Kris Boyd has clearly stated that Giovanni van bronckhorst still has plenty to prove with the real pressure to come after the World Cup break.
That comes with the pre-requisite of the essential task which is Rangers picking up nine points from the three games prior to the shutdown, starting on Sunday away to St Johnstone followed by Hearts at Ibrox in midweek then the curtain comes down at St Mirren next weekend.
Boyd reiterated the current status and feeling around Ibrox, as well as the departure from European football meaning the team will have a core focus – the title race. That will be supplemented by the domestic cups with the need to get results paramount.
“The next phase of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers career is crucial because there are no distractions now in terms of Europe. Domestic results are all that matter so Rangers are going to have to start winning games of football and playing in a manner that the fans are happy with.”
“It’s imperative that Rangers get nine points from the next three games and then once everyone is back in December is when we’ll see the real pressure.”
Demands
Boyd is right, with an uncertain short-term future ahead at Ibrox. A consistent run of form with convincing wins and progress would be heralded to allow Gio space to grow as well as for his team to evolve but there are plenty of question marks on that prospect.
The initial challenge is a very important one which if failed, would be too difficult for the Dutchman to recover from. The first of the three assignments on that challenge comes on Sunday with a positive response required from the team.