GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST has stopped short of digging into the book of famous Rangers quotes and issuing a ‘keep believing’ rallying call so far this season.
But even the cult hero figure of Marvin Andrews would struggle to make the case for Van Bronckhorst’s side being able to cut it as a Champions League team this term.
A dream that was 12 years in the making has turned into a nightmare inside three demoralising defeats. Quite simply, Rangers are just not cut out for this level.
In some regards, there is no shame in saying that. Indeed, Van Bronckhorst has already attempted to dampen the feeling of what should be expected from his side by highlighting the financial disparity between Rangers and Liverpool, Ajax and Napoli.
It would be ludicrous to suggest that Rangers should be topping Group A or reaching the latter rounds of the Champions League. But regularly beating and competing are very different things and Van Bronckhorst’s side have done neither in two fixtures and were not as adept as some at Ibrox would have you believe in the other.
Defeat can never be accepted at Ibrox and a shrug of the shoulders acceptance of the levels cannot become the norm. Criticism should be tempered when all factors are taken into account, but realism is only healthy when combined with belief.
Rangers sit pointless and goalless at the foot of the table. When supporters are starting to delve into the history books to discover which sides have the worst ever records in this competition, it is an indication of just where their team is right now.
The Dutchman was asked at his pre-match press conference on Monday evening whether he had to convince his players that they were capable of achieving the unexpected, whether they truly believed that Liverpool were there to be beaten at Anfield.
He is not one for hyperbole or mind games and his words are chosen carefully and sincerely. The message was clear from Van Bronckhorst but events 24 hours later told a different story.
He spoke of how Rangers ‘always have the belief’ and that it ‘starts with belief’. He called on them to show character, to rekindle the spirit that they have found previously.
Rangers had to prove that they stepped onto the pitch with a respect for Liverpool but no fear of them. The actions of his players spoke louder than words.
The performance produced wasn’t one of a side who had the confidence of their convictions and Rangers were instead passive, almost scared, as they retreated on the pitch and into their jerseys.
“We always have the belief,” Van Bronckhorst said after a stunning free-kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah penalty secured a comfortable, commanding victory for Jurgen Klopp’s side. “I saw it in my players.
“Especially in the first half, we made too many mistakes in our passing and in our first touches. We knew the pressure was there and we did much better in the second half.
“Of course, we had the belief. It always starts with belief. We were still in the game at half-time.
“In the first game, we were already out of the game at half-time and against Napoli, we were in the game until the red card.
“Don’t forget the opposition we are playing here. Everyone was saying ‘Liverpool are out of form it is going to be an easy game’ but you can see today the level they can reach.”
It was another sobering night for Rangers. The defeat was not unexpected, but it was the manner of it that will disappoint supporters and positives are increasingly difficult to find heading into the second half of the section.
Conceding to such a wonderful effort as the Alexander-Arnold strike or being regularly, almost routinely, cut open with such incisiveness did not come as a surprise. There were moments that showed just what Liverpool are about and what they are capable of, and Klopp’s side will see off far better opposition than Rangers over the course of their domestic and European campaigns.
The frustration for fans will come from the fact that Rangers, once again, completely failed to enforce themselves on the game. Almost a year into his reign, it is difficult to pinpoint what Van Bronckhorst’s style is and how he wants the team to look.
All three of their rivals in the section have players of a higher calibre that pick up far more significant wages than Van Bronckhorst’s squad and it is no surprise that Rangers have been cut through as easily in each fixture. But that doesn’t account for the lack of organisation against Ajax, the slackness in front of goal against Napoli or being so devoid of composure against Liverpool.
In the brief stages when Rangers had the ball, they did nothing with it and the dearth of quality was alarming once again. Passes were rushed or misplaced, more wrong options were chosen than right ones as they never gained any sort of foothold in the fixture or let Liverpool know that they were in the game.
The result wasn’t as abject as the defeat suffered in Amsterdam but the eighth and ninth goals conceded in Group A were not a reflection of the third fixture. It was a showing that should have been punished with a four or five goal, or perhaps even more, margin of defeat and that fate would have befallen Rangers had it not been for another inspired outing from Allan McGregor.
This was a free hit for Rangers but they never laid a glove on Liverpool. It was evident from the opening minutes that it was seen as a damage limitation exercise and that was the only goal that was achieved at Anfield as straws were clutched at the final whistle.
The Ibrox fixtures with Liverpool and Ajax will now define the Champions League campaign for Rangers. Remarkably, four points could yet be enough to salvage third spot this term.
If Van Bronckhorst and his players truly reckon they belong at this level, then they must show it soon. It is, after all, becoming increasingly difficult for fans to keep believing in them.
