BBC pundit Neil McCann makes ‘touch of embarrassment’ Champions League Rangers claim on Sportscene
Rangers will have a “touch of embarrassment” about their Champions League performances last season and will be desperate to make amends this season, says Neil McCann.
The Gers made unwanted history in last season’s competition, losing all six group-stage fixtures in a pool including Liverpool, Ajax and Napoli – conceding 22 goals in the process.
Michael Beale’s men were in first-leg action against Swiss outfit Servette in the third-round qualifying section of this year’s tournament and, speaking as a pundit for the game on Sportscene, prior to that fixture, McCann stated the squad will be keen to make up for a poor showing in Europe last term.
“The Champions League is where you want to play, it was so much of a letdown last season, the players, the club would have felt a touch of embarrassment,” he said.
“Yes (it was brilliant to get there in the first place) but not the performances. This stadium was a magical and powerful ally to them and I don’t think they really lived up to that.
“I know there’s a fallback of the Europa but the best players play in the Champions League and that’s where these players want to perform.”
Time to make amends
There is absolutely no doubt about the fact last season was a complete bust for Rangers in the Champions League, it simply just did not happen under previous boss Giovani van Bronkhorst in Europe’s premier competition.
So, Neil McCann – a former Rangers player – is absolutely spot on that there will be a desire to put things right this time.
Domestically, of course, things started badly with a 1-0 loss at Kilmarnock, despite a heavy recruitment drive that has already seen nine new faces arrive this window.
Realistically, Celtic are the club’s biggest hurdle to overcome once again in Scotland, but Beale, the players and the club’s hierarchy will also be desperate to once again test themselves against the elite of European football.
And there really are few places like Ibrox in the world on a European night, let’s hope there will be plenty of special evenings at the famous old ground in the coming months.
In other Rangers news, Bristol City forward Sam Bell is wanted at Ibrox.