THE excitement the Rangers players will be feeling today is something they will never have felt before in their careers - and might never do again.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, but this is their chance to be legends in their own right. I was 18 when I won the Cup-Winners' Cup with Rangers in 1972 and nothing about that time has ever left me.
I remember the adrenaline pumping in the days leading up to the match in Spain and the knowledge that we were on the cusp of doing something really special, and the current players know that too.
Walt must shirk Kirk in final
I FEEL for Allan McGregor that he will miss tomorrow night's big match, after playing such an enormous part for Rangers this season.
Especially in the Uefa Cup, where he has had some stunning performances.
However, I am sure that the big goalie will be first to wish Neil Alexander all the very best. I think he has done
tremendously well since taking over from McGregor.
He has shown his experience and he knows that he needs another massive performance tomorrow night.
As for the rest of the team, I would go with Steven Whittaker at right-back ahead of Kirk Broadfoot. Kirk has worked hard this season and done well, but I think that Whittaker has a bit more pace and the two Zenit wingers are expected to be flying at
Rangers all night.
Whittaker's pace is necessary and I also think that he is capable of getting forward and grabbing a goal.
His delivery when he does manage to get up the park is also better than Broadfoot's and for that reason I would fancy him to start the game.
Broadfoot has been a willing worker and his attitude is spot-on.
There are always disappointments for players when it comes to cup finals and I feel for him because he has worked tirelessly this season and is the type of player that is always wanting to improve, but his time will come again.
The rest of the defence picks itself with Carlos Cuellar, David Weir and Sasa Papac all starting, while in midfield I would definitely stick with Nacho Novo.
The wee man has been outstanding in recent games and goals aside, his energy and his running are always good to have. He can take the ball and break quickly and with just one man up front, as I am sure it will be, his support in attack is vital. He is also hot at the moment after his recent goals and to me he has done enough to merit a starting jersey.
I'd expect him to be joined in the middle of the park by Steve Davis, Barry Ferguson, Brahim Hemdani and Kevin Thomson with Jean-Claude Darcheville up front.
The system that has been tried and tested and used to great effect this season in Europe will, I'm sure, be used again. Hemdani will sit just in front of the back four to mop everything up, while Novo will push on in support of Darcheville, whose pace could be
crucial for Rangers as they hit Zenit on the break.
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They have the chance to do something even better than us because they can go all the way and win four trophies, something no other Rangers team has ever managed to do.
We had put all our eggs in one basket when we won the Cup-Winners' Cup, but this squad can do the lot and that would be some achievement.
It is all the more remarkable given that this is a team that have been slaughtered all season for playing negative football, and yet they stand on the edge of making themselves legends.
This isn't the best team that Rangers have ever had. But the Paul Gascoignes, Brian Laudrups, Mark Hateleys and Ally McCoists never got to a European final.
It is something special. It really is unique and for the majority of these players it will happen just once.
It is the same for the fans. There will be thousands going to Manchester who weren't even born when we won in 1972 and this is their time to have heroes of their own to talk about. They are going in their thousands to support the team and I don't think Manchester knows what is about to hit it.
There aren't many flair players in the current
Rangers line-up, but they are a stubborn and resilient side and I don't think many European teams would want to play against them.
They make life a nightmare for other teams because they will defend to the death and then hit teams on the break and for all that has invited criticism this season, it wasn't so
long ago that we were mocking Scottish teams for their naivety in Europe.
The thing is that Walter Smith doesn't have the players right now to perform any other way, but if he is successful on Wednesday night not only will no-one remember that, they just won't care.
Dick Advocaat called it right when he said that this is a 50-50 game. I don't think either team has a real edge, although I will say that this will be the hardest game Rangers have played in the Uefa Cup.
I do think, though, that they can win it and what a glorious achievement it would be.
I am sure that Advocaat will get a terrific reception from the Rangers fans because he still has a strong affinity for the club, but I am not so sure that Fernando Ricksen will be so warmly welcomed.
One thing is for sure, though, when they see that the City of Manchester stadium is crammed full with 80% Rangers fans, they will feel pangs of what it was like to be part of that club.
Whatever happens on Wednesday night, this is an achievement in itself and getting to the Uefa Cup Final is something to celebrate.
But I know how Walter, Ally and the players think and they won't be happy just turning up. Make no mistake, they are in Manchester to collect the Uefa Cup and they have every chance of doing that.
It might not be pretty, it might not be easy on the eye, but it will be something worth celebrating if they do it, that's for sure.
Writers' on gong at awards
CARLOS CUELLAR and Walter Smith collected the SFWA awards on Sunday night and for me, both were the obvious choices.
I know that Aiden McGeady has had an excellent season but I think he went off the boil a bit, whereas Carlos Cuellar has been solid and consistent since the opening day of the season.
People pay money to see flair players and Aiden is the type of player who will win many accolades in his career because he is only going to get better. But I just think that Cuellar has been a significant part of the reason why Rangers have found themselves in the position they are in at the minute.
He has been superb and the challenge will be to hang on to him if possible.
As for Walter, his speech was probably the best I have ever heard from a manager at this occasion. He was humble and gracious and aside from listing the other managers whom he believed would have been worthy of the award, he reserved special mention for his friend Tommy Burns.
It was a fitting tribute and the sentiments were warmly appreciated by everyone.
Regardless of what might happen in the next 11 days, what Walter has done at Ibrox is extraordinary in such a short time and it would have been impossible to overlook him for the manager of the year, so far as I'm concerned.
Levein's rant below the belt
MIKE McCURRY got two major decisions wrong at the weekend. There is no question about that.
But I don't think there is anything sinister in it. As I have said all season long, our referees right now are poor and the standard of the officiating at times has been dreadful this season.
There have been countless mistakes and these were just the latest.
But I think that Craig Levein crossed a line. He was right to say his piece and have a pop at the ref, but I don't think you can call someone's integrity into question the way he did.
I would be very surprised if he didn't find himself having to answer to more than just the SFA over this one.
