Miracle worker Gio can mastermind Rangers Old Firm win against the odds - Four Lads

My own thoughts on our transfer window will come in time and full reaction will be available in the coming weeks. But I’ll put on record now that I certainly would have hoped for more incomings, especially after Champions League qualification.

I believe Giovanni van Bronckhorst is a terrific manager, but the truth is that I just don’t feel he has enough around him and, without daring to go into the transfer stuff, it’s really prevalent I mention that here.

With a full-strength squad, I would be extremely confident as our 16-player group is very strong. The problem is that we can’t rely on Kemar Roofe, Fillip Helander or John Souttar.

Now here’s where it comes to Saturday: give me a full-strength Rangers side with a firing Alfredo Morelos, Tom Lawrence, Ben Davies, Kemar Roofe and Filip Helander, and I’d tell you right now we could do it.

But we head into Saturday and the rest of the season extremely light in quality and numbers. So it goes back to van Bronckhorst and him getting the tactical battle right. He’s more than capable - just look to PSV and how well we did there. Well, this is no different to going to Eindhoven who were bang in form and scoring goals.

Van Bronckhorst’s first visit to Parkhead went horribly wrong and we were swamped by half time. That’s their game plan and exactly what they try to do and, in fairness, have proved to be very good at it. Let’s not sit and pretend they aren’t a good side because they are, but they do have flaws, especially defensively.

Rangers will have to be brave on the ball and set themselves up in a compact fashion before then springing the press to get forward. We will have to defend well and pick our moments. As the game goes on I believe we will get stronger and if you look to our second visit to Parkhead and even the Scottish Cup semi-final, this is exactly how every game has gone.

Rangers can do that very very well as we have witnessed in Europe, and I have no doubts this is the key to being successful on Saturday. We can’t allow clear opportunities, but undoubtedly they will create. We have to hope they aren’t clear-cut and we defend them.

In attack, Giovanni still has options to get close to Antonio Colak. It’s interesting what he will do. For me, the back four picks itself. The goalkeeper position is solid with Jon McLaughlin while James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, James Sands and Borna Barisic is pretty much set in stone also.

John Lundstram anchors the midfield and he bosses this team. Make no mistake though, the hostile crowd and recent coverage of him will mean every moment or tackle will be intensified so he has to be right on everyone. His partner, though, is crucial.

At the time of writing, I don’t know Tom Lawrence's injury situation. He would be ideal next to Lundstram but if he is injured it may force Giovanni’s hand. Ryan Jack then comes right into my thoughts and with a solid base, you’d hope those two had enough to give Rangers' midfield purpose. Malik Tillman picks himself as an eight or ten for various reasons, the most important being that he is a ball carrier and he has to get close to Čolak who we can’t afford to become isolated. 

Ryan Kent definitely starts on the left for obvious reasons and I subscribe to the theory that he owes us a performance. I’d like to see him at his very best for this one.

Then there’s the big question, who plays on the right-hand side? It may very well have been Lawrence and, when he tucked in out in Eindhoven, it worked really well to compact the midfield. But who do we go with if he isn't fit? We can’t play Glen Kamara out there, so would he put Tillman out there to do a job for the team, then perhaps consolidate the midfield with Kamara one in next to Jack and Lundstram?

If he wants a right winger then tactically Scott Wright is it. He knows the formation, knows where James Tavernier plays and, unfortunately, Rabbi Matondo isn’t quite up to speed to be considered a starter. The fact we don’t have a natural right-sided option beyond Wright goes back to my previous discussion on transfers which is for another time. The argument he is entirely good enough for these games is another one altogether.

Those are the big questions. Who partners Lundstram? And who plays wide right?

If Gio can nail those two positions then we have every opportunity to spring a surprise. Sadly that’s what it will be. We aren’t favourites, our opponents have spent millions and are in free-flowing top form. It’s not defeatist but realistic and it comes back to transfers and spend.

If we are to get anything we have to be compact, organised and brave on the ball. Then choose our moments. We can’t isolate Colak and it’s vital we get him the ball. If he gets chances, he will score.

The manager has a lot to consider against odds stacked heavily against him. It’s going to take a very brave performance and some luck, but this team are capable. Eindhoven should be their inspiration, the cup semi-final should be their answer. Whatever happens on Saturday, and if it is the worst, then the Rangers voices may well be aimed at Gio.

But in truth, he’s already done some miraculous things. Let’s hope he has one saved for Saturday.

Rangers are capable, Rangers can do this, but it’s as tough an ask as any fixture we have faced in recent years. It might be that, like it was in Eindhoven, one moment proves decisive. Let’s make sure we grab it again on Saturday.