RANGERS returned from Israel with their hopes of reaching the promised land still intact. It may not have won too many awards for technical merit, but Nacho Novo's away goal in the second half of the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv allowed the Ibrox club to feel good about themselves despite suffering the first defeat of the second Walter Smith era against a wholly unspectacular Hapoel side.
It must have seemed particularly precious for Smith, whose first spell at Ibrox came and went without ever benefiting from the away goals rule, while even the epic run to the cusp of the European Cup final in 1992-93 was book-ended by heartbreaking away-goal qualifying defeats to Levski Sofia and Sparta Prague, a statistical quirk which was faithfully carried on in his absence by first Viktoria Zizkov and then last season Villarreal.
Thursday evening at Ibrox provides a chance to change all that, however, particularly after the confirmation captain Barry Ferguson would escape any censure for the incident which saw him strike opponent Tal Chen whilst on the ground. "The away goal does make a big difference," Smith said, after a couple of days' reflection. "We're obviously disappointed to lose the game, especially because I didn't think there was a great deal in the match. I don't think we could say we deserved to win it, but I don't think they could either. But while being unhappy at losing, we are happy that we have a good opportunity at home. If you look at the majority of European games, that is all you can ask for these days from the away leg. You would hope to be able to do enough to win the game at home."
The Uefa Cup final will be at Hampden in May, but any casual assumptions that his team are fated to progress serenely remain strictly irrational. Smith, after all, is well aware that another numbers game is working against his team in such situations. Having gambled during January by not signing more players, then subsequently seeing four succumb to injury, he had only 14 senior professionals to call upon in midweek.
"We had quite a number of young players in our team, and the more games you get in Europe the better," Smith said. "You looked at times in the game and there was a bit of a lack of experience showed in different aspects of the game."
With the challenge of Falkirk this afternoon, shuffling the resources is not getting any easier - even if Dado Prso could be fit to return after his hamstring injury. "We were down to 14 professionals, but all that does is restrict your choice a wee bit, it doesn't mean you can't field a team or give us a major problem," Smith said. "It is injuries that have caused it more than anything else. Instead of taking people for the sake of taking them in the transfer window, there was always a chance that this would occur."
Even some of those playing last week suffered pain. When Baruch Degu slid in to give the Israelis a first-leg advantage with just quarter of an hour left, Ian Murray felt it as much as anyone. Not only was the former Hibs player singled out by assistant manager Ally McCoist for the defensive frailties in the left back area which led to the goal, but he was playing under the continued influence of anti-inflammatory drugs which he is resigned to taking for the remainder of his career in order to combat a virus-led reactive arthritis which saw him miss the first four months of the season.
Ever since he played in Paul Le Guen's last game in charge at Motherwell, Murray's return in place of the injured Stevie Smith at left-back has appeared remarkably painless. It might not exactly be Robbie Williams, but for the player himself there has been more than occasional torment.
"It is not medication specifically for my illness," said Murray, who has weaned himself off his original prescription drugs. "It is just anti-inflammatory drugs to keep the inflammation down. I probably will be taking them for a while, but I know players who have taken it all their career and have nasty injuries, sometimes it just perks you up a wee bit before games. You can get a sore stomach if you take too much, and some folk can't cope with it, it messes them up, but I am fine with it.
"I need to take it, it's not like I'm having it when I don't need it. Sometimes I am begging for it, just to take the pain away. You see how people do get addicted due to the fact that it is more of a mental thing than a physical thing. Sometimes you might think you feel pain but there is nothing there. When I don't have to take it, I don't take it. I have certainly cut down substantially in the last month or so."
As for the goal itself, by Friday it appeared to be a case of collective responsibility. "That is football," Murray said, "stuff goes on and you can't change it after the game. It was disappointing from a personal point of view and from the point of view of the defence as a whole. We were all disappointed but there are times when that happens."
Given the afore-mentioned frailties in the club's squad, there is a benefit as never before in having players back who can play in a number of positions. That is where Murray comes in, having only to feature as a striker and a goalkeeper before he has completed the entire set.
Smith claims that Murray is "as two footed a player as he has ever been involved with", and Scotland manager Alex McLeish - the man of course, who brought him on a free transfer to Ibrox in the first place - is another fan. Indeed, with Gary Naysmith short of games, and the likes of Graham Alexander and Jackie McNamara not naturally left-sided, Murray has suddenly become a genuine contender to start in the international double header against Georgia and Italy.
There is little doubting his own personal preferences. "I am not overly fussed to be honest," Murray said. "I am not a massive fan of left-back, but if it means I am in the team then I am happy to play there. I enjoy the centre of the pitch more than out on the wings, but obviously I am not at a stage where I can pick and choose my positions."
For Murray at least, a one-nil victory on Thursday night would be just what the doctor ordered.
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