Rangers have struggled to adapt to the end of the cycle that saw Steven Gerrard leave and numerous players come to the end of their time at the club.
Veterans like Steven Davis, Allan McGregor and Scott Arfield haven’t been replaced which is why Barry Ferguson has inherited a Rangers squad that needs a lot of work.
Another Rangers manager who didn’t get the tools that he needed to bring success to Ibrox was Giovanni van Bronckhorst who, speaking on TNT Sports, hinted that he never wanted to leave the club he played for.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst frustrated at Rangers exit
Emma Dodds was asking the questions of the former Gers boss and after Van Bronckhorst said that he was on a different wavelength to the club, then gave his thoughts on his departure:
“I’m frustrated because I had to leave,” said Van Bronckhorst when asked if was frustrated about how things ended, “because I’m a fighter. I was a fighter as a player and always as a coach. I think I have done everything in my power to manage the club.
“If you have to say goodbye to a club – and as a club I mean players, the fans – that’s not a nice feeling to leave something you love. You have to cope with it, you have to deal with it and you have to move on. Life goes on and I’m now in a very positive place where I enjoy life, enjoy my family, enjoy watching really good games. We all move on.”
Was Van Bronckhorst backed by the Rangers board?
There is a misconception that Van Bronckhorst wasn’t backed as Rangers boss, however, there was plenty of money spent.
Rabbi Matondo, £3m, Ben Davies, £4m, Ridvan Yilmaz, £3.5m, plus Malik Tillman on loan and Tom Lawrence, players who were signed in the summer of 2022 and who cost a lot of money or who were on big wages, but there was always a feeling that they weren’t who Van Bronckhorst wanted.
Danilho Doekhi had been linked, as had Xavi Simons, two players who would be immediate starters and an upgrade on players who Gio had to work with when he arrived.
Add this to them all getting injured, and it is easy to see why he was frustrated to leave.
It isn’t revisionism, but Van Bronckhorst navigated Rangers to a Europa League final and into the Champions League group stages and still didn’t get the quality that was needed to take the club to the next level.
No wonder he was frustrated.
