Giovanni van Bronckhorst backs himself into a corner ahead of Rangers clash with Napoli
Rangers and Giovanni van Bronckhorst are “staring at a crossroads” after the manager’s comments ahead of the Napoli cash, says Keith Jackson.
The club’s season has quickly collapsed with back to back 4-0 thrashings against Celtic and Ajax, and with the Italians next up at Ibrox on Wednesday night (14 September) coming off three consecutive wins, including a 4-1 dismantling of Liverpool, there is the threat of another.
Jackson thinks the serious situation has been made all the more so after the Gers boss said ahead of the game: “Being a Rangers manager or a Rangers player, two defeats in a row is not acceptable.”
Writing in the Daily Record he Jackson said: “It was curious then that yesterday, while bullishly defending his own philosophy on how the game should be played, he also succeeded in cranking up the pressure on himself with another admission that could come back to haunt him before the week is out.
“His frank appraisal prompted one obvious question. If he accepts two defeats on the bounce is ‘unacceptable’ where does he go if Napoli dish out a third? The same Napoli that smashed four past Liverpool?
“Given the mood among the home support has been fairly volcanic over the last 10 days, it all points to a manager and a team staring at a crossroads together.”
Huge pressure
The calibre of opposition doesn’t get any easier to overcome with the visit of the Italians and the only way that the Bears can avoid a third consecutive hammering is with a massively improved display on their own terms.
With this fixture already dogged by controversy around the rearranged date, the banning of away fans, and whether the national anthem will be played in the wake of the Queen’s death, there is no shortage of pressure heaped on top.
Ibrox on a European night is special of course, and the first Champions League group stage game back was sure to be a major occasion whatever the circumstances.
But with things threatening to unravel already and with no Napoli supporters permitted in the stands all the ingredients are there for it to be a major turning point if things go to plan.
Should they not though then as Jackson suggests it doesn’t give the manager anywhere to turn. He is likely as upset as anyone with what he has seen during the last two outings, but if he can’t rouse his players to do better then he is a sitting duck.
Rangers can’t rely on the atmosphere at Ibrox to bail them out, important as it is, so some key players are going to have to raise their game significantly or this side could be in major trouble.
In other Rangers news, one Light Blues hero has accused the club of wasting £12million in a ruthless dismissal of three men.