Rangers endured a Champions League campaign so poor it broke records, but Martin O’Neill has rallied behind Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Rangers officially went down as the worst-ever Champions League team ever this year after finishing without a single point in their group.
Van Bronckhorst now finds himself under huge pressure at Ibrox, just months after narrowly missing out in the Europa League final.
Former Celtic boss O’Neill labelled Rangers’ European campaign “disappointing”, but also sympathised with Van Bronckhorst over his position.
“Rangers, obviously, really disappointing, it shows you there is that gap there, money talks, it’s big news,” O’Neill told talkSPORT, as quoted by Football Scotland.
“You know, I am loathed here to be criticising managers, I have been in these positions myself so I know what it is like.
“Van Bronckhorst, first of all, brilliant footballer, he’s a save away from winning the Europa League. A save away from doing that. They are so, so close. Perhaps if Aaron Ramsey scores the penalty, you never know. It’s funny how life pushes on.”
One kick of the ball
O’Neill is right about one thing – Van Bronckhorst was one kick of a ball away from becoming a club legend. He’s made his way into the history books this season regardless, but not for good reason.
A European title just 10 years on from the club’s financial disaster would’ve been a remarkable feat, but it wasn’t to be and now the Dutchman is under huge pressure.
It’s all good and fair speculating about whether Van Bronckhorst would’ve been under pressure had he won the Europa League last season, but the only thing fans and the board can do is judge him on recent results.
When it comes to this season – he’s hugely underperformed. Even if the dismal Champions League campaign is written off, Rangers are nine points behind Celtic in the league by November. Unacceptable.
On top of that, it’s not as if Rangers are even playing well. Performances have been flat and dull, and players look uninterested every match. Change is needed, and Van Bronckhorst can’t rely on his European run to save him.
In other Rangers news, Brian Laudrup believes Giovanni van Bronckhorst just wants his Rangers sack decision made soon.
