McLeish still under a cloud

Rangers 1 Inter Milan 1

The Scottish champions battled out a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan after Peter Lovenkrands cancelled out Adriano’s header. But events at Ibrox proved irrelevant after the other group match between Artmedia Bratislava and Porto ended goalless, allowing Rangers to join Inter in the knockout stages.

The European campaign has been in stark contract to domestic results this season, with Rangers languishing in fifth place in the Bank of Scotland Premier League, 17 points adrift of arch-rivals Celtic.

It is those statistics which could cost McLeish his job this week and crunch talks with chairman David Murray are likely to signal the end of his Rangers reign almost four years to the day after he took over the Ibrox helm.

Last night, though, he was keeping everyone guessing.

“To avoid any questions about my future, we will discuss it with the chairman over the next 48 hours and maybe I will have something to say then, rather than some kind of frenzy tomorrow,” said McLeish.

“I don’t want to discuss it. I’m not going to be drawn about talking about my future at all tonight.

“Let’s take these 48 hours and decide where we’re going to go from here for the good of Rangers, for the good of Alex McLeish.”

The win may not be enough to save under-pressure manager Alex McLeish’s job, but it provided him with something to cheer.

He said: “I am absolutely jubilant because they played a very disciplined performance tonight against a very dangerous team.

“The players were magnificent - fantastic.

“It is a great night for Scottish football and, more importantly, for Rangers.”

Inter were already confirmed as Group H winners and, with a crucial Serie A derby against rivals AC Milan to look forward to, Roberto Mancini opted to leave eight star names at home.

With Marcello Ze Maria, Julio Cruz, Alvaro Recoba, Ivan Cordoba, Luis Figo, Kily Gonzalez, Dejan Stankovic and Juan Sebastian Veron all back in Milan, only Adriano remained in the side following their 1-0 win over Ascoli at the weekend.

That meant Rangers were effectively facing a team of reserves But the size of the occasion, and what was at stake, appeared to affect the Rangers players early on and they were guilty of making too many stray passes.

However, it was Waterreus who was left plucking the ball out of the Rangers net with 30 minutes gone.

Adriano stepped off his marker to connect with a Sinisa Mihajlovic corner in a packed goalmouth and head home the opener from six yards.

Undeterred, Rangers were back on level terms on 38 minutes.Thomas Buffel released Lovenkrands with a superb ball and the Dane raced into the box before keeping his cool to slot past goalkeeper Francesco Toldo.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos was the first player of the game to be booked after 64 minutes for hauling down Obafemi Martins.

Mihajlovic stepped up for the resultant free-kick but his 35-yard effort was comfortably held by the Rangers goalkeeper. Lovenkrands could have added to his tally when he met a Barry Ferguson pass, after skipping past Mihajlovic, but his curling effort was easily held by the Inter Milan goalkeeper. Cristiano Zanetti paid the price for an earlier caution when he picked up a second yellow card with three minutes to go for a challenge on Buffel. But it was not enough to help Rangers win the game.

RANGERS: Waterreus, Ricksen, Andrews, Kyrgiakos, Murray, Burke, Ferguson, Malcolm, Namouchi, Buffel, Lovenkrands.

INTER MILAN: Toldo, Andreolli (Javier Zanetti 70), Mihajlovic, Materazzi (Momente 41), Burdisso, Solari, Cristiano Zanetti, Pizarro, Wome, Adriano (Maa Boumsong 81), Martins.

Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria).