THATREALLY ISVANTASTIC
tthe damage, opening the scoring after 14 minutes and then pouncing on a horrendous defensive botch up to nod home a killer second just three minutes into the second half. Van Bronckhorst then told how a training ground heart-to-heart got the out-of-sorts Colombian back on the goal trail.
The Dutchman said: “He did really well. We know he’s a striker who can create danger but I wanted him to play more towards the box.
“Sometimes he wants to drop deep into midfield but as you see with the wingers we have, we should always create chances from crosses so we have to have bodies in the box. He scored two good goals.”
It was pretty much the perfect night for van Bronckhorst who had his name chanted throughout as he returned to Ibrox for the first time since his playing days under Dick Advocaat. But it needed a stunning double save from veteran keeper Allan McGregor – who was just setting out a youngster at the club back then – to seal the two goal win.
Van Bronckhorst said: “He’s incredible. You see a lot of experienced goalkeepers. He’s at a certain age where normal players retire. Goalies can go on longer of course. And today he had some absolutely vital saves.
“The clean sheet is always good because we know we will always create chances with the way we want to play.
“In the end they had one header – and some great saves in the end. But if you see all the chances we got, it shouldn’t have been close in the end.”
Rangers missed a string of chances to make the night more comfortable before the Czechs piled on pressure late in the
game. But the manager seemed thrilled with the manner of his side’s
performance after Sunday’s capitulation in the Premier Sports Cup semi final.
He added: “Of course the guys were down after Sunday but they were also very determined to get a good result.
“We had everything tonight. From the first minute we were in the game, we were pressing them, we were having a good rhythm of play and creating chances.
“We created enough in the first half to win the game. So I was very proud of the guys. They kept pushing for the win. In the end 2-0 will see us through.”
Van Bronckhorst had promised big changes after taking over from Steven Gerrard but although his team selection was along familiar lines, this was a reinvigorated Rangers side and a high tempo performance from the outset.
He tweaked Gerrard’s 4-3-3 system by deploying Joe Aribo in a more advanced position, operating behind Morelos. Aribo could have had a hat-trick as a succession of chances came and went to set up a frantic finale.
But Rangers clinched runners-up spot behind runaway group winners Lyon with a game to spare.
Van Bronckhorst said: “This was a good look at my ideas. The way we played today, we had the biggest chances to win the game. With the threat we have, the players we have and the full-backs we have. They did really well pushing forward at the right times and we also controlled the game as well.
“When we attack, we have to think about what happens if we lose the ball. We did that tonight.”