Rangers failure vs Hearts or St Mirren likely to get Giovanni van Bronckhorst sacked – Keith Jackson
Giovanni van Bronckhorst is “likely” to be sacked when by the end of the World Cup if Rangers fail to beat Hearts and St Mirren, according to Keith Jackson.
The Dutchman is at a “crisis point” having seen his side fall to a shock defeat against St. Johnstone on Sunday (6 November), leaving them seven points off the pace at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
There are two games left before the break for the international tournament in Qatar, with the Jambos visiting Ibrox on Wednesday night (9 November), before a trip to Paisley at the weekend (12 November), and failure in either could end his tenure.
Jackson writes in the Daily Record on Wednesday: “One further wrong move tonight, or at the weekend away to St Mirren, is likely to mean his services won’t be required after FIFA’s circus has left Qatar.
“With a team ravaged by injury and performing so erratically, the pressure on the manager must be almost unbearable.
“It almost beggars belief that he should be here, in this wretched position, just a few short months after leading Rangers to a Europa League Final in Seville.
“So much has gone wrong in such a very short space of time. But van Bronckhorst is now clinging to the belief that it can turn around again just as quickly.”
The manager had reiterated his stance that he is the man to turn things around in his prematch press conference on Tuesday.
Must-win
Dropping more points in either of the last two games before the World Cup could put the title race beyond doubt before Christmas.
Such a situation would be pretty damning, and far less forgivable than the nightmare Champions League performance.
It is galling how far things have dropped off since May when Rangers were in a European final and lifted the Scottish Cup.
The ever-mounting injuries have obviously had a big effect but with so many of the players who were stand outs last season nowhere near there best something feels badly wrong at Ibrox.
Gio himself has given off a defeated look at times in recent months, despite his firm words on Tuesday, and there have to be concerns as to whether he can turn things around.
The run to Seville last season was one that fans will never forget, but in many ways it masked failings in the league, where the former Feyenoord boss now has to stage a major turnaround to give the club any chance of rescuing the season.
He is limping towards the World Cup break, and should he get there it might provide the respite he needs to work on lifting things, but if the club take any more blows before that time it might then feel like too much of an inviting interlude not to make a change.
In other Rangers news, an unhappy player at Ibrox is attracting a queue of suitors ready to bid and he would welcome a move to one.