Rangers were rampant in Holland and that ruthless streak, we had all cried out for, was evident for all to see. We were strong in attack, we took our chances and set pieces were absolutely on point meaning the club strolled to a superb European victory.
There was some trepidation amongst social media for this game but these are the games that suit our side, it wasn’t surprising to me we went through but the club deserves massive plaudits for the way they executed the result, I don’t think in our wildest dreams we could have expected that result.
The funny thing was Rangers were probably less in control than Sunday at Hibs, but we took our chances expertly. Yes we did get caught at times and yes there was some small errors but sometimes your bravery creates that luck to get away with those errors.
Rangers deserved a bit of luck and the skill of our number one Allan McGregor. Allan produced three world class saves and they were every bit as good as they sound.
I gave the defence stick this week and the funny thing is we made mistakes in Holland but we weren’t punished, the defending has concerned me in last two games but sometimes you can say the quality of moves do create issues. It’s a difficult thing because we did get a clean sheet and I don’t want to be too harsh on them. But that’s the fine line I suppose, Hibs we were slack and punished then missed our chances, In Holland McGregor produces the saves and we were ruthless.
I think sometimes we can say what a wonderful result it is but also recognise this. We deserved it, it definitely wasn’t a shock result and well done to everyone involved.
It was a fantastic result and the club deserve credit, going to Holland and scoring four against any opposition in the Dutch top flight is rightly up there with the best results in the managers tenure.
Individually Allan McGregor was out of this world and we are lucky to have two great goalkeepers, Alan is special however with the ability to produce moments like the ‘Goalie’ did twenty five years ago.
Ryan Kent however has simply upped his game to a level we have not seen before from him, his numbers now hitting the levels and his influence on matches now creating things we have missed for a number of years. In truth Ryan Kent now looks every bit the £7m investment we made and then some. He deserves every bit of credit and another indication of why we must give players the time required to settle in, as frustrating as it can sometimes be.
Alfredo was faultless up front, Kamara looked excellent in midfield and it’s almost like these are the games he truly believes in himself. Likewise I thought Scotty Arfield was magnificent also, everywhere and winning vital tackles to break up play but to credit everyone they were all on point and done very well.
It’s a result to enjoy and we welcome Galatasaray next week for another huge tie breaker. It’s a great game to look forward too and we are home which saves any travelling. The group stages remain huge and with the figures of seven million pounds won last year in prize money alone, it shows the value to this competition.
However it’s back to league duty with Motherwell on Sunday. It’s a must win, they all are and yes it will be difficult. They are a physical side and won’t be as open as they were when they visited Ibrox in the pre-season friendly.
But we have to go on a run in the league and start to get that consistency required if we are to do well this season. That’s the goal and aim.
Good luck to the three youth players Josh McPake, Lewis Mayo and James Maxwell who went to Morton, Dunfermline and QOS on loan. These are great moves for the players to sharpen their trades and kick on in their careers, we will hope they have that success and come back ready to challenge the first team.
But for now we can enjoy last night and all credit to the club and players for that. More results like that will be welcomed.
Good luck to the club for the next week of fixtures starting on Sunday, now is the time to kick on and if we are as clinical as last night then we certainly can.
Holland certainly wasn’t ‘Groundhog day’
Ignore the nonsense, the irrelevant and the noise
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Four Lads Had A Dream 