Rangers legend Graeme Souness has warned Gio van Bronckhorst and his players their 3-0 home win over Red Star Belgrade last week does NOT mean that they’re guaranteed a place in the quarter-final draw.
The former Ibrox player-manager saw the Serbians have two goals disallowed by VAR, miss a penalty and hit the woodwork in the first leg and he fears that a good start by them in front of a hostile crowd could see that three-goal lead disappear.
He still believes his old club can progress to the final but admits that even a three-goal lead might not be enough if James Tavernier and Co can’t keep it tight at the back.
“I’m not counting any chickens yet because this tie isn’t over,” claimed Souness. “They still have a hard job to do in Belgrade. This team is capable of scoring goals, as they proved in the first leg.
“If I was managing Rangers at this time I’d be telling the players that if Red Star get an early goal their tails will be up and we’ll have a real game on our hands.
“They need to start in the right manner and try to quieten the crowd, get to half-time at 0-0, make them nervous.
“ Red Star are a threat, though. Some marginal decisions went against them at Ibrox.
“Look, 3-0 is a healthy lead to take into any return game but it doesn’t mean the tie is settled.”
Souness, though, knows what it would mean to Rangers’ reputation if they could go all the way in the competition.
“It would be enormous,” he insisted. “In England and further afield, the only game that resonates is the Old Firm derby so Rangers doing as well as they have done in Europe makes everyone sit up and take notice – and that can only be good for all of Scottish football.
“It’s selfish talking about Rangers being a more attractive club when it comes to them signing players – although they’re still the priority, as far as I’m concerned – but it should help other
Scottish clubs as well.”
● Graeme Souness, along with former Scotland team-mates Joe Jordan, Alan Rough and Frank McAvennie, raised over £100,000 for DEBRA at a dinner in Glasgow on Sunday. The charity was founded to help children suffering from epidermolysis bullosa, a life threatening skin condition which is currently incurable. For more info go to debra.org.uk.
