Rangers can get point from Liverpool and Ajax in Champions League, that’s it – Simon Jordan
Rangers will get a maximum of two points from their Champions League group because they are unlikely to win any games, according to Simon Jordan.
The campaign got off to a miserable start at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Wednesday night (7 September) as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side were outclassed 4-0 by Ajax.
And off the back of that result Jordan has predicted that they might be able to get a draw against the Dutch side in the Ibrox return, and possibly in the “Battle of Britain” against fellow group strugglers Liverpool, but nothing more, to the surprise of Jim White.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Thursday (8 September), host White asked: “How many points to they pick up in this group?”
“One,” Jordan responded blunted. “One?” White said. “One, maybe two, tops,” Jordan replied.
A surprised White said: “So a couple of draws and that’s it? At best?”
Jordan added: “That’s not because I’m trying to diminish them, I just don’t think that they’re at the level with Ajax, Napoli and Liverpool. They’re not.”
“You’re telling me you don’t think they’ll win a game in this group?” asked White for a third time.
Jordan then went on to explain: “I’d be surprised if they did. I hope they do. I hope they give Ajax a return at Ibrox that is befitting of the Rangers fans, because they are fantastic fans.
“That might be the game that they could win, but I suspect that they might get a draw against Liverpool in the Battle of Britain, and they might get a draw against Ajax in the return.”
Lowly
On Wednesday’s evidence that might seem fairly charitable, and on Saturday’s as well, but Liverpool were also terrible in their trip to Naples so the Gers have to have their eye on that visit.
Ibrox on a European night is of course a didn’t animal, as it showed throughout last season, but this is a step up and it is going to take more than the atmosphere in the stands to get some results this year.
The players have been so far off their best in the two 4-0 defeats they have just suffered it is genuinely concerning.
Limp returns to domestic action were an issue last term, so the early kick-off against Aberdeen at the weekend isn’t the most hopeful prospect right now, and the first Old Firm derby that van Bronckhorst had as a manager saw his side woefully unprepared.
But to repeat that Celtic Park collapse and follow it up with the latest miserable result, while having multiple senior players perform so badly and appear so unfocused is a different issue.
The manager, and these players to an even greater extent, have achieved a lot in the past couple of seasons but something seems very off right now and it is going to need a big turnaround very quickly otherwise the season could get away from them early.
In other Rangers news, they have at least received a significant Champions League boost for their next match up with news on Thursday.