Neil McCann blown away by Van Bronckhorst ahead of Rangers v Frankfurt
Neil McCann has been left impressed by how Giovanni van Bronckhorst has taken Rangers to the next level.
The Dutchman took charge of the club after Steven Gerrard left mid-way and he did a “sensational” job to take the Gers to the final of the Europa League.
Rangers will face Eintracht Frankfurt in the final in Sevilla on 18 May, and three days later they will face Hearts in the Scottish Cup final.
“In Europe, Giovanni has taken Rangers up a level. He has been very clever in terms of his tactics in European games,” said McCann to The Scottish Sun.
“What has impressed me is the substitutions he has made at crucial times — and the number of times players have come on to make a positive impact.
“If he had lost the Europa League and Scottish Cup semi-finals, losing the league and Celtic winning the Premier Sports Cup, people could’ve asked questions.
“But you can’t do that now he has the club in the Europa League final and Scottish Cup final.
“I know the Manager of the Year awards have been handed out but what happens if Giovanni wins the Scottish Cup and beats Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League? That’s sensational stuff, it really is.”
Final hurdle
It will be massive for the Ibrox club and for Scottish football if Rangers can win the Europa League final on Wednesday.
The Bears have lost the league title to Celtic, but they have a great opportunity here to finish the season strongly with two trophies.
The biggest, however, is the Europa League. Rangers have done incredibly well to reach this far, and they have a great chance to lift another European trophy after 50 years.
Van Bronckhorst hasn’t made huge changes to the squad he inherited from Steven Gerrard. He simply tweaked the system a bit to get the best out of his players.
The Gers have shown a terrific mentality to succeed in Europe, and have picked some memorable wins in the previous rounds.
They have beaten the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig en route to the final, and now Frankfurt – another German club – remains their final obstacle.
Frankfurt can’t be taken lightly after Oliver Glasner’s side knocked West Ham out of the competition in their previous round.
In other Rangers news, Kris Boyd says that the Gers won’t be fazed by Frankfurt in the Europa League final.