was always a hope that we could pick ourselves up for this game and there was also a matter of pride of playing in Europe again.

"We enjoyed the run we had last season but we are not going to get one this season and that's a disappointment for us."

Last season's epic run to the Uefa Cup final was seen as one of the causes for Rangers slipping up in the title race on the last day of the season but Smith admits he cannot yet contemplate any positives that may come out of tonight's shattering blow.

He added: "The championship is a long way off after a night like tonight. I've got enough problems picking everyone up for Falkirk on Saturday."

David Edgar, spokesman for the Rangers Supporters Trust, asked for leadership from the top at Ibrox in the wake of what he called "a disaster of a result".

"Let's not sugar-coat it, this was a disaster of a result," he said. "The fans are more upset than I can remember.

"The feel-good factor from Manchester has totally and utterly gone. It's hard to see where we go from here and it's down to the people in charge to show us.

"The fear is that players will be sold to balance the books and the fans simply will not stand for it.

"We are totally gutted."