Speaking to RamsTV on Sunday, Phillip Cocu congratulated Rangers on their pre-season victory over his Derby side at Ibrox.
For much of the game, it looked as though the Gers would fail to breach the visitor’s defences. However, Nikola Katic eventually popped up with the winner with just six minutes left on the clock.
Despite the late nature of the decisive goal, the 101-cap ex-Dutch international had no complaints about the result.
“I think it was an excellent test for us against a great team,” he told RamsTV. “It was a good game, up and down, some periods in the game where I thought we did very well, some parts of the game where we struggled.”
“They pushed us back and the same in the second half. Their goal was from a corner but to be honest it was a well-deserved win. Kelle Roos made some great saves so it was a really good test before we start the league because you want a strong opponent on their pitch so I think we can be happy with this game, not of the result but because of the strong opponent.”
Phillip Cocu praises Rangers
These comments are further validation for Steven Gerrard’s Rangers revolution. Before he took the reins at Ibrox, few people were suggesting the Light Blues were a ‘great team’.
Now, though, an esteemed former player turned successful manager with PSV, is happy to admit his second-tier English club were outplayed in Glasgow, just a week out from the beginning of their domestic season.
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Gerrard’s main remit, of course, is to deliver silverware. While that’s a big challenge he’ll face over the coming season, it’s fair to say he’s already succeeded in bringing respectability back to this Rangers team.
Derby were fortunate to head back down south with just a one-goal defeat on Sunday, and their manager knows it.
