IT'S LOOKING BLACK, LADS

IFK Gothenburg captain Stefan Lindqvist reckons Rangers' only hope of reaching the Champions League lies with Paul Gascoigne recovering his form.

The Swedish stopper blamed Gazza for the Scots flop in the 3-0 defeat in the first leg in the Ullevi Stadium. Now he insists the controversial English star must prove he can still compete at the highest level for Rangers to have any hope of a dramatic comeback on Wednesday night.

Lindqvist revealed yesterday: "Frankly I was very disappointed in Gazza and Jorg Albertz in the first leg.

"Certainly the heat affected Rangers and they looked a very tired side after only 50 minutes in the Ullevi Stadium. Humidity will not be a factor for them in the return.

"But Gazza and Albertz must do much more. They must show they can be team players. Jonas Thern had to do all their running in midfield, which meant he was not nearly as effective as he can be.

"Rangers were punished because their most creative players did not contribute. But I expect them to improve after all the criticism they took.

"Gothenburg lost a 3-0 lead against Barcelona in the Nou Camp some years ago in the European Cup, and last season we struggled against Ferencvaros in Hungary with a similar advantage.

"We are taking nothing for granted. We know Rangers will fight to restore their pride. Their supporters will demand nothing less.

"They had their moments in the first leg and the scoreline flattered us a bit. There is still a lot of hard work ahead."

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