Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been battered from pillar to post in recent weeks as Rangers boss.
And not just because of his team’s results or performances. He’s been slaughtered for being devoid of personality and character. He’s been accused of lacking passion and enthusiasm. But just because Gio isn’t a ranter and a raver – or doesn’t jump up and down at the side of the pitch – doesn’t mean there’s not a burning desire within him to succeed.
He wouldn’t have been able to do what he’s done in the game without it. So don’t be fooled. Gio has his own demeanour and behaviour that has served him well so far as a player and manager. You can’t be something you’re not. If you try to be, people see through it quickly. He can’t and won’t change. Why should he? So some of the flak he’s received for that is unfair
Remember, I played with Gio at Ibrox. He’s always been a calm, quiet and calculated guy. And a top player too, by the way.
My question now is, are any of his staff capable of bringing those other qualities to the table? Can they add real value and assist Gio?
It’s not a criticism of the manager. But perception and optics are big these days in football management.
Right now at Rangers, Gio is under severe scrutiny. An Old Firm job is up with the highest-pressure gigs in the game. So can some of his staff bring that energy?
Because it’s important – in good times and bad – that someone is driving that behind the scenes. Particularly when they’re going through a tough spell like now.
It doesn’t come naturally to Gio, which is fine. That’s his way of doing things. But when it doesn’t look good, that’s when questions are asked.
And the guys around him on his bench can help him in that respect. People are saying he could have appointed someone on his staff more in tune with Rangers as a club and the Scottish game.
I agree – he should have. And that’s not me wanting any old ex-Rangers player added to the backroom team.
I wouldn’t do that myself if I was in Gio’s shoes. But there are clever, fully-qualified coaches out there who’d have loved to work for Rangers There were guys who knew Scottish football and what Rangers were about.
He’s got Dave Vos, Roy Makaay, Arno Philips and more recently Ceri Bowley alongside him. These guys are well qualified and Makaay was a top player in his day. But none have a real affinity with the club.
People might argue that Steven Gerrard did something similar – but he had Gary McAllister with him. Gary didn’t play for Rangers but he’s a Scot who grew up supporting the club so didn’t need anyone to fill him in.
And anyway Steven is a totally different character to Gio. He was naturally passionate on the touchline. He didn’t need anyone else to bring it – because HE did.
Gio needs help in that regard and it’s about whether any of his coaches have it.
In my playing career, I was lucky to work under gaffers like Walter Smith and Alex McLeish, who had everything. Billy Davies had passion in spades as well. So did Gordon Strachan at Celtic. But the one example that comes to mind is Berti Vogts with Scotland.
There was a language barrier and he didn’t understand the culture of Scottish football. But crucially, he brought Tommy Burns in beside him.
In his own right, Berti was a good manager. His track record proved that and that’s why he was hired.
But he didn’t get the Scottish people. That’s where Tommy came in, having played for and managed one of the biggest clubs in the country. Tommy provided the passion, energy and will to win that helped us, especially when things were tough under Berti.
With Rangers, this isn’t just about games. It’s about training as well and driving standards every day.
When they come back after the World Cup break, we have to see more vigour and intensity in this Rangers team.
It might sound crazy, given the results against Livingston and St Johnstone but I HAVE seen an improvement in terms of their movement and forward runs in attacking areas
Against Aberdeen and Hearts at home, it was evident. There was definitely more intent about their play.
So there has been work done already. They’ve clearly spoken about adding it to their attacking armoury.
And it has to continue in the next five weeks – that aggression and intent to break lines. The board have backed Giovanni so he’s going to be here after the World Cup. He says he’s the man to turn it around and I wouldn’t expect to hear anything less.
But when they come back to play Hibs on December 15 they have to look revitalised. Rangers have to constantly disrupt opposition defences, which they haven’t done often enough so far this season.
Let me tell you, this league title is not over yet – not with a nine-point gap in November. Celtic don’t look like they’ll drop too many points but they WILL go through a difficult patch. I know that from my own experience.
At the turn of the year in 2008/09 Celtic beat us at Ibrox to go seven points clear at the top. By the league split, we’d reduced the gap to one point then won the Old Firm game at Ibrox and everything changed.
We went on to win the title at Tannadice on the last day. So league medals aren’t handed out in November.
But if Rangers are to have any chance of getting their hands on that trophy, performance levels have to go up massively.
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