By Graham Barnstaple
August 16 2011

Former Rangers goalkeeper has said today he believes his old team can return to the Europa League Final  this season after dropping out of the Champions League.

Speaking to the Press Association today Goram said, "It was disappointing going out of the Champions League but we were never going to win the Champions League. We have dropped down to the Europa League and we dropped down a few years ago and got to the UEFA Cup final in Manchester.

"And if we play like we can do there is nothing to stop us doing it again. We have found our level and we are decent at that level.

"We got to Manchester with a team that was supposedly not very good and we also won the (cup) double. At this stage that season, people were saying 'could we?' And we got to the final. So, believe."

It is interesting to see how expectations have been lowered in recent years since the heady days of pushing for the last sixteen of the Champions League and accepting the have found their level.

It also seems to ignore the fact the Rangers squad, at present, has no depth and while they may have a decent fist eleven it won’t take many injuries or suspensions to cause problems. In fact there is already much talk of a “defensive crisis” at Ibrox with Weir, Bartley, Broadfoot out, and Bougherra sold.

It will be a minor miracle if they can cope with the teams who fall out from the Champions League, if they even make the last 32!

You could also argue the games against Maribor are not a shoe-in and if they are not on top form they could fall out of Europe altogether.