Ricksen: Walter needs cash splash

May 18 2008 By Gordon Waddell

FERNANDO RICKSEN last night told David Murray it's time to give Walter Smith the cash to buy the flair Rangers need to become real Euro contenders.

The Zenit St Petersburg star was still full of praise for Gers despite their 2-0 defeat by the Russian side in last week's UEFA Cup showdown.

But the safety-first style Smith used to get his side as far as the final ended up being their undoing as they failed to turn the tide in Manchester.

Former Ibrox ace Ricksen, though, reckons one big-bucks signing up front could make all the difference.

The Dutchman said: "You don't go this far in four competitions if you don't have quality.

"Rangers were still on course to win everything until Wednesday. Okay, so they lost the UEFA Cup. But they can still win the SPL title so must be doing something right.

"The only thing I would say about them is they miss a little something in an attacking sense.

"They could improve if they spend some money in that department. Then I can see them going to the top.

"So I would urge the chairman to help Walter. He's a great coach who has done an excellent job with the resources he has. He spent practically nothing yet took Rangers so far. Maybe he can do that again.

"And let's be honest - until we scored in the final they had the better chances. They had a handball the ref could have given. We had a similar handball in the first half but ours was a little bit more dodgy.

"Rangers also had two chances in the first three minutes so had more opportunities to score.

"But eventually we played better and tried to play good football to break them down."

Fernando wants to avoid his old side like the plague if Smith's men join Zenit in the Champions League next season. He said: "I'd rather not play Rangers. They are a hard team to beat so it would be better if we faced a football-playing side because we would stand more chance against them.

"We would have more chance of beating Bayern Munich for example, teams like that."

Ricksen (right) also believes Rangers should have no shame in losing to Zenit because he thinks the rouble-rich Russians are the best footballing side in Europe right now. The 31-year-old, on the bench for Dick Advocaat's men against Gers in Manchester, said: "Football-wise I don't think there is a better team in Europe at this moment than us.

"No-one beats us football-wise. Experience-wise and in terms of confidence, maybe not right now.

"We have still to see that side of Zenit. But we play the most attractive football in Europe.

"And that's without me - even though that seems hardly possible!"