Tam McManus reacts to Europa League news at Rangers tonight
Tam McManus has praised Rangers for finishing in the top eight of the UEFA Europa League table.
The Gers secured automatic qualification to the next round of the Europa League on Thursday (30 January), securing a 2-1 win over Union Saint-Gilloise at Ibrox in a match which did involve one “nasty” incident.
James Tavernier shone for Philippe Clement’s side in Glasgow on Thursday night and McManus was full of praise for Rangers.
The ex-Hibernian forward wrote via his personal X account (30 January), “Rangers in the top 8 in the Europa League is a superb achievement.
“[Rangers] continue to look a totally different side in Europe than here [Scotland] and put points on the Scotland co-efficient.”
Philippe Clement delight after Europa League qualification for Rangers
Rangers’ domestic form hasn’t been up to scratch this season. Therefore, that has placed more importance than ever on their European results, which likely resulted in a lot of pressure on Clement and his players.
However, they have shown no signs of cracking under that pressure, instead exceeding all expectations in the Europa League this season.
If you’d asked supporters at Ibrox if they would take a top-16 finish in the Europa League table before the season started, they likely would have bitten your hand off. As a result, to finish in the top eight is remarkable, and McManus is spot on by describing this achievement as “superb” – even if it wasn’t all positive at Ibrox on Thursday night with Ally McCoist “gutted” after what happened to one player.
Of course, fans will now be dreaming of what is to come, especially after their run to the final of this very competition in the 2021/22 season. However, there is still a long way to go.
Although for now, this will have at least lifted some of the pressure off of Clement’s shoulders.
In other Rangers news, UEFA delegates could report one player after the clash with Union Saint-Gilloise.
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.