Brian Laudrup in Rangers confidence crisis claim as Ibrox hero insists Gio van Bronckhorst must get in ‘players’ minds’
BRIAN LAUDRUP insists Rangers are lacking confidence in the Champions League.
And he reckons Gio van Bronckhorst must take some of the blame for his side "lacking belief " in Europe this season.
Rangers have yet to pick up a single point in their Group A campaign so far after the first three games.
They have shipped nine goals and scored ZERO after their midweek clash with Liverpool ended 2-0.
And it could have been a lot worse for the Dutchman's side if it wasn't for Allan McGregor saving their bacon on a number of occasions at Anfield too.
Now Laudrup has slammed Van Brockhorst and Rangers for their lack of confidence going into their ties with Europe's elite.
He didn't expect much from the games, but insists there must be more fight from his former club when they face Liverpool and co.
And he believes there's still a chance for the Light Blues to implement their form at home in the remaining fixtures.
Writing in his Daily Mail column, he said: "There seems a lack of belief within individuals and within the team.
"That's the biggest thing for me.
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"We all understand the gulf in finance and quality the Champions League presents for Scottish clubs. I've experienced it myself and know how tough it can be.
"We also have to recognise that Rangers are in one of the tougher sections of this season's competition. That's a fact.
"No one sensible is demanding lots of big results against clubs with far greater resources. But that isn't the same as expecting to see a bit more within performances than we again witnessed at Anfield on Tuesday night.
"The starting point must be some self-confidence about competing at this elite level. If I'm being honest, I didn't see it against Liverpool.
"Without Allan McGregor's world class saves, they could have lost five or six goals.
"I think Giovanni van Bronckhorst must get into the minds of his players and emphasise what they have done at home in Europe over recent years.
"The Rangers players must remind themselves they are still in it. They are not far off Celtic in the Premiership and the cause isn't completely lost in Europe.
"Not yet. But it will be if they cannot impose themselves more at this level."
Laudrup reckons only one or two players can get pass marks for their Anfield visit, but he criticised more than that.
He added: "Connor Goldson did okay, but James Tavernier and Borna Barisic were completely pushed back. The midfield didn't work.
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"At times, it looked as though the tempo was too much for John Lundstram, which was a little surprising. Too many players lack conviction in these games.
"We saw it again with Ryan Kent.
"He had some chances to go one-on-one against a defender but chose the wrong option rather than being really positive and creating something.
"The incident where Kent lost the ball and Luis Diaz won a penalty encapsulated the huge difference between the teams.
"I don't want to be too critical of Malik Tillman as he is still young, but he really struggled. He's gone off the radar for a few weeks.
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"He started so well at Rangers but now seems to find it difficult to keep to the pace of the game. And he's not really a right winger.
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"None of the attacking players who started had any influence. It must have been a bit of a nightmare for Alfredo Morelos because he was left so isolated."
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