Scottish first relieves Le Guen

Rangers FC eased the pressure on manager Paul Le Guen as they became the first Scottish club to win a European tie on Italian soil by defeating AS Livorno Calcio 3-2 in UEFA Group A last night.

'Never dead'
The former Olympique Lyonnais coach has endured a torrid start to his career in Scotland with just four victories from ten Premier League matches, but Le Guen is confident the performance in Tuscany will kick-start the rest of their campaign. "We were ill but never dead," he said. "My players were brilliant in the first half and it is a step in the right direction. There is still a long way to go and we cannot be overconfident, but now my players have set a very high standard."

Novo cameo
It was a good night especially for forgotten man Nacho Novo. The 27-year-old Spanish striker seemed to be on his way out of Ibrox during the summer but made the most of a rare start to win a penalty and score the vital third goal - his first in 13 months. "I was given a chance and I took it," said Novo. "I was surprised when the manager told me I was starting. I was so happy after my goal and I think it was the best thing to celebrate with him and all the staff on the touchline."

'Fight and character'
Like his manager, captain Barry Ferguson now wants to see more consistency on the domestic front. "We showed a lot of fight and character that's been badly needed," said Ferguson. "But it's alright doing it in one game, we need to start doing it in every game now. To get three points away from home is great for us, but we've got another three games to play in this group and hopefully we can progress in the tournament."