Lundstram out to teach Union lesson in respect
Midfielder feels Ibrox crowd can overwhelm Belgian side
JOHN LUNDSTRAM has accused “disrespectful” Royale Union Saint-Gilloise of underestimating what an intimidating venue Ibrox is and predicted the home support can help Rangers stage a Champions League comeback tonight.
Union SG players performed a lap of honour following their 2-0 triumph in the first leg of the third qualifying round double header in the Den Dreef Stadium in Belgium last week.
And the Brussels outfit’s players have since stated they do not feel inferior to their Scottish rivals or fear the hostile atmosphere they will encounter in the Govan ground when they take to the field in the second leg this evening.
Lundstram, who is set to line up for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side in midfield tonight, branded the reaction to the result last Tuesday night “a touch disrespectful” yesterday.
The Englishman helped Rangers to beat Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and RB Leipzig at Ibrox during their run to the Europa
League final last season.
He is confident that having tens of thousands of their own supporters roaring them on once again tonight can help the Scottish Cup winners to record a victory and progress to the play-offs.”
Asked if he would use the Union SG response to their win last week as motivation, Lundstram said: “You can use whatever motivation you need for this game. Everyone is different. But we have certainly all seen it, we certainly all know it is there and is a touch disrespectful, if you want to say.
“Listen, we are ready and whatever motivation you need, you can use what you like. We just need to turn up and we will.
“After big nights in Europe we talk about it (how much the Ibrox crowd help Rangers). It is not just us that talk about it and the whole country, the whole UK talks about the atmosphere at Ibrox and the whole of Europe does. Not only us.
“We certainly need it again and we are under no illusions that it will be difficult to overcome the 2-0 deficit. We have put ourselves in that position, but there is no reason why we can’t with that fanbase behind us.”
Asked if he had sensed that the Union SG players feel they are already in the next round, Lundstram said: “A wee bit, you could say that, yeah.
“But they are coming to a really tough place. I am not sure they have really taken that on board yet, where they are coming to and what a big venue it is. We are just raring to go, we can’t wait to get out there and put right where we disappointed ourselves last week.”