Allofs: I'll Settle Four A Goal Less

Mar 9 2008 By Gavin Berry

WERDER BREMEN general manager Klaus Allofs thrashed Rangers 5-0 when he last faced them as a player but insists he'd settle for taking four off them this time round.

The World Cup legend starred for Cologne in their 1982 UEFA Cup meeting with the Light Blues and hit the net in both legs as the Germans won emphatically at home after a 2-1 Ibrox loss.

That made up for a defeat earlier in Allof's career when he was part of the Fortuna Dusseldorf team beaten by John Greig's Gers in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1979.

But it's the five-goal drubbing 26 years ago that Klaus - who also scored in Germany's 2-1 win over Scotland at Mexico '86 - prefers to remember as his Bremen team prepare to face Walter Smith's men at the Weser Stadium on Thursday.

He grinned: "I played against Rangers for Cologne and have happy memories of the second leg in Germany because I scored in a 5-0 win.

"The result suggests it was an easy match but that wasn't the case although hopefully it will be a similar outcome on Thursday - I'd even settle for four!

"Seriously, Cologne had a good team but it was a struggle against Rangers and I think this match with Werder Bremen will be the same.

"We are an offensive side and normally score a lot of goals and although that can make you a bit weaker defensively it's an attractive style.

"We try to dominate with one touch football although that's not always possible with a player like Diego who likes to do too much with the ball!

"We didn't have much luck in the Champions League and when we lost to 3-1 to Olympiakos that was a turning point in the group.

"We beat Real Madrid 3-2 at home but in the end failed to qualify and now we want to go far in the UEFA Cup.

"Last year we reached the semi-finals and lost to Espanyol and we want to go that extra step. We have high ambitions.

"It's funny but last time representatives of our club had even gone to Glasgow to check out accommodation and things, not because we were so confident of getting to Hampden for the final but we had to be prepared in case we made it."

Allofs also helped defeat Aberdeen with Fortuna Dusseldorf but undoubtedly his best memory against Scottish opposition came in the 1986 World Cup when Germany beat Scotland, ironically when Gers boss Walter Smith was Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant.

He laughed: "I know the Celtic manager Gordon Strachan scored the opening goal in that match and his celebration when he put one leg on the advertising board is famous.

"But thankfully we came back to win. It was a good tournament for Germany but especially for me because it wasn't easy to get into that team with players such as Rudi Voller around.

"But I played in all the games including the first half in the final. That was the peak of my international career, it's unfortunate I had to quit playing for Germany in 1988 due to injury.

"I have 56 caps so I have lots of good memories."

Allofs revealed former Scots boss Berti Vogts (below) and his Under-21 gaffer Rainer Bonhof would tip them off about certain players and insists the bungling German's work in this country wasn't all bad.

He said: "Berti and Rainer would recommend we looked at certain players.

"I worked under Berti at the 1986 World Cup when he was assistant to Franz Beckenbauer.

"Despite the results with Scotland not being great I think they did some positive things and put down good foundations when you consider how small the country is."