Giovanni van Bronckhorst has come out of the contest against PSV Eindhoven looking very well with his reputation enhanced, especially after the highly publicised disciplinary action taken against Alfredo Morelos.
The victory over Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side is a significant one, especially with the required win in the second leg and the truth of the matter is that it was deserved.
Yes, Rangers managed to ride some luck with squandered gilt-edged chances coming the way of Cody Gakpo and Luuk de Jong but PSV’s failure to capitalise was fully exploited by Rangers who made their’s count.
The build up to the goal was deliberate with the visitors having targeted Ramalho with a high press in the first five minutes. The reward would come later.
A great night unfolded but what must Alfredo Morelos have been thinking back home in Glasgow as his teammates secured and celebrated Champions League qualification.
GvB had already insisted that there was a way back for the Colombian but he hit the right tone, very well, in the immediate aftermath of the game – it was a masterclass.
When asked of the impact and setbacks of the last few days, the Dutchman responded:
“I think one of the jobs as a coach is to inspire your players for what lies ahead and for us it was the Champions League.”
“Of course you have the fireworks and the day we had. And Morelos qualified for the Champions League as well, he qualified for the Champions League as well.”
“I think he is also proud that he sees his team-mates and his club qualify for the biggest competition in the world.”
“He is still a Rangers player and I will push him the way I can to get him fit and to get the Morelos back that we all want.”
These words displayed a maturity as well as impressive tact. It was a controlled delivery of man management that should resonate positively with Morelos who was made to feel part of things although he was dropped as a result of his own lack of responsibility.
It remains to be seen what the short to mid term future will look like for The Buffalo but his manager has done his bit, the rest is now up to the player.