Giovanni van Brocnkhorst does not have his troubles to seek at the moment and the last thing he would want is to be facing the side who are top of Serie A and on an unstoppable run of results.
On paper, outsiders might look at our league form and wonder why there is so much pressure on the Rangers manager. Points dropped in just three games and in one of those we were reduced to nine men but, we all know that it is not as simple as that.
Speaking after our 1-1 draw with Livingston, Gio was at pains to tell reporters that he is fully aware of our current plight but that he remains determined to put things right, as reported by The Scotsman:
“What can I say? I am trying my best. As a manager, you have to stick with your beliefs, with your way of playing, and sometimes it is not going the right way. I also understand that.
“It is one thing for sure when you are not performing as a coach, as a team, when you are not getting your results then of course people will not buy into it.
“That is not just for me that is for every coach in this profession. You see if it is not going well then eventually it is end of story. That is for everyone.
“But I think we can still turn it around. I have to believe that we can still play the way that we can play. But we have to put energy into it and for me all the energy goes into my team, into making sure they are ready for the next opponent.”
The only thing that will help Gio’s cause is if he can get a couple of decent performances in the Champions League – preferably a couple of results – and win every domestic game between now and the World Cup. After that, he can look forward to key players returning from injury who will improve his side’s chances of being able to break down stubborn defences and not just rely on throwing crosses into the box.
It’s been such a bi-polar Rangers team since Van Bronckhorst arrived, we have seen a mixture of some of our finest-ever European performances but also some of our worst. Statistically, he also has the best domestic record of any Rangers manager for his year in charge, and yet, there is a majority of fans now who would gladly see him replaced.
There is an air of inevitability about the manager’s future but, if he can turn things around over the next few weeks, he might yet be able to prove the doubters wrong – whether or not he will get that time remains to be seen.