Giovanni van Bronckhorst strikes cautionary note amid exultation of Rangers fans

Nothing that Giovanni van Bronckhorst could say was likely to dampen the mood of euphoria which continues to imbue Rangers supporters after their team’s remarkable 4-2 win over Borussia Dortmund in Germany on Thursday night.

Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack in action against Axel Witsel of Borussia Dortmund during the Europa League match in Germany on Thursday. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)

But while the Rangers manager is more than content to ride the wave of positivity his team generated with their performance in the first leg of their Europa League knockout round play-off tie, he is wary of the instant rush to declare it as one of the greatest results in the Ibrox club’s history.

As far as van Bronckhorst is concerned, that can only be seriously debated if Rangers complete the job in Glasgow next week and progress to the last 16 of the tournament.

While the Scottish champions are clearly in the box seat in that regard, van Bronckhorst is understandably keen to avoid any hint of complacency.

"Hopefully we can make sure this win we had (in Dortmund) can also mean we are going through to the next round – because, obviously, that is the main objective we have in this tie.

“I don’t know exactly (where the result ranks in Rangers’ history). I don’t have all the results in my mind of the history of this club.

“But it’s definitely, for me and also the players, a very good and historic win.

“You can see all the reactions we are getting. It means you did a really good performance.

“On the other hand, we also know it is only halfway. We’re really happy with the result and now we have a game at Ibrox with the full backing of the fans.”

Ryan Jack’s return from injury has seen him form a potent central midfield axis with John Lundstram which was pivotal to the success in Dortmund.

“Ryan has been really good and his partnership with John is important for the balance in the team,” said van Bronckhorst.

"We recognise very well what’s needed at moments in games – if we need to high press or stay as a block. So I’m really happy at the moment the team is in – for me as a manager, it’s just very important to keep the momentum and keep them working hard. There’s no time for slip-ups. We have to be focused and, at the moment, we really are.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.