GIOVANNI van Bronckhorst will be eager to ensure there is no repeat of the dire performance that Rangers produced against Liverpool in the Champions League last week when they take on Dundee at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final tomorrow.
His opposite number Gary Bowyer, meanwhile, will be hoping the visitors can replicate the display which his Blackburn Rovers team conjured up when they faced the English giants at Anfield in the FA Cup quarter-final back in 2015.
Bowyer, who took over at Dens Park in the summer and is currently attempting to lead the Tayside outfit out of the cinch Championship, is under no illusions about the magnitude of the task his charges face in the last eight tie in Govan.
However, he masterminded a 0-0 draw with a Brendan Rodgers line-up that contained Mario Balotelli, Phillipe Coutinho, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Kolo Toure during his stint in the dugout at Ewood Park.
So he does not discount Dundee giving their Premiership opponents another uncomfortable evening seven days after their humiliating 7-1 thrashing.
“I can't wait,” he said as he spoke to the media at Dundee’s training complex yesterday. “For me personally it is going to be really exciting taking the team to one of the most iconic venues in football.
“I was fortunate as a manager at Blackburn when we went to play Manchester City and Liverpool. I took teams there as manager and that was really good for me personally and the group. It will be the same on Wednesday.
“We are not going for a day out, we want to try and give our very best. We have to be at it and very organised, we know that. We will also need a bit of luck and be very good when our opportunities arise. We have to give everything we have got in our bodies to try and cause an upset and hope some of the Rangers players have an off day.”
That was certainly what happened when his Blackburn side played Liverpool at Anfield in the FA Cup quarter-final seven years ago; the second tier side were unfortunate not to triumph against adversaries who had come close to lifting the Premier League the previous season and were unlucky to lose the replay 1-0.
“It was a marvellous experience,” said Bowyer. “We took 6,500 fans through. We had a couple of good opportunities. I can still see Simon Mignolet making an unbelievable save from Alex Baptiste from a corner.
“We had everybody having a right good go against them and we rode our luck. I think they had Sterling, Sturridge, Coutinho so that wasn’t a bad front three. These games are what you play the game for. Why you manage and coach for experiences like that.
“It was an unbelievable experience. The year before Liverpool were going to win the Premier League and Steven Gerrard slipped and they lost it. But coming up against the quality and calibre of the squad at Liverpool was a challenge for our boys.
“I will learn a hell of a lot about our group. I’ll learn who has real bravery to stand up to a formidable team. I appreciate they have lots of injuries and their schedule is incredible I don’t know how you manage that schedule.
“I’m sure they’ll see it as an opportunity to blood some youngsters, but we are talking about some of the best youngsters in Scotland. From our point of view, it doesn’t get any easier no matter who puts the shirt on. But we want to go and do everything we possibly can to try to cause an upset.”
Bowyer, though, does not accept that Dundee are getting Rangers at a good time. He believes the fallout to the Group A thrashing by Liverpool at Ibrox last week has been excessive and unjustified. He expects James Tavernier and his team mates to be formidable rivals.
“For 60 minutes, they were well in the game,” he said. “People have made a helluva lot of that, but it is Rangers’ first Champions League group stage for 12 years. And they’re coming up against a team that includes (Roberto) Firmino, (Darwin) Nunez, (Mo) Salah and (Diogo) Jota.
“Sometimes we are a little bit harsh with the criticism that we dish out when you take into perspective who Liverpool brought on. They’ve got a wonderful squad Rangers. The manager there knows all about how to get results. Look at the success they had last year getting to the Europa League final. Unbelievable.
“The recipe we need is our lads to have the best games of their lives and we need some of the Rangers lads to not have the best games of their lives. We need to be really ruthless when the moments arise for us in front of goal. Put all that into the mix and say a couple of prayers as well and keep our fingers crossed and wear all the lucky things that we’ve got to bring us luck.”
The 51-year-old has extensive experience as a coach and manager with Blackburn, Blackpool, Bradford City, Derby County and Salford City. So he has a few Rangers connections even as a newcomer to Scotland. He is excited about his first competitive game at Ibrox and is keen to make it one to remember.
“The kit executive is Jim McAlister, who was my captain at Blackpool so it will be good to see him,” he said. “He has Dundee links as well. Last season, we had Stephen Kelly on loan to Salford from Rangers. I spent some brilliant time in the company of Billy Kirkwood.
“My only other connections have been coming up and taking youth teams there. Many years ago I took Blackburn’s youth team to play Rangers’ youth team then went and watched the game in the afternoon. That was good, but I have not been since then. I am looking forward to it.”
“But we will not be going there with autograph books. No chance. What’s the point of just saying: ‘Oh, yes, it’s just a day out’. It’s not. We’re competitors. I’m going to learn. I’m going to see how many of our lads think that by how they perform. How many of them stand up and say: ‘We’ll have a right good go at this’. If the stars get aligned, you never know.”
Gary Bowyer was promoting Premier Sports live and exclusive coverage of Rangers v Dundee on Wednesday 19th October from 8.15pm. Premier Sports is available from £9.99 per month and is available on the following platforms – Sky, Virgin, Amazon Prime and the Premier Player.
