Soccer Football - Champions League - Group A - Rangers v Ajax Amsterdam - Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - November 1, 2022 Ajax Amsterdam coach Alfred Schreuder with Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Brian Laudrup has hit back at Giovanni van Bronckhorst dismissing his comments about the Dutchman as stupid.
Events at Ibrox have taken a massive downturn over the last two months with the Dutchman firmly in the firing line although transfer guru Ross Wilson has also been heavily criticised by fans.
Dropping a further five points behind Celtic over the course of a week has pushed most fans over the edge but despite the results and negativity around the club there is no sign of van Bronckhorst walking out on a contract that runs until May 2025.
Normally the manager at Ibrox would be given a certain level of respect from the media but since losing 7-1 at home to Liverpool it seems that anything goes in regards to criticism of van Bronckhorst.
Laudrup is hardly a media Rottweiler but picking up on his column in the Daily Mail, The Sun reports the Dane saying:
It felt like decision time was approaching last week. Now it has very much arrived. What happens next with Giovanni van Bronckhorst will help define how Rangers approach a hugely difficult set of circumstances.
Even at nine points behind Celtic going into this World Cup break, the club cannot concede this season’s Premiership title. Not yet. Not with so much football still to play.
But with ten players out of contract at the end of the campaign, Rangers also need to have one eye on how best to deal with a rebuild that will be the most significant since Steven Gerrard took charge in the summer of 2018. Courageous and experienced leadership would seem essential.
Last week, I spoke about van Bronckhorst’s body language his whole demeanour, really and whether it looked as though he truly believed he could turn things around in terms of recent performances and results.
I know he responded to me with some comments of his own. He was perfectly entitled to do so. I have no problem with that at all but I stand by what I said.
Because the point I was trying to make was about the impression it gave to others. Including players. I was thinking back to my time and whether I’d seen a manager look the downbeat way van Bronckhorst did as his team lost to St Johnstone.
Even in van Bronckhorst’s own playing days, he might have wondered what was going on if his manager didn’t look as if he could change things or turn it around.
The Dutchman has been through so much this season. Saturday’s 1-1 draw with St Mirren was yet another blow. It was more of the same, really.
After the game, van Bronckhorst spoke about not being certain whether he would still be in charge after the World Cup break. Again, to me, it looked like someone who wanted a decision to be made on whether he is the man or not.
Since his post-match duties at St Mirren nothing has been heard of from van Bronckhorst who is believed to be having a break in Holland.
Who will replace van Bronckhorst at Ibrox?
Wee Davie has the class and dignity for it
Robbie is the man, good European experience
Mister Gerrard- the Prodigal Returns
Hope he hangs on for his redundancy money
Aye like changing the manager is gonna get rid of the reek of entitlement or suddenly turn that shower into champions.
They all want out..and we all know they would be struggling amongst the pack if they were ref’d fair and square or god forbid ref’d like us.
How the rest of the league don’t see this is beyond me.
Yes, it is entitlement that keeps them going! But don’t expect that to change any time soon. Government investment in Govan, ships, is a lot of money over the next near decade. That will keep the Govan micro-economy going very nicely, thank-you – and the entitlement too! So, don’t expect anything to change!