As the manager’s name rang out around Hampden, the hordes leaving at the other end were left in no doubt as to who won the tactical battle in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been under significant fan pressure due to the concession of a six-point lead in the Premiership, a lead that is now a six-point deficit. For those unwilling to blame individual players, the gaffer has been an easy target.
There have been signs since losing at Parkhead that he is beginning to understand who he can trust and in what roles, he’s also learned from his mistakes and not afraid to make changes before and during games. That we have progressed to the Europa League semi-final surely indicates some sort of tactical nous?
If our continental exploits aren’t enough to persuade you, how about the way that he totally dismantled “Ange-ball” at the national stadium?
Full-backs attacking high and wide, professional fouls rotated to stop counter attacks, Calvin Bassey being covered by John Lundstram so that he could pressure Tom Rogic and then Matt O’Reilly when they dropped into midfield.
We nullified all their usual threats, that their goal and best chances came when questionable officiating allowed play to continue with Celtic players miles offside says it all. We beat their press and should have been in front and in control at half-time.
Gio got everything right, eyebrows might have been raised when Scott Wright came on or when Lundstram came off but it showed a proactivity that has been missing. He identified how much space we were getting down our right and went with Wright’s pace rather than Scott Arfield’s experience.
Lundstram was man of the match by some way and yet he was always going to tire at some point, it made sense to withdraw him before it happened rather than when it was too late.
👏 @The_real_Gio pic.twitter.com/CtkMADCBrR
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) April 17, 2022
No manager gets every decision right but GvB was pretty near perfect in the Glasgow sun, that he went home with the fans’ appreciation ringing in his ears was a fitting end to a hugely satisfying week.