Gers hit by slump in Europe says Gio

Giovanni van Bronckhorst believes Rangers’ demoralising Champions League campaign affected them mentally.

The Ibrox side ended up as the worstperforming team in the history of the group stage of Europe’s elite competition, losing all six matches against Napoli, Liverpool and Ajax.

Their form in the Premiership also dipped, with just two wins in their last five league games before the World Cup leaving them nine points behind leaders Celtic and placing Van Bronckhorst under pressure.

Asked if the European campaign had proved damaging, the Ibrox boss said: “Of course, it is there for everyone to see. Physically we had to play at a much higher level than we are used to.

“When you play against Napoli, Liverpool and Ajax and you lose games, your mental energy is also affected, which is normal because we are all human beings.

“Whenever you have a setback or a disappointing moment, it will affect your wellbeing. That has been hard.

“It has been harder for us in comparison to what we had last season, and we also had to do it in a shorter period because of the World Cup, so it has been very demanding.”

Van Bronckhorst also believes a raft of injuries in recent months has undermined attempts to strengthen the team following the sales of Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey in the summer.

He said Rangers’ plans for the January transfer window will become clearer when they know exactly how their lengthy injury list is shaping up.

“I speak every day with (sporting director) Ross Wilson,” he said.

“We need to see how the squad is when the window comes closer. We miss a lot of players at the moment.”