THE GIO TO GUY
Wouters says Gers have landed ideal man for the big job
New Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst still has the good looks and nice guy image.
But Jan Wouters says no-one should be fooled into thinking he is a soft touch.
During their time together at Feyenoord– when they won the Eredivisie title in 2017 against all odds – he saw another side to the man now in charge at Ibrox.
Wouters, a former Gers coach under Dick Advocaat and Alex McLeish, knows Gio better than most.
He’s seen every aspect of his character, on and off the pitch, whether it’s his techniques to forge togetherness in his squad or man-management skills with his players.
But he has also seen van Bronckhorst put his foot down to show authorit y and leadership as a manager.
And it’s that versatility that makes Wouters believe he’ll be a huge success as Steven Gerrard’s replacement.
Van Bronckhorst will be in the Hampden stand today watching over his new team in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Hibs before taking full control on Monday.
Wouters, who admits he’d have considered coming out of retirement to join him in Glasgow, believes it’s a sound appointment by the Ibrox board.
He was delighted to see the former Gers, Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder return to Scotland, where he spent three years as a player under Advocaat.
After his experience at Feyenoord, Wouters says he’s ready for the challenge of taking over from Gerrard.
The 70-cap ex-Holland star told MailSport: “Gio is such an all-round manager. That’s how I’d describe him. He has all the qual it ies needed for a modern-day coach.
“He’s a fantastic people manager, first of all. He knows how to talk to players.
“He’s very human with them but, believe me, he can also be strict when it’s required. He can do both sides of it.
“Gio comes across as a very nice boy. And he is. But when it’s necessary to make a point, he’ll do it without a problem.
“He has all the ingredients to be a top manager.
“And most importantly, he knows the game.
“Tactically, he’s very good and overall he’s just a very rounded coach.
“It’s fantastic for Gio to be at Rangers as manager because he had some great years there as a player.
“He knows the club and knows Scotland, which is important. It’s also important for any Rangers coach to know already about the rivalry with Celtic and the Old Firm games.
“If you’re work ing at Rangers , there’s always pressure. Gio knows that.
“At Feyenoord the pressure was a little bit less because they hadn’t won anything for 18 years.
“They had no money and there was less expectation.
“Although, if you were in that stadium around that time, you could feel the pressure. They were willing him to win something there.
“So Gio’s used to it. He knows the pressure at Rangers and can handle it. It won’t be a problem for him.
“The Rangers fans want to win every game. They want to be champions again and reach the Champions League.
“But Gio will be ready for that pressure.”
That t it le success at Feyenoord is the biggest a c h i e v eme n t o n v a n Bronckhorst’s managerial CV and Wouters was with him every step of the way. Along with Jean-Paul van Gastel and Roy Makaay, whom van Bronckhorst was keen to have alongside him at Ibrox, they saw off rivals Ajax and PSV Eindhoven to deliver a longawaited league trophy.
Without a huge budget or big- name players , van Bronckhorst forged a bond between players, staff and fans that Wouters insists was vital to their success.
He said: “Feyenoord is a big club in Hol land with a fantastic crowd. When Gio took over, they were waiting for a title, hungry for it.
“But nobody really expected it. In the three years I had with Gio, we won the cup in our first year, then the title, another cup and everything.
“It was a huge achievement. It was very important for the club but also for Gio’s career as well.
“It was all about the spirit Gio created. That’s why we won the title.
“He created a real friendship between everyone at the club.
“I remember myself, Gio, van Gastel and Roy went to Bayern Munich for three days to see them training when we had some time off.
“And Gio also took us all