Excuses are a useful crux when dealing with a harsh reality.
And that is where Rangers’ vanquished Europa League opponents find themselves on Friday Morning Steaua Bucharest? More like Needarest. And a nation is unloading untold anger on their hands-on owner, under-fire manager and beleaguered players. This feels every inch the post mortem which is currently taking place.
Rangers won 4-0, but, in truth, it could have been double that as Steaua crumbled and Philippe Clement‘s side rose to the challenge thanks to a deadly double from Vaclav Cerny, a strike from Tom Lawrence and Hamza Igamane’s first in Light Blue. It was utter domination and the Belgian boss was full of belief at the final whistle. But such good vibes were missing in the opposite camp. Record Sport was on hand to take the temperature of those with a vested interest in FCSB.
GSP.RO (Romania)
“That’s how great the fall of our club football has been in the last 15 years, from the imposing stature of that success with four goals scored by Unirea Urziceni at Ibrox to the abyss of this public execution with four goals conceded by FCSB. FCSB was not only defeated, but humiliated. Cerny’s second goal, when the Czech penetrates like cheese through the field, through what was supposed to be the champion’s defence, looked like a match when Rangers met the team of some Scottish village in the Cup.”
Flash Score (London)
“Rangers put their domestic struggles behind them as they thrashed FCSB 4-0 at a packed Ibrox in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) – the perfect response to a heavy defeat against Lyon on matchday two. Clement’s men made it four when Connor Barron won the ball in the visitors’ half, with Hamza Igamane gathering the loose ball before confusing the FCSB defence with some tricky dribbling and lashing a low effort into the bottom left for his first Rangers goal. While the hosts continued to push for more goals all the way to FT, they had to settle for the four in a comprehensive victory that ended FCSB’s perfect start to the league phase.”
Pro Sport (Romania)
“After 4-1 and 1-0 victories over RFS and PAOK, FCSB showed a completely different face on Thursday in the Europa League Main Stage 3. The Romanian champion played in Scotland against the Rangers vice-champion, and at the end of the 90 minutes the scoreboard showed the score 4-0 in favour of the hosts . The red-blue team’s game was a very poor one, as evidence that they were dominated in absolutely all chapters and only managed to score one shot on goal.”
Sport News (Romania)
“The Reds and Blues fielded a side made up largely of players usually on the bench at Ibrox, a decision that cost them dearly as they dropped to 13th. Basically, they left the area that ensures the qualification in the eighth. Disturbed by the attitude of the landowner, who mocked them repeatedly and even announced the first 11 three days before, the Scots took advantage.”