Ajax 4 Rangers 0: Roof caves in on Champions League dream to leave Van Bronckhorst facing make-or-break time
TWELVE years to make it back to the Champions League.
Sixteen torrid minutes for it all to unravel.
Rangers’ dream return to the Group Stages turned into a nightmare as Ajax wiped the floor with them.
Four days after their pummelling at Parkhead, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s shell-shocked flops were simply annihilated in Amsterdam.
Three goals inside the opening 33 minutes did all the damage with gutless Gers torn apart time and time again.
Edson Álvarez headed the opener before Steven Berghuis - with the aid of a massive James Sands deflection - made it two.
Mohammed Kudus added a quickfire third to pile on the agony.
Rangers had lost three goals in the space of 16 minutes and for the second successive game they found themselves three down at half-time.
With ten minutes left Steven Bergwijn accepted a gift from Gers sub Ryan Jack to make it four and complete Ajax’s rout.
Questions will now, understandably, be asked of the Rangers manager.
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This was the second time in four days his team folded like a cheap pack of cards.
And there is no doubt van Bronckhorst’s resolve is about to be severely tested.
After Aberdeen away comes Napoli and Dundee United at home.
Following that, it’s trips to Tynecastle and Anfield with Liverpool at Ibrox rounding off their next six fixtures.
It’s shaping up to be a make-or-break run for the Rangers boss.
Two weeks ago, just 80 miles south of the magnificent Johan Cruijff Arena, Rangers ended their agonising wait for a return to the Champions League.
On a night of nerve-shredding drama, Gers stunned PSV as the Ibrox side hit the Euro jackpot.
How things have taken a Cruyff turn for the worse for van Bronckhorst since then.
The Dutchman didn’t see a penny of the £40million banked in the Philip Stadion as Gers, much to the dismal of their fans, failed to strengthen their squad before the close of the transfer window.
The anger that had been simmering since Thursday night exploded on Saturday as Rangers imploded at Celtic Park.
For the second time in seven months, van Bronckhorst’s team were dismantled at the home of their bitter rivals.
The courage shown in Eindhoven was nowhere to be seen.
It was hopelessly lacking last night too.
In a repeat of the weekend, Gers found themselves three goals down at the break.
It could, and possibly should, have been much worse.
As sharp and as incisive as Ajax were, Gers had been a shambles. A gang.
Jurren Timber served notice of what was to come when he was given a free header inside the six yard box.
The opening goal - the first of three inside the opening 35 minutes - came from another corner.
Sands allowed Alvarez to run off him, the defender planting his header in the bottom corner.
McLaughlin made a smart save at his near post to deny Devyne Rensch before the Ajax star missed an absolute sitter.
Van Bronckhorst’s side just couldn’t get near the hosts - they couldn’t live with their speed of play.
Most of it was coming down Ajax’s right hand side and it was from there Kenneth Taylor slipped in Rensch.
But, with McLaughlin’s goal gaping, he somehow blasted wide.
Sands then got in a last-ditch block on Kudus before Gers hit self-destruct.
With 32 minutes gone, Kudus played Berghuis in.
His shot was deflected past McLaughlin by Sands - surely it had to go down as an own goal?
Two minutes later and Ajax had their third.
Former Gers star Calvin Bassey found Kudus who broke free from the shackles of James Tavernier far too easily.
Take nothing away from his stunning finish, but the Ajax forward should never have been allowed to carry the ball as far as he did.
McLaughlin was then called upon to make two further saves as Ajax continued to pour forward.
They had been utterly relentless.
In an admission of just how badly it had gone for his team, van Bronckhorst made three changes at the break with Tavenier, Scott Wright and Malik Tillman failing to re-emerge.
Gers also went to five at the back with Jack, Leon King and Rabbi Matondo all coming on.
You could understand the call, he needed to plug the gaping holes in what was already an exercise in damage limitation.
Ajax continued to dominate possession in the second half. Rangers seemingly content to let them have the ball.
With 65 minutes gone the brilliant Kudus almost scored a wonder goal.
Dribbling past no fewer than FIVE Rangers players he suddenly found himself inside the box with only McLaughlin to beat.
John Lundstram, to his credit, got back to his feet just in time to help the Rangers keeper scramble the ball clear.
Rangers hadn’t been seen as an attacking force - Ajax keeper Remko Pasveer had been a virtual spectator.
With 20 minutes left he was picking the ball out of his net.
However, Borna Barisic’s fine finish wouldn’t stand as VAR flagged creator Ryan Kent for offside.
If that didn’t sum up Rangers’ miserable night the next passage of play most certainly did.
Jack failed to find Connor Goldson with a pass back towards his own goal allowing Bergwijn to pounce.
The Ajax man rounded McLaughlin to roll home his side’s fourth.
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The final whistle couldn’t come quickly enough for the Rangers players.
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