Giovanni van Bronckhorst praised key players at both ends of the park, as Alfredo Morelos and Allan McGregor combined to put Rangers into the Europa League knock-out stages for a third straight season.
The new Ibrox boss made a winning start to his reign, tweaking his team’s formation after watching them humbled by Hibs in Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final.
On a night when Morelos scored twice to take his tally of European goals for Rangers to 27, McGregor pulled off a miraculous late double save to secure the two-goal win they needed to secure passage to the play-off round.
Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst won his first game in charge of Rangers on Thursday
Now looking forward to place a team dropping out of the Champions League group stage, Van Bronckhorst paid tribute to a goalkeeper who was on the Ibrox books when the Dutchman played for the club 20 years ago.
‘He’s incredible,’ said the former Barcelona and Arsenal full-back. ‘You see a lot of experienced goalkeepers. He’s a certain age, shall we say, where normal players retire.
‘Goalies go on further, of course. And today he had some absolutely vital saves.’
Van Bronckhorst also revealed that he’d instructed Morelos, who had looked lost and struggling for motivation in recent weeks, to concentrate on what he does best – by staying in a central role and hunting goals.
‘I think he did really well,’ said the new gaffer. ‘He’s a striker who can create danger. I wanted him to play more towards the box.
The Scottish side beat Sparta Prague in their Europa League game at the brox Stadium thanks to a brace from Alfredo Morelos (right)
‘Sometimes he wants to drop deep into midfield but, with the wingers we have, we should always create chances from crosses. He took his goals really well.
‘I think this was a good look at my ideas. The way we played today, we had the biggest chances to play the game.
‘With the wingers we have and the full-backs we have, we can go forward at the right times and also control the game.
‘When we attack, we have to think about what happens we lose the ball. We did that tonight.
‘I think we had everything. From the
