At full-time last Wednesday evening, boos reverberated around a sparsely populated Ibrox after a narrow victory; the locals discouraged by yet another ponderous display - this time against mid-table Championship side Dundee in the Premier Sports Cup.
Post-match, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst was quick to empathise with dissenter complaints, but a beleaguered fanbase has long stopped listening to the uninspiring utterings of an increasingly isolated manager.
Another performance devoid of creativity - in selection and approach - followed at the weekend. John Lundstram rescued a point against Livingston, yet the equaliser was a rare highlight during 97 minutes of one-dimensional toil.
Van Bronckhorst’s considerable continental accomplishments - a Europa League final and Champions League qualification for the first time in 12 years - have brought prestige and finance to the club, but the goodwill built up during the enthralling run to Seville is evaporating quickly.
READ MORE:
- Scottish football embraces Var
- Homegrown rule is tough on Rangers and Celtic
- Rangers 14/1 to win at Napoli - Betfred*
Despite enjoying a long-lasting honeymoon period, doubts regarding Van Bronckhorst’s suitability never faded due to his cautious tendencies against impoverished opposition. Concerns deepened after his charges retreated and surrendered two points at Pittodrie in the New Year - and an inept capitulation at Celtic Park further heightened fears.
The humbling at Parkhead was reminiscent of the pre-Steven Gerrard days when Old Firm humiliations were frequent. Van Bronckhorst varied his approach in the aftermath, but old habits have reappeared this season.
The passiveness which contributed to Rangers' failed title defence has returned, and their pedestrian approach work is devoid of imagination - ensuring a never-ending struggle to prise open compact defences. Individual moments are often required to break the monotony, and the lack of a discernible style has irked supporters.
Any manager who fails to enthral has little to champion if positive results are not forthcoming – and Van Bronckhorst has therefore always risked the wrath of supporter frustrations. Blandness on the pitch has led to discontent in the stands, and the noticeable lack of urgency in possession is difficult to comprehend.
Rangers have suffered several heavy beatings this season, but the demoralising loss against Ajax was perhaps the most telling. The club had longed for a Champions League return after a decade of turmoil, yet the players were a disorganised rabble, resigned to their fate from the outset.
That lifeless performance in the Dutch capital was not a one-off, and mounting evidence suggests the players are not enamoured with the methods enforced by the management team. A never-ending injury list has taken its toll on a bloated and imbalanced squad, and the team, hopelessly out of form and lacking dynamism, looks inhibited and demotivated.
Van Bronckhorst is not the first Dutch coach from his generation to struggle abroad - the list is lengthy - and Erik ten Hag is the only manager from the Netherlands currently employed in a top-five European league. Van Bronckhorst has been lambasted for insipid, soul-sapping football, and many of his compatriots are no strangers to such accusations.
Another failed recruitment drive has contributed to the latest problems at Ibrox. The club, once again, did not sufficiently address glaring deficiencies in the squad - and many recent arrivals have yet to prove their worth. An overreliance on the weary old guard remains, and players long past their best continue to feature.
Van Bronckhorst, a non-confrontational character, should have pushed for further funding to rejuvenate a tired squad in the summer. The injection of quality desperately sought was not enticed through the door, and neither Joe Aribo nor Calvin Bassey was suitably replaced. Rangers are keen to emphasise the importance of an effective player-trading model, but it requires two functioning parts to be sustainable.
In total, 72 of 73 crosses clipped into the penalty box on Saturday were gobbled up by a grateful Livingston backline; further increasing negative sentiment towards the management team. The Rangers directors, renowned for dithering, are unlikely to react to the clamour for immediate change, yet contingency plans should already be in place.
The Rangers board will hope the team can limp along without haemorrhaging further points before the World Cup - affording them precious time during the break to evaluate the managerial situation.
A six-game Champions League group has somehow become an endurance test, and a challenging evening in Naples on Wednesday awaits. Another thrashing is unlikely to hasten the demise of Van Bronckhorst, but it will be a surprise if the Dutchman occupies the dugout after the conclusion of events in Qatar.
Time is running out for the former Feyenoord boss, and he has little margin for error.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject to Change
