After a disappointing Champions League campaign, it's back to Scottish Premiership duties against St Johnstone for Rangers as Giovanni van Bronckhorst looks to keep pace with Celtic at the top of the table
The Light Blues have three games before the top flight shuts down for the World Cup and the Dutchman is demanding maximum points before the break - starting with McDiarmid Park on Sunday.
However, Van Bronckhorst addressed plenty of issues in a wide-ranging pre-match press conference including the prospect of losing up to TEN players in the summer, how the club's recruitment structure works and also compares the gulf both in Europe and domestically. Here is every word from his media conference.
Antonio Colak has received his Player of the Month award. Why has he settled so quickly?
GVB: He’s happy with his performances this season so far. He’s been settling in really quickly. He’s scoring a lot of important goals for us and his adaptation has been pretty good. Borna helped him a lot with his adaptation to Glasgow. He’s a very open character and nice to have around, not only me as a coach and the staff but he’s well liked in the dressing room with the players. It’s very positive to see his contribution so far for Rangers.
Who makes the final call on signings?
GVB: When you have signings of course you will have signings who will adapt quicker and make the line up quicker. That’s the same for every team. The focus when it doesn’t go well is always on the players who aren’t playing which I know is the case. We had a plan to get new players in which is always the case when you lose many players. You work with a list with the scouting team. Of course we have players as well that I follow myself and in the end due to various reasons you come to the players we brought in. It’s not about who makes the final call - we make the call together which is the normal process. It’s always collective because we have one goal - to be successful for this club. That’s how I always worked at my club. Coaches always think short term but the club needs to think long term with the vision for many years to come. Coaches, players come and go so it’s very important that the club has a vision. I was never overruled. Of course we were looking into positions and some players just didn’t want to come or the fees and salaries were too high. It’s a normal process. You have an ideal situation of players you want but I also know there is a budget in terms of fees and salary. That’s an important policy for the club for the future and we’re trying to get the best players possible but I never got overruled.
How is the confidence among players after the final Champions League game?
GVB: It was a disappointing result and we don’t play in Europe any more so we need to wait for next season. It’s been an experience for all us in the Champions League and we need to learn the hard lessons and focus on the league. We put Europe behind us and go forward and the next big game is against St Johnstone on Sunday.
There’s three games before the World Cup. How vital to see strong performances?
GVB: It’s important. We have three games and we need to have nine points - that is the clear goal we have for the next week.
What did you and your staff do to improve the tempo against Aberdeen and how do you ensure it’s the norm domestically?
GVB: We started really well and had the right positions on the pitch with the right passing accuracy. Also, the way Aberdeen played gave us a more space than we would usually get at home in the league. But we made the right decisions because Aberdeen tried to press us really high up and we used the space very wisely and that’s why we had a convincing win.
You’re approaching your first anniversary as Rangers manager, how do you reflect?
GVB: I love it. I love every day I’m involved with this club. It’s great to be back. From the first day I stepped in after the loss against Hibs in the semi-final of the League Cup every day I come to this club I enjoy it. Just to be working for this club and with my staff and the players. It’s been almost a year since I joined the club but as in any profession we had many highs but also lows and I enjoy every day.
What are the instructions going into the St Johnstone match?
GVB: They played defensively in the home game and we had a comfortable win. It’s the decisions you make when you have the ball against a deep block defending as a tight unit. We have to make the right decisions and make sure we attack the right spaces. It’s different from last week’s home game against Aberdeen. We know how the opposition is going to play and which system so we have to have a good approach.
John Lundstram played more advance in the first half against Aberdeen - is that something we’ll see more of this season?
GVB: It’s possible. He fulfilled that role really well, a little bit higher on the pitch than he’s used to. It also depends on who is available for the game. We need to switch with players in positions but John can play as a 6 or an 8.
How important is the intensity from the start?
GVB: For every game it’s important to start well and score really quick. Last year we scored in the second minute with Glen Kamara. It always helps when you play against teams who are defending really low just to open up spaces. The longer you don’t score the more defensive they will be and comfortable they will be, getting stronger each minute. It’s important to start well and try to score a goal but also to remain patient.
Injury updates?
GVB: Glen came in on Tuesday so is available for Sunday. John is back from suspension and Charlie McCann ready to play again. We don’t have any major doubts.
Is the Europa League Rangers level?
GVB: You have seen the level we faced in the Champions League. We played really well against PSV and USG in the qualifiers and both teams are comfortably through in the Europa League. The difference in level is there for everyone to see. We felt that in all the games we played. Pot 4 teams always have it difficult in the Champions League as we experienced this season so if you compare Europe last season and this season there is a big difference. The longer you play in Champions League level the more experience the players have to compete against the players who are in the Champions League. It’s been 12 years since we played on this level with Rangers and hopefully we are there next season. It’s tough if you see the teams who qualified and didn’t - big teams like Barcelona and Juventus. That’s the level you face. It’s been hard. Once you can qualify for the Champions League you want your players to do it and we did that. There is no discussion for me to say the Champions League level is too high and we’re not going to try and reach it. I’ve been playing in the best clubs in Europe, competing for the highest prizes and as a coach I want the same. I want to be in the Champions League. That was our dream after 12 years and when you work hard in trying to achieve that you are proud but you also know it’s not the Europa League. Success always brings expectation, especially when you have to go up a level which is why we had big defeats. But that is part of the game. I wouldn’t have changed anything for my team having that experience.
Will this team be together next season to learn?
GVB: We have 10 players out of contract or end of loan so if they don’t extend or aren’t there then that’s 10 players you have to replace. You want to develop a team but I don’t know what’s happening with the players. We could have 10 new players coming in next season which means you have to gel and develop a team. We have to wait and see how the team will look. It’s football. Players are out of contract so you don’t decide their future - it’s in their own hands. It could be 10 or less. It depends how the coming months go but we have a lot of players out of contract.
What do you think of the financial gulf domestically?
GVB: We play St Johnstone or last week we had more budget against Aberdeen so it’s normal we win when the budget is so much more. They can give you a really hard game but when we win 4-1 people say it’s normal. We face Liverpool who have maybe 10 times more budget and we lose as well.... what we have in Scotland in terms of the difference in money and spending we feel the same in the Champions League but that’s just facts and how European is hard. It doesn’t mean you can’t get good results because we showed that in Europe but it’s difficult in the long haul.
READ NEXT
