A tough away day at Easter Road or time to work on the training ground at Auchenhowie? What would be better four days before a do-or-die Champions League playoff against PSV Eindhoven? It’s a choice Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s counterpart Ruud van Nistelrooy was given and he opted for time to work with his players rather than take on Volendam in the Eredivisie.
As things stand Rangers will travel across the M8 for a game against Lee Johnson’s Hibs on the same weekend ahead of the second leg against the Dutch side on August 24 in Eindhoven. Van Bronckhorst, it appears, hasn’t been given that choice. But should he? Ally McCoist took the opportunity to reopen old wounds as he recalled the bitter 2008 fixture row when his side were forced to play a staggering five games in 11 days as they chased UEFA Cup and league glory and Walter Smith’s flagging side came up short in both.
Recalling how former SFA President George Peat said one prominent chairman at the time told him NOT to help Rangers with his competition, the Scottish Cup, also in the equation at the time when it came to the possibility of moving fixtures. The season was extended back then but not long enough in the eyes of the Ibrox side. So, do the SPFL do enough to help Scottish clubs in Europe and should Rangers look to postpone their game against Hibs or, at the very least, be given the option? Here, Record Sport’s Gavin Berry and Graeme Young debate the hot topic.
Yes - Gavin Berry
Top clubs have elite sports science teams at the heart of their football operation. And they will advise manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst on whether a free weekend or a workout out at a notoriously tough away venue in Easter Road on a Saturday lunchtime four days before a trip to Holland would be beneficial.
But that’s almost a separate argument - having the option is the big thing. And if Van Bronckhorst believes extra time on the training ground with his players rather than a trip across the M8 to face Lee Johnson’s Hibees would help them in their bid to land a £40 million Champions League golden ticket then they SHOULD be allowed the time off.
There is also the factor of eliminating the risk of key players picking up injuries. Of course, Sky Sports and Hibs - although Ron Gordon spoke of his gratitude to Rangers for their Euro exploits - themselves might have something to say about it with the game scheduled to be live on the box and tickets and hospitality sold.
But there is the bigger picture of Scotland’s coefficient - which Rangers have done so much to boost with their recent runs on the continent - and the prestige of having not one but two clubs rubbing shoulders with the cream of the continent in the group stage of UEFA’s premier competition for the first time in well over a decade.
The point here is that the Dutch FA have been proactive in looking to help Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men and they have been receptive to the postponement. Last season, Rangers’ Europa League run didn’t appear to be taken into consideration when the post-split fixtures were drawn up. The Light Blues trip to Fir Park was scheduled for the Sunday before the first leg of the semi-final tie against RB Leipzig only to be later brought forward by 24 hours with an away derby against Celtic before the return against the Germans at Ibrox. And that leaves the SPFL open to accusations of not doing enough to help in what is a controversial topic after the 2008 fixture row.
No - Graeme Young
It’s a nice gesture by the Dutch FA to push PSV’s game against Volendam back to give them time to prepare for their crack at reaching the Champions League group stage. And there’s no doubt it would be a nice tough if the SPFL gave Rangers the same option.
However, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his men would be much better prepared for the task ahead in Eindhoven by playing Hibs four days before. A Saturday lunchtime to Wednesday evening is plenty time to prepare for a game of such magnitude.
And at this stage of the season players NEED games to build up fitness and match sharpness so it could actually end up working AGAINST PSV Eindhoven and to Rangers’ benefit.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst was part of Dick Advocaat’s side - in fact, the Rangers boss scored - when they defeated Dundee United 4-1 at Ibrox just four days before a backs to the wall 1-0 second leg defeat in Parma in 23 years ago which saw them take a huge scalp to reach the Champions League group stage.
There was also the same time from a 4-0 away win at Hearts before the sensational 2-0 first leg win over the Italian giants. So it just goes to show that travelling through to the capital can be no bad thing ahead of a Champions League qualifier and Gio will be hoping history can repeat itself.
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