Rangers manager Walter Smith has hit back at critics of his team's style of play and urged his stars to make sure their league position provides no further ammunition for the snipers.
Smith's side were criticised by Motherwell's Paul Quinn for playing "dull route one football" in their CIS Insurance Cup quarter-final victory at Fir Park on Wednesday.
Quinn's comments followed complaints from Lionel Messi that Rangers resorted to "anti-football" to earn a draw against Barcelona in the Champions League.
But Smith stressed: "I'm not really interested in what anyone else thinks.
"We had the same thing with Messi after the Barcelona game. If someone makes a comment and they feel it's a valid comment to make, then fine.
"But, to be perfectly honest, it doesn't interest me what anybody says about Rangers. At Rangers it's quite simple - we have to win the game.
"We are in the semi-final and that's all that interests me."
Rangers take on the might of Barcelona again on Wednesday night - this time in the intimidating surroundings of the Nou Camp - but first up is Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League at Ibrox tomorrow.
Rangers have already lost three league games this season, resulting in them trailing Celtic by three points in the title race, and Smith insists his players cannot afford to be distracted by the Barca game.
He said: "We have to concentrate on the league, we have already lost three games and that's three too many as far as we are concerned.
"If you look at Inverness Caley, they have as good a record at Ibrox as any team over the last few games they have played here.
"We know we will have to be at the top of our game to win this one and that is what we are concentrating on as much as anything else.
"It would be folly for us to start thinking of European games with the importance of the league campaign."
Rangers have lost to Hearts, Hibernian and Dundee United, as well as drawing with Motherwell, immediately before or after Champions League matches.
But Smith added: "I don't think it's a drop in standard overall. We've had one really poor performance this season against Hearts at Tynecastle.
"The ones that we have lost, to Dundee United for example, I felt we played very well in the game but conceded bad goals. It's not as though they were really bad performances.
"When you look at the number of games the players have been asked to play, and the importance of those games, there is bound to be a little but of a dip now and then.
"But there will be no excuses tomorrow. Inverness played in a cup tie during the week and so did we, so it will be a game we will have to play well in if we want to take something."
Quinn's comments followed complaints from Lionel Messi that Rangers resorted to "anti-football" to earn a draw against Barcelona in the Champions League.
But Smith stressed: "I'm not really interested in what anyone else thinks.
"We had the same thing with Messi after the Barcelona game. If someone makes a comment and they feel it's a valid comment to make, then fine.
"But, to be perfectly honest, it doesn't interest me what anybody says about Rangers. At Rangers it's quite simple - we have to win the game.
"We are in the semi-final and that's all that interests me."
Rangers take on the might of Barcelona again on Wednesday night - this time in the intimidating surroundings of the Nou Camp - but first up is Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League at Ibrox tomorrow.
Rangers have already lost three league games this season, resulting in them trailing Celtic by three points in the title race, and Smith insists his players cannot afford to be distracted by the Barca game.
He said: "We have to concentrate on the league, we have already lost three games and that's three too many as far as we are concerned.
"If you look at Inverness Caley, they have as good a record at Ibrox as any team over the last few games they have played here.
"We know we will have to be at the top of our game to win this one and that is what we are concentrating on as much as anything else.
"It would be folly for us to start thinking of European games with the importance of the league campaign."
Rangers have lost to Hearts, Hibernian and Dundee United, as well as drawing with Motherwell, immediately before or after Champions League matches.
But Smith added: "I don't think it's a drop in standard overall. We've had one really poor performance this season against Hearts at Tynecastle.
"The ones that we have lost, to Dundee United for example, I felt we played very well in the game but conceded bad goals. It's not as though they were really bad performances.
"When you look at the number of games the players have been asked to play, and the importance of those games, there is bound to be a little but of a dip now and then.
"But there will be no excuses tomorrow. Inverness played in a cup tie during the week and so did we, so it will be a game we will have to play well in if we want to take something."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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