Smith warns Gers to stay cool in face of £10m meltdown

FBK Kaunas stand between the SPL runners-up and a £10million Champions League shoot-out - almost certainly against Bruce Rioch's Aalborg.

And Smith, whose players arrived in the Baltics to unexpectedly balmy temperatures which preceded Smith pleads for calmness if Rangers are to beat the heat last night's electrical storm, knows instant improvement is necessary after last week's goalless draw and a poor display in the weekend friendly defeat to Liverpool. 

Soaking up the storms: Allan McGregor trained at the St Dariaus and St Gireno Stadium in Kaunas last night, seemingly untroubled by the monsoon-like conditions that greeted Rangers in Lithuania

But the man who has guided Rangers into the Champions League groups on four previous occasions via the qualifying test of nerves has urged his men to display confidence in Kaunas.

'It will be a big test but we know what we have to do and I don't think you can approach the game with any great fear,' said Smith. 'We can approach it with confidence because, if we play well enough, we know we can go through here.

'I don't know if Kaunas can play even better than they did at Ibrox, which came after a series of league games. I just know that we can play better than we did in that game and that is what we must do here.

'We have to concentrate on our own performance and that is what we will do.' 

Rangers survived a series of testing examinations across Europe last season during a 19-match run to the UEFA Cup Final.

They progressed in Athens, Lisbon and Florence after 0-0 draws at home but Vladimir Romanov's presence and the prospect of a Lithuanian side edging closer to a first-ever place in the group stage will be the carrot for Kaunas.

'Last season only counts to the extent that it has given the players experience of these situations in Europe,' added the Rangers boss.

'But I don't think it comes down to that. For us, at the moment, it is about getting up to a competitive level. We have not yet played with an edge to our game that we will require to get through. We need to find that now. That is the biggest factor.'

Smith declined to be drawn on his selection but, with new defender Madjid Bougherra ineligible and Carlos Cuellar injured, Kirk Broadfoot is again set to partner David Weir.

Cuellar has travelled here to continue light training but the Spaniard has not fully recovered from a calf problem.

Aalborg manager Rioch is expected in Kaunas to watch tonight's tie, with the Danes - 5-0 up from the first leg against Bosnian side Modrica - at home to the winners next midweek.