Giovanni van Bronckhorst is not in Rotterdam any more

Rangers Dundee Utd

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Rangers manager Giovanni Van Bronckhorst speaks to the media before the UEFA Champions League group A match between Rangers FC and SSC Napoli at Ibrox Stadium on September 14, 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Having quoted his stunning record at Feyenoord – Champions League, their first league title in 18 years, when Rangers brought GVB we at Ibrox Noise knew we were onto a winner.

This manager got the best out of the Dutch side and claimed that first Eredivisie for almost two decades, getting them into the CL by way of it.

So why is he struggling at Ibrox when the two clubs are maybe kind of similar in size and even budget, to an extent?

The answer is simple – he isn’t.

See, it’s not so much he is or isn’t struggling at Ibrox compared to Feyenoord, it’s the fact the expectations of both clubs are COMPLETELY different.

Feyenoord are a massive team but of the three Dutch goliaths, they’re by far the smallest. Think Spain and Real and Barca plus Atletico – all huge teams, but the first two are considerably bigger than Madrid’s second side.

Ergo in Holland, expectation upon Feyenoord and their fans is way, way less than at Rangers.

Feyenoord don’t expect to win every week, they don’t expect to win titles, and indeed Gio doing so was against the odds, not even that far off Leicester-style.

He was Feyenoord youth coach for two years, got promoted, and on his second season as main boss he won the title with an impressive 26 wins of 34, losing and drawing four.

This was enough to seal the deal for their first title in 18 years, but by no means was Gio expected to do this – he wasn’t expected to win every week, not like at Rangers.

Despite knowing the pressure of Ibrox as a player, he’s experiencing it completely anew as manager, and in the past month we’ve seen cracks in his previously calm exterior, cracks of pressure and realising how big Rangers truly are as manager, and how it all falls on him.

He just didn’t have that pressure in Holland.

What Gio now has to deal with is a mini crisis – Rangers’ terrible form at present stops with him, and while he’s made some very bad decisions (and continues to do so) it’s on him to learn to handle this pressure, learn how to win ruthlessly and tolerate the pressure of being Rangers boss.

He got a bit of a free pass last season, but this one really is the one he gets judged.

We wish him luck, to figure it out – because Rangers’ chances of 56 rest on his shoulders.

We’re not in Rotterdam any more.

Exit mobile version