Jan Wouters certain Giovanni van Bronckhorst will get Rangers on top
Rangers are very much on the back foot in the Premiership title race but Jan Wouters thinks there is no need for a change in manager.
The 62-year-old has previously worked under Giovanni van Bronckhorst and crossed paths with him many times over the years and knows that he won’t quit Ibrox at all.
The 70-time Dutch international was Rangers assistant manager between 2001 and 2006 o understands the demands from the fans but insists van Bronckhorst will get it right given the time to do so.
“No one likes not winning games or when everything is negative. Gio is no different. But he’s a fighter,” Wouters said to the Daily Record.
“He’s a gentleman but when it comes to survival he will fight with everything he has. There are reasons for what’s happened this season. It hasn’t always been in his hands but if the people give him time, I’m sure Rangers will get back on top again.
“It’s not in Gio’s character to walk away from the job, especially if there are reasons why it’s not going his way. I know him as a person and as a coach and, no, he would never do that because he’ll know that he can turn it around.”
Last chance
Having survived the week after their dreadful 1-1 draw away at St Mirren, it is perhaps safe to assume van Bronckhorst will be staying in the hot seat when football returns on 15 December.
But once Hibernian arrive at Ibrox for the restart, the scrutiny will be in overdrive and any wrong move could easily spell the end of the Dutchman’s time as Rangers manager.
Every game the Light Blues play bar Old Firm derbies should be categoric wins given the gulf in quality between themselves and the rest of the Premiership but it hasn’t been that way.
A sheer lack of attacking impetus, potentially caused by their traumatic Champions League maulings, means that some teams can sit back and wait for that one chance they need and grab it with both hands.
A cutting edge has been absent from Ibrox all season and if Celtic get one over on the Bears in the next Old Firm game, the title race will be all but over.
In other Rangers news, Hugh Keevins was left seething at what one Gers player did very soon after the draw in Paisley.