Maurice Ross insists there was never any chance of his Rangers side being starstruck the night they shot down PSG’s stellar line-up.
And he reckons the current Ibrox crop could be on for another famous win themselves so long as they don’t let themselves become overawed by Borussia Dortmund in Thursday’s Europa League return.
Last week’s sensational victory over the Bundesliga big guns at the Westfalenstadion has sparked a debate about just what constitutes Gers’ greatest ever Euro away day.
The three leading candidates seem to be the 1978 Eindhoven win over PSV, which was the Dutch outfit’s first ever home defeat in Uefa competition, the Battle of Britain victory over Leeds at Elland Road in 1992 and 2007’s Champions League triumph against Lyon.
Ross’ favourite night on the continent - the 2001 penalty shoot out win over PSG at the Parc des Princes - is another contender after Dick Advocaat’s team swept past some of the biggest names in the game at that time to march on in the Uefa Cup.
The former full-back recalls how his side were pre-programmed to believe they were more than a match for the Ligue 1 giants.
But he ’s worried now that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s current squad may struggle to live up to that feat if they fail to carry out the same instructions which produced last week's remarkable Rhineland result.
“My biggest night in Europe was beating a star-studded PSG side on penalties", recalled Ross. “They were some side with Anelka, Arteta, Ronaldinho, Heinze, Pochettino.
“But honestly, after the game - and this sounds stupid - we weren’t that fussed. We were like, ‘Good result, who’s next?’
“That culture has to be in the building anyway. You have to go out thinking, ‘F**k PSG, we’ll put them on their arse. We’ve got Claudio Caniggia, Barry Ferguson, Ronald de Boer, Stefan Klos’.
“So when you come back into the dressing room, you’ve not got the vuvuzelas out celebrating.
“We immediately just started thinking about who was next up on Sunday.
“At clubs like Rangers, you’re not programmed to think of your opponent. You’re taught to think, ‘We’re some side ourselves’.
“I remember standing in the tunnel before that game in Paris and Craig Moore asked if I was nervous.
“I looked at him and said no. And I actually wasn’t.
“At home against Livi was more nerve-racking for me because you know you’re going to be playing a side with 10 men behind the ball and you need wee intricate passes to cut them open, which wasn’t my game.
“But against PSG, I remember thinking, ‘Nae bother!’
“I’m sure that’s how the current boys found it going up against Dortmund.”
Gers’ 4-2 win over Dortmund meant Marco Rose’s team had shipped an astonishing 19 goals in the space of just eight games before responding in style with Sunday’s 6-0 drubbing of Borussia Monchengladbach.
And it’s that display of firepower which has Ross worried, even if he reckons Der BVB’s backline is eminently crackable.
“If Rangers try to secure their lead, it may be a tough night for them,” he told RecordSport .
“But if they go out with the same intensity and pressure they applied in Germany, get at Mats Hummels, control the middle of the park, then they will go through.
“I hope they go for it.
“For me, Rangers need to score again on Thursday.
“But what goes in their favour is just how average Dortmund looked at the back. I know Hummels is a great of the game but for me, he was done a couple of years ago.
“If Rangers go aggressive like they did in Germany, I think they’ll be fine. But if they decide to sit back and protect, I fear it could be a long night.”
Gers stumbled on their return to domestic action as they slipped up at Tannadice on Sunday, allowing Celtic to move three points clear in the race for the title.
But Ross reckons there’s no need for his old side to worry yet with 11 games remaining.
The Cowdenbeath gaffer said: “It’s arguably as good an away performance I’ve seen Rangers have.
“They started the first half really brightly without really troubling Benjamin Siegrist.
“But I thought they were looking sharp, Ryan Kent was looking neat and tidy, Joe Aribo was on form.
“OK, Alfredo Morelos was a wee bit off form. When you’re number nine isn’t right at it in a 4-3-3, it can be difficult because it’s such a pivotal position in that system.
“But I think that’s the only area they let themselves down and I actually thought Rangers were quite good.
“If you look at the possession and chances created, they’ve got to be scoring at least three on Sunday.
“Rangers had 26 shots on goal at Tannadice. Dundee United were left to what? The odd set play?
“So I don’t think there’s cause for concern. I think if you replay that game 10 times, I think Rangers win it 10 times to be honest.
“There was the one where it comes off Morelos’ knee and the keeper makes a save he knows nothing about. Had that gone in as it should have done then the fans are all saying ‘What a great week’.
“So I think the manner of the performance tells you something. Rangers look good at the moment. Sunday will frustrate them but I’ve got zero cause for concern.”
