Scottish Roundup

Rangers go for treble against unheralded Dundee

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) -- Rangers and Dundee will both be looking to make history in the Scottish Cup final Saturday.

That's where the similarity ends.

Rangers are aiming for a seventh domestic treble, while Dundee is hoping to lift the trophy for the first time in nearly a century.

"We know we are the favorites," Rangers midfielder Ronald de Boer said.

And how.

Rangers won the league title last Sunday, beating city rivals Celtic on goal difference. They also topped the Bhoys to win the League Cup in March.

Alex McLeish's team finished a whopping 53 points above Dundee, and outscored the Dees 11-3 in four league games this season.

Even Dundee manager Jim Duffy admits there's a difference in class.

"If it was me looking at a cup final between Rangers and another club other than Celtic, it would take a brave man to say that Rangers wouldn't win it," said Duffy. "That is a natural conclusion to make."

Rangers have no problems scoring. De Boer and fellow midfielder Barry Ferguson scored 16 league goals, while Shota Arveladze and Michael Mols added 15 and 13, respectively.

Claudio Caniggia hit the back of the net eight times and Peter Lovenkrands collected nine goals. Lovenkrands -- who scored twice in last year's win over Celtic -- is doubtful for the game because of a shoulder injury.

"We have to show maybe a little bit of arrogance and play the way we have been playing this season," added De Boer.

There's some hope for Dundee, though: The last time the teams met, they played to a 2-2 tie. Duffy changed tactics for that game, opting for a more conservative 4-4-2 formation.

"Anybody who knows me knows that we will play as openly as we can," said Duffy, whose team failed to win any of its last five matches. "But we're not daft. We can't afford to give away needless goals."

Steve Lovell led Dundee -- which last won the Cup in 1910 and made its only other final appearance in 1964 -- with 11 goals and Fabian Caballero added nine. Defender Zura Khizanishvili was named the Scottish league's young player of the year.

But Duffy says Georgian midfielder Georgi Nemsadze will be his team's most important player.

"Barry Ferguson has been outstanding for Rangers," said Duffy. "But Georgi is like that for us. He's the lynchpin. If he does start to pull the strings, then we're a better team. He has vision and close control allied to belief in his own ability and can give the strikers service."

And the team has waited long enough to win, Duffy added.

"It's 93 years since Dundee won this trophy," he said. "That's not just a lifetime. It's even more than that."

Rangers have won six trebles in that span, and the 44-year-old McLeish can become the youngest manager to achieve the feat.

He would join Jock Wallace, Walter Smith, Dick Advocaat, Bill Struth and Scott Symon.

"It's scary when you realize that only five managers have done it before, but I'm not overawed by it," said McLeish, who took over in December 2001. "I wasn't fazed by taking the Rangers job because I felt ready for it, and I felt confident."

Rangers will wear all white in the final for the first time since 1964 -- when they beat Dundee 3-1.

Sutton apologizes for Dunfermline slur

GLASGOW (Reuters) -- Celtic striker Chris Sutton has apologized to Scottish premier league rivals Dunfermline Athletic after accusing them of "lying down" to Rangers in Sunday's 6-1 defeat at Ibrox.

Sutton, speaking in front of TV cameras, said Dunfermline players had lacked professionalism in losing so heavily -- a result that handed Celtic's Glasgow rivals their first Scottish title since 2000.

"I had made it clear on Monday the circumstances in which my comments were made and that I regretted any offence which these comments may have caused," Sutton said in a statement on Celtic's website on Friday.

"I would like to reiterate that I apologize sincerely to Dunfermline Athletic Football Club, the players, management team and supporters for any offence which my comments may have caused.

"As everyone will know, these comments were made in the immediate aftermath of us losing the title and at the end of an extremely disappointing week.

"I have great respect for the Dunfermline players as fellow professionals and I hope that they will accept this apology in the manner in which it is offered.

Dunfermline chairman John Yorkston had earlier on Friday demanded an apology from Sutton, saying: "We don't like being accused of lying down to Rangers or any team."

Sutton had scored twice in Celtic's 4-0 win over Kilmarnock but it was not enough to prevent Rangers taking the championship on goal difference in a thrilling end to the league season.

The striker received two red cards for abusive language towards the referee and his linesmen in the aftermath of his side's win at Rugby Park.

The Scottish FA confirmed on Friday that Sutton would receive an automatic four-match ban for the dismissals, but the SFA could punish Sutton further for his outburst if he is deemed guilty of bringing the game into disrepute.

 

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Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.