Its symptoms are energy loss a crushing self- confidence deficit an almost pathological lack

Its symptoms are energy loss, a crushing self- confidence deficit, an almost pathological lack of ambition. After the unseemly Mediterranean haggle that preceded his August transfer he was introduced to the Madrid public by Real's president, the serial coach-sacker Lorenzo Sanz, as the talismanic hit-man that would bring back the glory days to Spain's most legendary club.Today Anelka looks more like the name of a virus that has infected that proud spiritual entity known in Spain as el Madridismo.A solid run in the Champions' League has done nothing to mitigate the vertigo of despair that has gripped directors, players and fans alike as they contemplate the unbelievable prospect of relegation to the second division. The closest he has come to doing what he is paid to do, scoring goals, was a shot that bounced off a post, but would have sailed wide had the ball not struck a defender along the way. Apart from one assist, a short sideways pass to Fernando Morientes, his contribution to Real's hitherto appalling season has been so indolent, ineffectual and seemingly uninterested as to suggest that the team would have lost nothing, and possibly gained much, had they left him on the bench and played with 10 men.Anelka's brief history at Real Madrid is a parable for the principle that you should be careful what you wish for. And even then he failed to touch the ball, his one contribution during injury time in Real's 3-1 Champions' League victory over Rosenborg on Tuesday having been to be caught once offside.Since Anelka's acrimonious move from Arsenal in the summer Real have played 18 games, in 11 of which he has made an appearance Whether that qualifies as "work" is debatable.

In Real Madrid's last five games Anelka has appeared on the pitch for a total of three minutes. One night last week this is what the Anelka puppet said: "My company pays me pounds 50,000 a week My company paid pounds 23.5m to acquire my services But I do not work." The satire was cruel, but hardly unfair. Real Madrid's French striker, the most expensive signing in the history of Spanish football, always appears playing with his Gameboy, a set of Walkman headphones round his ears Less true to life, he speaks Spanish. "It is my job to make sure the resources are there," said the Rangers chairman. "We have come a long way recently, and maybe some of us allowed ourselves to be carried away by good performances in Europe, but the fact is, we are three or four players away from being a great team.".

SPANISH TELEVISION has its own version of Spitting Image. A nightly programme, lasting barely 10 minutes, Los Gui'oles snappily spoofs the day's news. Nicolas Anelka is one of the latest additions to the programme's rubbery cast. We bought only one player last summer (Michael Mols) but Dortmund spent pounds 25m It is disappointing to be out of Europe. Keeping our title is now the target, and building for the future so that we can make a real impact in Europe."That hope depends largely on Murray. The sums will not add up unless players are sold, and while Rangers denied on Thursday that Roma had made a bid for Giovanni van Bronckhorst, a chance to double their money on the Dutch midfielder who cost pounds 5m just 18 months ago would be tempting."We have enjoyed some good results in Europe over the last 18 months," said Advocaat, referring to the successes against Parma, PSV Eindhoven and Bayer Leverkusen, "but nothing stands still We need to improve the quality of our players. Murray is expected to dilute his 68 per cent shareholding soon to issue new shares and raise pounds 25m, while retaining control, but pounds 10m of that finance is earmarked for a long-overdue training complex.

Murray has pledged even more money for the better players Advocaat wants. "We are not talking about players who cost only pounds 1m," said Murray. "We are in the process of making financial commitments for major players for next season - we have identified the players we want."However, last week the club reported that it had lost pounds 23m to June 1999, more than half of which was accounted for by transfer dealings. This one, though, carries a heavier price tag and could strain the resolve of chairman, David Murray, to give Advocaat the continued level of funding the coach insists upon. Like the battered Euro, Murray saw his club's stock plunge for the second time in a month thanks to German strength. While Rangers missed out on another pounds 6m which Bayern Munich had denied them from continued Champions' League participation, the Uefa Cup seemed to offer an equally rich seam: Rangers made more than pounds 3m on television and ticket revenue for the first leg with Dortmund at Ibrox.Now, they have a squad on which pounds 45m has been lavished with only the narrow domestic horizon to sustain it Publicly, chairman and coach are as one.