Allan McGregor is the only player who can save Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Rangers as Ibrox sack looms
Giovanni van Bronckhorst may have earned himself a stay of execution last week with the impressive 4-1 win over Aberdeen but the Rangers manager’s job is still surely under threat.
Writing in the Scottish Daily Mail [print edition, 23 October, page 144], Gary Keown said that van Bronckhorst is “finished” at Ibrox while official commercial partner of the club Four Lads Had A Dream have also called for the Dutchman’s head.
Winning 4-1 against Aberdeen at Ibrox is expected. And it’s not enough to save van Bronckhorst from the sack when you consider Rangers are now the worst team in Champions League group stage history, are four points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race and most other wins – even against lower-league sides – are underwhelming.
It’s not just van Bronckhorst’s fault, of course, but the only change that can realistically be made over the upcoming World Cup break will be to sack the underperforming 47-year-old.
A lot of his players have let him down.
Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, James Tavernier and Borna Barisic are among those being regularly criticised – and rightly so – by fans and all of them have been in this squad for years.
But one man who can always be relied upon is goalkeeper Allan McGregor.
Inexplicably, van Bronckhorst axed 40-year-old McGregor from the number-one goalkeeper spot at the start of the season.
For some ridiculous reason, Jon McLaughlin replaced McGregor as the starting shot-stopper this season even though despite his advancing years, the Rangers hero remains one of the best goalkeepers on these Isles.
McLaughlin’s last league appearance was in the 4-0 defeat to Celtic – a defeat masterminded by van Bronckhorst – and he’s since played in every league game and every Champions League game.
Although McGregor’s goals conceded stat in Europe is embarrassing, not many of the goals can be down to him and he remains someone who can step up in massive games, produce fine saves and win points.
It says it all that in our 2020/21 league-winning season, McGregor was by far and away our best player.
He was also in incredible form last term in the Europe League.
It’s quite ironic now but McGregor is probably the only player we trust to save van Bronckhorst.
In other Rangers news, Ally McCoist exploded at a “shocking” Gers player live in the BT Sport studio.