McLeish rues Rangers profligacy
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Article summary
Rangers FC manager Alex McLeish was left to lament his side's finishing after FC Artmedia left Glasgow having secured a goalless draw.
Article body
A fine display by FC Artmedia goalkeeper Juraj Čobej earned his side a goalless draw away to Rangers FC in UEFA Champions League Group H, although the home team will look back with regret on a frustrating night that featured a succession of missed chances. The Scottish champions' evening was made worse with the news that FC Porto had defeated group leaders FC Internazionale Milano in Portugal to leave the section wide open at the halfway stage.
Alex McLeish, Rangers manager
I thought we had a wonderful chance to win the game. The chances we created, at this level, have to go down as very good chances, and I cannot believe we did not finish one of them in the first half. The tempo of our game was magnificant, and I cannot fault the effort of our players because it was fantastic. We tired a bit in the second half, but we were unlucky after our first-half show because the Artmedia goalkeeper was magnificant. We now know we have to go to Bratislava and get something from the game, and I believe we are capable of doing so.
Vladimír Weiss, Artmedia coach
We are very happy to get a point against a great team in Glasgow. Rangers had chances in the first half but they came from our mistakes. They had their chances, but the two best of the game fell to our player [Lukáš] Hartig. There were no goals but the quality was very high and the players deserve great credit. So far the [UEFA] Champions League has been a big success for us. In Bratislava it will be a different game - if Rangers want to go through, they will have to win. I'm not speaking about winning the group but we are under-estimated.
Barry Ferguson, Rangers captain
The dressing room is very disappointed. We created a few chances in the first half but it wasn't to be. We know it's going to be tough over there, they had a great result over there in the second qualifying round [against Celtic FC].
Steven Thompson, Rangers striker
The group is wide open now but I'm sure we can go to Bratislava and get a victory. We've had something like 17 shots on goal in this game and I cannot believe that we can have another night when we do that and do not score. If we had even half the chances we had tonight and take some of them then we can do the job.
