Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s body language, demeanour and refusal to ‘praise’ the players last night hinted pretty much how the manager is feeling about Rangers’ current poor form, despite the win up north.
Speaking after the match Gio was asked how much credit the players deserved for ‘finding’ a way to the 3 points on ‘that’ pitch and tellingly all he could do was agree the pitch wasn’t good, and they had to find a way to win.
The manager is far from happy – his calm exterior when he first started has changed in the past few weeks, and it’s clear that, aside Europe, far too many players are simply not delivering right now.
Despite his winner, Glen Kamara is certainly one, while Scotty Arfield is on empty, Joe Aribo is off form, Connor Goldson is disinterested, and Ryan Kent is patchy. Allan McGregor is simply dreadful.
These are only a few, and it is a team game, but the manager’s aura presently is of frustration, that once again the side hasn’t come back from the winter break with the guts they left for it with, and as has been the case the past four years, the form has fallen while our city rivals have (mostly) won.
We’re not asking for silky football every match, absolutely not, and it sure wasn’t possible on that pitch, but the real lack of movement, work, guts and attitude to win last night was painfully obvious,
And the boss, on a former high after the start we made under him, is clearly struggling to find a way, just like his predecessor did.
Ever since we secured 55 in March, the form has been consistently dreadful, with just a pick up after Gio came in for a couple of months.
At some point the players have to take responsibility for the rotten attitude we’re seeing out there.
They weren’t playing for Steven Gerrard any more, and it is already feeling like they’re no longer playing for Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
They better wise up, and quick.
Players need to show some fight and dig on park. Going in to soft in tackles and not winning the ball. Have to keep possession with short passes not long balls to nobody. Don’t give teams space to dictate their game get on them quick and get ball up to forwards instead of passing along g back line.
You have only got to watch when we have a throw in. Nobody appears to offer up a target for the ball, simply standing there, and inevitably the throw in ends up going to an opposing player. Tav is particularly guilty of this.
But for me, GVB is running our players into the ground. In the last two games he had the opportunity of subbing 10 players, and getting some fresh legs on the pitch.
He used one!
And we are slowly reverting to that tippy tippy passing that goes nowhere, and allows the opposition plenty of time to get back and reorganise themselves.
Give yer head a shake Gio. The honeymoon period is over!.
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