Rangers have a chance against Ajax to prove they’re not the worst team in Champions League history. With zero points on the board in Group A and having shipped 19 goals - getting a positive result is vital. They can at least salvage a bit of pride against the Dutch side.
But you know what? Irrespective of the result on Tuesday night, at the full-time whistle there will be one overriding feeling at Ibrox. RELIEF. Relief that this nightmare European campaign is finally over. Because let’s be honest, it’s been an absolute killer for Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his players.
The heavy defeats to Liverpool, Napoli and Ajax have drained every ounce of confidence out of a side who reached the Europa League Final just six months ago. Whenever they’ve looked like building any sort of momentum in the Scottish Premiership, they’ve been hit by a Champions League body blow.
That’s why everyone inside the club must be delighted it’s coming to an end. In Naples the other night, they at least showed a bit of fight. At 2-0 down after 16 minutes, it could have got a lot worse. But they ground it out and actually should have scored to make it 2-1.
So there was something there - even if Napoli’s intensity dropped in the second half. But when Ajax leave Glasgow this week, Rangers’ focus has to be on the three league games before the World Cup break. Nine points against St Johnstone, Hearts and St Mirren is a must.
After that? This break in the middle of the campaign might just prove to be a God-send for these players - and their manager. It’s been a horrible few months for them. Right now, there are things fundamentally wrong with how Rangers are playing.
If that continues this season, they can forget about winning the title. So something has to change. And this break could be absolutely crucial for Giovanni and the players. For a start, they can get injured players back. The likes of Ryan Jack, Glen Kamara, Alfredo Morelos, Kemar Roofe should be back to full fitness by the end of it.
Ianis Hagi could return from a long lay-off. Who knows? Even Connor Goldson might return sooner than expected. And if there are niggles troubling the likes of James Tavernier or John Lundstram, it’s a chance to clear them up too. Gio will probably give the squad a week to 10 days off.
But he’ll then have time to properly train - and drastically improve these players’ performances. It could be one of the most important periods for him as Rangers manager. It’s a chance for him and his staff to self-analyse and self-assess. Make no mistake, his team is devoid of energy right now.
The performances - not just in Europe - have been dull and boring to watch. The World Cup break will be an opportunity to work out WHY? The Champions League results, as well as the Old Firm defeat to Celtic and last week’s draw with Livingston at Ibrox have been painful.
But I genuinely believe that when the football stops for Qatar 2022, the healing process can start for Rangers. There is a lack of belief in the dressing-room but they can rediscover that. Not just in themselves but in each other as a team. Last season, there was an electricity flowing through this team that - at times - was unstoppable.
Think about when they emerged victorious after extra-time against Braga in the Europa League. Their next game was against Celtic in the Scottish Cup Final where, by the end of 120 minutes, they were the team kicking on strong. They overran Celtic, who were out on their feet. After the ultimate low of losing the Europa Final on penalty kicks in Seville, they had to go back to Hampden for the Scottish Cup Final a few days later. But they did it.
Looking at them now? They’re unrecognisable. The difference is scary. Gio has to work out why that is. People say players and managers have to learn from the bad experiences - and that can be true. But at this moment in time, Rangers must try and learn from the good experiences they had last season.
What were they doing at that time? How did they harness that energy and belief within the group? During the World Cup, there has to be an autopsy to see what’s been going on. Gio and the staff must ask themselves if they’re doing enough. Are they training the players properly?
It has to be an analysis of EVERYTHING. Because I’ll say it again. If the level of performance stays the same - forget the league. It won’t happen. It doesn’t matter what Celtic do because Rangers will drop more points. They’re not playing well enough not to come unstuck. This might sound radical. But this team needs to play in a different way.
It has lost its identity and that has to change. Domestically, you can argue that results haven’t been that bad. But there’s no getting away from it - Rangers are a hard watch. Even the staunchest fans are finding it tough to take. They want to win - but they also want to be entertained.
That’s what’s happening on the other side of the city. With Celtic, you know exactly how they’re going to play in every game. How they attack, in terms of their speed and movement, is on a different scale to where Rangers are. In the second half against Napoli on Wednesday night, they showed glimpses of a different approach.
They started to press a bit higher and it gave them a foothold in the game. They were more aggressive and they created chances. I watched it and thought: ‘Why not just do that all the time’? Maybe it has finally hit Gio. It’s certainly something to work on. And this World Cup break might just give him the perfect chance to do it.
