Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhors t admitted he is under severe pressure at Ibrox but revealed there have been NO TALKS with the club over his future.
And the Dutchman insisted being in the firing line will make him stronger as a boss. Van Bronckhorst reckons he has faced down far more testing times in his career with speculation mounting that his job is on the line. Saturday's home clash against Aberdeen is shaping up as a pivotal moment after a fifth straight Champions League thumping in midweek at the hands of a rampant Napoli in Italy.
Rangers will also be without injury-jinxed striker Kemar Roofe for the Dons clash but van Bronckhorst believes he can ride out the storm that is engulfing the club. He said: “Of course you feel the pressure but the most pressure I feel is the pressure I put on myself. That’s something I’m used to. It gives me strength and energy to keep going forward. That’s the only thing I can do.
“It’s something I always felt throughout my career, the pressure to perform and to reach your standard in every game. I had it as a player and it’s the same as a coach. It’s the way. I don’t really think about it.
“You get it because people are talking about it. That’s the environment we are living in now with social media. It puts the message across. You can see south of the border subtitles from chants from supporters. It only adds to the pressure we already have as managers.
“I’ve been here in the past. I’ve had worse situations than we are in now, as you said we are in the Champions League having reached a
European final. With Feyenoord we only got our last three points in the final minute of our final game.”
When asked if he’d had any discussions with the board or sporting director Ross Wilson about his future, van Bronckhorst insisted it hasn’t been on the agenda. He said: “No. Of course, I have discussions with the board and with Ross, but my future and my position was never discussed.”
GVB revealed the injury to Roofe is a blow for a player whose time in Glasgow has been plagued by a variety of ailments, with a calf issue the latest.
He said: “Kemar wasn’t involved on Wednesday night. He picked up another injury and we won’t have him for a couple of weeks. It’s the same area but a different injury. First, it’s very frustrating for Kemar. He has a history of injuries from the moment he came to this club, not only with me but also previously.
“The biggest frustration is for Kemar himself because he works hard and is trying to come back. Whenever he is back, there is always a step back in a couple of weeks and that’s very frustrating for him.”
Aberdeen will arrive at Ibrox on the back of impressive recent form and van Bronckhorst is well aware of the threat from Jim Goodwin’s side. He said: “In winning four out of their last five, they are a team that has confidence.
“But we have to make sure we are ready for them. They have changed the tactics in the last couple of weeks so we see a change in that.
“Matches against Aberdeen are always hard. I can think of last year and also when I was playing at Ibrox.
“So it is not going to be an easy game. But we are at home so I am confident we can get a good result.”
