Britain is still in the grip of an energy crisis but Giovanni van Bronckhorst reckons Rangers had no problem generating full power as they surged back to Hampden.
Gas and leccy prices may be going through the roof but the Ibrox side were more than good value after putting on a high-voltage display in their three-goal saunter against Mark McGhee ’s Dundee.
Rangers have struggled to turn up the heat on domestic opposition since the turn of the year, especially on the back of big European nights when their batteries appeared flat.
But they repeated their red-hot rampage against Red Star Belgrade as they sizzled past their quarter-final opponents to reach the last four of the Scottish Cup.
It was clear from the off that the Premiership champions meant business and van Bronckhorst was delighted to see his team do the damage early on at Dens park with Connor Goldson’s strike and a James Tavernier penalty inside the opening 20 minutes.
Dundee had to scramble more than once as the Light Blues peppered Harrison Sharp’s goal but Fashion Sakala put the seal on an impressive performance three minutes from time.
With Aaron Ramsey back in action and looking full of spark at long last, it was a win which will do wonders for Gers’ confidence levels which have been sapped by their recurring domestic struggles.
But after an electric afternoon, the Ibrox gaffer hailed the attitude of his team.
He said: “The important thing is to be in the semi-final at Hampden and we have done that.
“We started well and when you do that, on the right foot with a lot of energy and power, then you can win the game quite early.
“We did that and we played well from the start and we scored an important early goal.
“We didn’t have any slip ups and mentally we were very focused.
“From the first minute we knew we had to drive to make sure we were in the semi-final.”
Rangers ended their decade long-wait for silverware last year with their crowning Premiership moment.
But it is now 11 years since they last sat on the throne as cup kings.
Kenny McDowall, Mark Warburton, Pedro Caixinha, Graeme Murty, Steven Gerrard and B-team boss David McCallum have all been given the task of leading Gers to glory at the National Stadium, only to slip on the slopes of Mount Florida.
Van Bronckhorst will now get his chance to make an assault on the summit next month and he’s determined to at last deliver some knock-out success to the Ibrox faithful after negotiating yesterday’s hazardous trip to Tayside.
“I said to the players we need to show our energy and drive to go all the way,” he said. “It’s been a while since we won the cup and that’s our aim.
“We had parked Europe and we had to show from the first minute that we came here to be in the next round.
“We had to show we were able to do anything that takes.
“If you come here with 80 per cent then you will have a very hard game.
“But we have shown everyone that we wanted to leave here with the semi-final ticket in our pocket.
“Do we think of going all the way for fans to lift trophy? Of course, you are working hard, training hard and playing games to be successful. That’s our goal.
“But that’s for a couple of weeks. Now my mind is already on Red Star.”
