Source: Team_Talk
Miller eyes return ticket to Europe
The Scottish champions faced Sevilla in their final Group G game hoping to at least end their European season with a win, having garnered just two points from their previous matches.[LNB]But, with Tom Cruise and wife Katie Holmes watching from the crowd, it proved to be mission impossible as Rangers slumped to a 1-0 defeat, with Fredi Kanoute claiming the decisive goal from the penalty spot early on.[LNB]Miller said: "We have to put Europe to the back of our minds now. We knew the game never meant anything so we tried to come across to nick a result.[LNB]"We were under pressure for long spells. We could have nicked a point at the end but it wasn't to be. We just have to write it off and move on and hopefully win the league again and make sure we're here again next year.[LNB]"We have to forget about Europe now, because we're out of it. We can't let it linger. We knew what the game was all about, it was about hopefully salvaging a bit of pride.[LNB]"If we could get a result, great. If not, we've got a hard month coming up with five or six games over the next five weeks or so.[LNB]"They'll be tough ones but if we come out of them with a lot of points then we're going to be in a right good position to win the league again."[LNB]While Sevilla peppered the Rangers goal with shots throughout, the visitors failed to trouble their hosts until the closing stages of the match, when Nacho Novo and Lee McCulloch both came close.[LNB]Miller added: "It was a poor performance. It's hard work and frustrating but it's the sort of thing we have to do and I thought in the second half we were a lot better, more of an attacking force anyway.[LNB]"We could even have nicked a wee point at the end. That might have been a bit of a robbery, right enough. But we had a couple of shots on goal in the last five minutes, which were our first in the game.[LNB]"That first half I don't think we even got close to their goal. It was frustrating for us, we couldn't really get out.[LNB]"They had long spells of possession and put us under a lot of pressure. In the second half we seemed to get out a bit more and we were more of an attacking force in the last 10 to 15 minutes."[LNB]Steven Smith was a surprise inclusion in the starting line-up, making his first appearance since the Co-operative Insurance Cup win at Dundee back in October.[LNB]He said: "It was great to play in the game but we made a poor start and it was an uphill task from there. We knew we had to work hard for everything we were going to get.[LNB]"We did have a few chances but they are a really good side and it shows if we want to get to that level we have a long way to go."[LNB]Smith echoed Miller's statement about concentrating on their league form now that their European adventure is over for another season.[LNB]He added: "Our recent SPL performances have been criticised but if we continue to work as hard as we did here then we will do okay.[LNB]"We want to get back to the Champions League and to do that we need to win the SPL. We have a big month coming up and we all have to work hard and concentrate on our league performances."[LNB][LNB] Scottish Premier Winner 2009/10 Win Outright: Rangers 11/8
