The fact it's a Champions League playoff tie means there would have been huge interest in Rangers' clash with PSV Eindhoven anyway. But the strong connection between the Dutch and the Ibrox club has added a bit of an extra edge to the massive Euro showdown
Dick Advocaat led the Dutch revolution at Rangers when he succeeded Walter Smith back in the summer of 1998. Arthur Numan was his first recruit, the full back leaving PSV Eindhoven after six years at the Philips Stadium to move across the North Sea after competing at the World Cup for Holland that summer.
Plenty others followed such as current boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Mols, the late Fernando Ricksen, Bert Konterman, the legendary De Boer brothers, Ronald and Frank, as well as backroom and medical staff.
Numan, in his column for 5Stars, and Ronald De Boer speaking to the Herald & Times, have both given their thoughts on the massive tie with in-depth analysis of Dutch strike legend Ruud van Nistelrooy's side who edged past Monaco in a thrilling third round qualifier. Here's what the Dutch duo had to say.
Arthur Numan
Two things always kept my confidence high that Rangers would defeat Union SG - Giovanni van Bronckhorst and the Ibrox crowd. Thankfully, my belief wasn't misplaced. The effort to overturn the two goal deficit from the first leg was outstanding. Despite some of the ridiculous criticism aimed at Gio and a few of the players after the first leg.I had high hopes for Antonio Colak and Malik Tillman. Both scored to put the tie beyond doubt.
It has set up a mouthwatering tie between Rangers and another of my former clubs, PSV Eindhoven. PSV is coached by former Manchester United and Holland striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy. He joined PSV as a player in 1998, the summer I left for Ibrox. We were international team-mates for the Netherlands and I have followed his career. He is now an established coach after serving his apprenticeship as youth team boss at PSV.
There are similarities to Giovanni as both are very tactically astute and they are also not afraid to make unpopular decisions.From a Rangers point of view, I would have preferred if the first leg was in Holland. I always liked it better when we had the return leg at home. But Giovanni will look to take any sort of lead to Eindhoven the following week. Any victory on Tuesday should be regarded as a positive step.I rate the tie as being 50-50 right now. Make no mistake, PSV have talented footballers and they are very strong and robust at the back. They are building a team to win the league title. In midfield they have Joey Veerman. Rangers were linked with him this time last year and I think he is a very capable performer.He scored the opening goal for PSV on Tuesday night and he likes to attack from the central area.They also have Luuk de Jong. Luuk is a very powerful striker and strong in the air. He feeds off crosses from wide areas. Rangers must be aware of him. He has played for Barcelona and Newcastle, so that shows the pedigree he has. But Rangers also have some very good players and they are clearly getting better and better together the more games they play. As has been the case for a long period, Rangers will take a bit of stopping and PSV know this.
Ronald de Boer
The thinking in Holland is that Monaco are a better team than Rangers and PSV will win. But I don’t think Ruud, his staff and his players will take Rangers lightly. They will know that they have to be on top of their games to win. It will be the first major achievement in Van Nistelrooy’s embryonic managerial career if they do.
I like Ruud as a person and I like how he conducts himself. But what I really like about Van Nistelrooy is that he is not naive. He knows that if his team is not as strong as their opponent then they have to make sure they make it difficult for them. If you can’t win, don’t’ lose.
Of course, his team will get better. It is still early in the season, he is still finding out what the best shape for the midfield is and what his best front three is, especially the right winger.
Who is going to play there is not really clear. Normally, Noni Madueke plays there and he is very good player, but he has been injured for a while and is out. He has two youngsters, Ismael Saibari and Johan Bakayoko, there. In general, though, PSV have a good team. I like the team.
Ruud is searching for the best team to play with the philosophy that he has. He will always want his side to play attractive football and try to dominate the game. But if that is not possible he is realistic. They can also play well on the counter attack. They have got some quick players.
Under Roger Schmidt, who is now the manager of Benfica, they often played in a 4-2-2-2. But every manager has his own way of playing. Under Ruud they play with a 4-3-3. You have to find a way of hurting your opponents and I am sure they will do.
But Ruud only has coaching experience with youth sides and second teams. On Tuesday night his team was a minute away from going out. The outcome could have been totally different.
PSV were lucky to get through to the next stage of the Champions League. If you analyse the game, Monaco were the better team. But, of course, the better team doesn’t always go through in football. PSV were very lucky to get an equaliser in the dying seconds and take the game to extra-time. Erick Gutierrez scored with a header in the 89th minute to make it 2-2. Monaco were also the better team in extra time, but they hung in there.
That says something about the mentality that Van Nistelrooy has instilled in his players. As long as they are still alive they give everything. That is what this PSV team is about – they don’t give in, they don’t give up. That is a credit to Ruud. He has given his players that mindset.
They kept on believing and gave everything – just like Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final, semi-final and final last season. Their opponents were the better team every time, but, in the end, they won every time.
Ruud has obviously said ‘If we don’t control the game, we must be compact’. That is what he has brought to the team. In extra-time they tried to play the ball wide to the wingers and get crosses into the box. He has got one of the best headers in the modern game in Luuk de Jong and he scored a winner.
For me, Gakpo, Sangare and Veerman are PSV’s most important players. Joey in particular. He is very influential in midfield, he makes the attack fluid. Most of the time attacks start with him.
Veerman has the patience to play the ball between the opposition midfield and the defence or behind the opposition defence. Sangare plays a more defensive role in the midfield and contains opposition sides well. Luuk always tries hard for 90 minutes. Neither he nor Gakpo were particularly good in the Monaco game on Tuesday night. But, as I say, PSV never give up, even when they are not in the game.
That is what I like about them. They do not let their heads go down. They fight for every metre and try to win another way. Because they didn’t give in, they had an important role in that victory.
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