BIG CLUB... BIG NAME... BIG DEAL; Gers on slide says cocky Unirea keeper.

Byline: CRAIG SWAN 

KEEPER Giedrus Arlauskas says standards have slipped atRangers-andinsistedthe minnows of Unirea Urziceni havenothingtofearfroman average Ibrox outfit.

The Lithuanian reckons what lies in store for the Romanians tomorrow night is a far cry from challenges in the past.

With players such as Ronald de Boer, Gio van Bronckhorst, Jorg Albertz, ArthurNumanandTugay in the ranks Dick Advocaat's Rangers were a force to be reckonedwith.

Subsequently Alex McLeish was able to take the club into the last 16 of the competition but Arlauskas knows the Ibrox gravy train has long been in the buffers and that the standards in Govan havebeeninasteady decline.

And with Walter Smith's side struggling to hit the heights so far thisseasontheUnireaNo.1 insists histeamwillheadintotomorrow's clashwithouttrepidation.

Arlauskas said: "Rangers are a big club with a big name, but, at the moment, they have some problems.

Quality

"They are not doing so great in the Scottish league and I feel that theleveloftheRangersteamisnot what it was. The quality, in my opinion, isnotthesame.

"It's true there are not the big players at Rangers or in Scottish football as there used to be. Yes Rangers have good players at the moment but not to the levels of a fewyearsago.

"It will be a good fight for us becauseweknowthatRangersare not really better than us.

"For example, when you are preparing for a game against Sevilla you think they have a great team with big names. When you are playing against Rangers it is notlike that."

Arlauskas has gained his knowledge of the Scottish game through his international colleagues who have been or arecurrentlyemployedatHearts.

He's been made aware Rangers can raise their performances on European nights on their own ground with the backing of a passionate support.

But, despite such warnings, Arlauskas is impressively relaxed aboutthe challengeahead.

The 21-year-old said: "I have a fewfriendswhoplayinScotlandat Hearts. I had a chance of going to Hearts but I wouldn't have been playing Champions League had I gonethere.

"Afewoftheboysaremyfriends like Marius Zaliukas and the players who used to play there like SaulMikoluinas andDeividas Cesnauskas.

"Playing at Ibrox will be incredible because there is nothing like that in Romania.The supporters will be like a 12th player for Rangers but with our spiritwe can copewiththat.

"We are like a family team and we fight every minute for our colleagues. Our team likes to get through hard work and be organised. That i s noted throughout Romania and that is whatwehavebuiltoursuccesson.

"Of course, it hasbeendifferent for us in the Champions League butwe knowwe are a decent side. With a little bit of luck on our side, wecanwinanygame."

Confidence

Arlauskas bases his judgments on the start his team has made to their maiden voyage in the competitionandhisconfidenceis understandable.

Unirea were quoted in some quartersasthepotentialwhipping boys of the section but the message does not appear to have reachedDanPetrescu'steam.

Unirea made Sevilla work hard for their Matchday One win in Andalucia and, while the La Liga outfitwere hammering four goals pastSmith'steamthreeweeksago, the Romanians were grabbing their first point with a 1-1 home draw against Stuttgart in a game theyshouldhavewon.

Form, as a result, has suffered a little at the start of the defence of their league title but Arlauskas said: "No one knows what to expect fromus as they don't know us and, in turn, that means it is hardforthemtoplanforus.

"That can be our friend in the matches.Ithasbeensofar.Lookat Sevilla.Weweredoingfine against them as the game went into injury-time in the first half.

"At that stage it was 0-0 and we wereokaybutthenwelostagoalin the47thminuteandthatchanged everything for us. If we'd had the luck to get to the interval at 0-0we couldhavekeptthat result.

"Then we played well against Stuttgart and could have won that game. It's a little difficult to keep the focus on the league when you are playing in the ChampionsLeaguealso.

"We are not at the top of the table butwe are close and there is stillalongwaytogo."

Arluaskas insists Unirea's main aim is to ensure they stay in Europe beyond Christmas by dodgingbottomspot inGroupG.

But while that's the most realistic aim at this stage, Arlauskas is adamant no one in Petrescu's squad feels a last-16 spotisoutwiththeir reach.

He said: "The game against Rangers is going to open up the situation for third place in the section.

"I believe Stuttgart will lose to Sevilla so if we avoid defeat in Glasgowwehaveagoodchanceto stay inEurope.

"Butyouhavetomakesurethat you get third and that could be morerealistic.The Rangers match will be a big step towards that."