with Aberdeen at Ibrox - a result that leaves the
Champions trailing by an incredible twelve points in
the title race, and an equally staggering eight points
adrift of a European place for next season.
Let's just repeat that last statistic - eight points
short, not of a Champions' League place but of a UEFA
Cup spot. That, in a nutshell, is just how far last
season's Champions have fallen after today's draw -
the fourth in consecutive games.
There was just the one change from Bratislava with
Stefan Klos as anticipated replacing Ronald Waterreus.
Rangers were on the offensive from the opening minutes
with Steven Thompson seeing his eighteen-yard shot
from a Barry Ferguson cross deflected wide in thirteen
minutes.
Three minutes later the striker's swerving shot from a
Peter Lovenkrands pass was held by Ryan Esson.
The one-way traffic continued - Fernando Ricksen's
23rd minute corner being head-flicked on at the near
post by Julian Rodriguez only for the ball to be
cleared off the line by Gary Dempsey.
Ian Murray replaced the limping Brahim Hemdani three
minutes later as the Ibrox men suffered yet another
injury blow.
The Dons' travelling support polluted the atmosphere
with their sickening "Nice one, Simmie" chant.
Despite the relentless home pressure the half ended
goalless, with the near-capacity crowd growing
increasingly restless.
In a desperate effort to change the way the game was
going, Manager Alex McLeish replaced the ineffective
Lovenkrands with Chris Burke at the interval.
Rangers almost restarted with a bang, Ferguson
creating space for Dado Prso whose weak shot was held
by Esson in the opening minute.
Six minutes later - just to demonstrate how out of
luck the Light Blues were - Thompson blocked a
netbound Rodriguez volley from a Ricksen corner.
Franny Jeffers replaced Alan Hutton in 69 minutes as
'Eck' desperately tried to break the deadlock, but in
fact the former Arsenal and Everton striker's
contribution would prove to be less than negligible.
Two minutes later a Burke free-kick found Sotirios
Kyrgiakos at the far post - his header across goal
being met by Prso whose effort was deflected wide.
Twice in eight minutes Thompson headers from Ricksen
crosses were held by Esson as tine began to run out on
the 'Gers.
Aberdeen survived an incredible scramble in 87 minutes
when from a Burke corner Rodriguez, Prso and Jeffers
all had shots blocked, with Dado possibly fouled into
the bargain.
The by now customary crescendo of booing greeted the
final whistle - and afterwards an under-pressure and
frustrated McLeish reflected:
"We totally dominated. All we need is one goal.
Aberdeen had ten men behind the ball. I can't fault
our commitment. There are still plenty of points to be
won - the league's only insurmountable when there's
not enough points to claw back."
'Eck' also revealed that Peter Lovenkrands had been
replaced at the interval because of illness. The way
the Dane has been playing recently he must be
suffering from the bubonic plague.
RANGERS Klos; Hutton (Jeffers 69), Kyrgiakos,
Rodriguez, Bernard; Ricksen, Ferguson, Hemdani (Murray
26), Lovenkrands (Burke 45); Prso, Thompson
UNUSED SUBS Waterreus, Andrews, Namouchi, McCormack
ABERDEEN Esson; Clark, Anderson, Diamond, Byrne;
Nicholson, Severin, Dempsey (Foster 81), Muirhead;
Smith (Mackie 68), Crawford
UNUSED SUBS Considine, Langfield, Winter, Stewart,
Baas
REFEREE Stuart Dougal