Wall of noise can propel Ibrox wise guys onward

MARK WARBURTON believes a combination of nous and noise can carry Rangers to the latter stages of the Europa League.

The former Ibrox boss was a captivated TV viewer as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side knocked out tournament favourites Borussia Dortmund to reach the last 16.

Eliminated at that same stage in the last two seasons under Steven Gerrard, Rangers have now been drawn to face Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade in the next round.

Warburton believes the game management displayed by Van Bronckhorst as his team trailed

2-1 on Thursday offers a sure sign that they can at least reach the quarter-finals this year.

The Dutch coach introduced centre-back Leon Balogun at half-time and moved John Lundstram into a back three, which allowed Rangers to gain a foothold and equalise.

‘Rangers have seen off the favourites, so who knows how far they can go,’ said Warburton, now managing Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship. ‘Dortmund are a class act. And I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that there was a spell in the game where it could have got nasty for Rangers.

‘Dortmund were so on top and they are such a talented team that when it went 2-1 you feared what would happen if they got the next goal.

‘But Rangers got past them. They found a way and that’s the key.

‘You need to find a solution, especially in these knockout competitions, and all credit to Gio and the boys for doing that.

‘They used the squad. I thought the substitution with Balogun coming on was very wise.’

With the defence bolstered,

James Tavernier’s leveller restored Rangers’ two-goal advantage on aggregate and dumped Dortmund by a 6-4 score. Fuelled by a powerful home crowd, Warburton insists there are more heroics left in this team.

He continued: ‘No team will want to come to Ibrox because of that intimidating atmosphere.

‘The atmosphere is special and I just want them to go as far as possible.’