Source: FOOTYMAD
They Are All Important Games
No player plays in a competition just to make up the numbers. They all want to win everything Walter Smith insists there is no chance of fielding a weakened team against Sporting Lisbon despite a crucial Old Firm derby this weekend. Sporting will be at Ibrox tonight in the last 32 of the Europa League, before Rangers make the short trip to the east end of Glasgow to face Celtic in the league on Sunday. But, as Rangers continue to battle on four fronts for silverware, Smith refused to prioritise the competitions his side are involved in, while stressing how seriously he is taking the challenge of their Portuguese visitors. He said: "It's an important game on Sunday but this one is an important game too. We don't enter tournaments to lose them. We want to do as well as we possibly can. We didn't start out in the Europa League, we started out in the Champions League and were unable to stay in the Champions League. We are in the Europa League and we want to do as well as we can. Someone asked me if we take the League Cup in Scotland seriously. We have been in every final since I came back so I just replied that they should ask everybody else if they take it seriously. We take all the games we have seriously. I don't think you can pick and choose what you wish to be successful in. You want to do well in every game you play and every tournament you play in.'' Sporting coach Paulo Sergio has urged his players to put recent events firmly in the past and show courage. Sporting head into the encounter with contrasting recent form to that of their hosts. Rangers are bolstered by a comprehensive 6-0 win over Motherwell to keep them in touch with SPL leaders Celtic, while Sporting's 2-2 draw with Olhanense leaves them trailing Porto by a staggering 23 points in their own domestic competition. Such poor league form, coupled with the loss of star striker Liedson in January and reports of problems behind the scenes, means the Europa League has taken on even more significance for the Portuguese side. Sergio said: "Being a knockout game, it's very important. Usually the weaker teams look at these games with fear but we can't look at the game with fear, we need to be motivated. We have a strong mentality. The issues don't help us but we have to concentrate and do our job as best we can. After a bad result, we have to be together and positive about the future. The weak man sees fear in everything but we have to be strong, we have to show courage and be brave. That's what I want my team to do.'' There will be a familiar face among the away ranks when Pedro Mendes makes an emotional return, and Sporting skipper Daniel Carrico revealed his team-mates have already been pumping the former Gers midfielder for information. He said: "He has spoken to the players and told us it's a fantastic stadium and a fantastic atmosphere; it's the type of stadium everyone would want to play in one day. He has given us some information on the players and his former colleagues. It's a game for everyone to look forward to.'' Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net)This is Scottish-Fitba Net
