Giovanni van Bronckhorst delivers verdict on Rangers performance v Napoli
Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst was happy with his team’s performance on Wednesday evening against Napoli, where they lost 3-0.
Rangers were outfought and outran on the night against a second-string Napoli side who rested their most valuable stars for the fixture.
Van Bronckhorst admitted his team showed “character” in the loss and that he was happy with one key stat that emerged from the UEFA Champions League game.
“After that we reacted really well, stayed in the game and could’ve scored to make it 2-1 before half-time with Morelos, also Malik had a chance to score but the second-half we showed character, we were well organised defensively and didn’t give away any big chances,” said Van Bronkhorst as quoted by Football Scotland.
“It’s a step up, you have to step up your level. What we’ve seen every game so far we’ve played in the group, we played the leaders of Italy who are flying at the moment, we gave them a really good game.
“We created the most chances in a Champions League game this season today so that’s positive. We created some big moments but didn’t take them to score a goal.”
Poor.
It’s hard to see the positives van Bronckhorst is so eager to talk about, Rangers substandard defending on the night cost them dearly.
Gers were far from being “defensively organised”, they looked fragile at best against a second-string Napoli frontline who feasted at any given opportunity.
It was a strange decision from the Dutchman to name such an attacking lineup and who knows if Alfredo Morelos converted his two golden opportunities the game might have been different.
Nevertheless, he didn’t and Rangers sunk to their fifth consecutive European loss, a damning statistic leaving the Scottish giants with little to be proud about.
Ultimately, the players haven’t been performing, however, Van Bronckhorst has done little in recent weeks to convince fans that his tactical tweaks are working.
It’s hard to see a way out of this rotten form for the Bears and van Bronckhorst, some serious changes need to be made if they stand any chance of rectifying their campaign.
In other Rangers news, this Ibrox board member is “getting it in the neck” as an official partner calls for him to be sacked.