Latest news with #Buffel
Daily Record
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Rangers spy delivers Club Brugge intel as specific threats to Champions League objective must be eliminated
There's a spot in the £40m league phase resting on the double header and Thomas Buffel reckons it's a tough one to call. Thomas Buffel will be back in Glasgow to catch up with some old team mates as Rangers tackle Club Brugge on Tuesday. He'll likely meet up with Barry Ferguson, Nacho Novo and Alex Rae amongst others ahead of sitting down for the first leg of the pressure pot play-off for a spot in the Champions League. Together the quartet were a key part of the Gers side that stormed to the last 16 of the competition under Alex McLeish 20 years ago - agonisingly crashing out to the La Liga side on away goals after a 2-2 draw at Ibrox was followed by a 1-1 draw in Spain. That run remains one of Buffel's career highlights. But times have changed, the competition has changed, and these days Rangers are doing well just to reach the main stage never mind the knockouts. A place in that league phase, worth £40m, is the prize on offer as Russell Martin's side take on Buffel's hometown club over the next 10 days. And while the 44-year-old might be born and bred in the Belgian town, a part of his heart still remains in Govan where he spent four seasons, winning a league and cup double in 2005. For that reason - or maybe it's more to do with his two spells at rivals Cercle Brugge - Buffel had no problem lifting the lid on the threat that faces Rangers come 8pm on Tuesday. He reckons the tie is too tight to call. But one thing is for sure - Rangers will need to be on their mettle in the wide areas. He told MailSport: 'I've not seen enough of Rangers this season under the new manager to say who I think will win. But it will be a close one I'm sure. 'I've seen more of Brugge. I saw the games against Genk and Salzburg, 'They like to play attacking football. They try to have a clear build-up with the wing-backs going high to pin the defence of the other team. 'Then they have the wingers coming inside between the lines. They have three midfielders with a lot of rotation to drive the ball and go deep. 'It's sometimes difficult to have a good press on them. If you are scared from the wing-backs going high and you go back with your own wingers, then they are going to sit deep also. 'If you don't have a good transition game then it's difficult to play against them.' The hype surrounding Brugge's Portuguese wide man Carlos Forbs hit new levels this week when captain Hans Vanaken claimed he's 'practically impossible to defend against'. That duo both netted in the last seven minutes as Brugge dramatically dumped RB Salzburg 4-2 on aggregate to set up the do-or-die double header with Rangers. And Buffel - who worked directly with striker Romero Vermont while Belgium U21 coach - said: 'The winger Forbs is a new player who has come from Ajax. 'He did quite a good job against Salzburg. He was fast but also without the ball he runs and you have Vanaken who can pass it through. 'They also have Christos Tzolis on the other side who has a good shot coming inside and dribbling and trying to find the far corner. You have to make sure you can block that. 'Then they have the striker Vermont, a young lad. 'I had him with my U21 team. He is a guy who works a lot and gives a lot of pressure. 'He can hold off a ball. He is not the one who is going to make a dribble on you but he can be clinical with a one touch finish. He is ruthless in that. 'He can come in front of his men and try to score. He is dangerous also. 'Brugge certainly have a lot of young talent throughout their squad. 'Of course the media will speak about the atmosphere of Ibrox and Scottish football. 'But actually if you have to compare a team in Belgium who also have these fanatic supporters and home crowds, it is also Brugge. 'Ibrox is still maybe a step higher but still I think they will not really be influenced by that I think. 'I'm actually coming over to watch the game. I'll hopefully see some friends, Nacho Novo, sometimes Barry is there and Alex Rae. 'I know the two sides drew 2-2 in a pre-season friendly. But I don't think too much can be read into that because both teams have changed quite a lot since.' Buffel left his position as manager of Jong Genk earlier this year and is looking for his next opportunity in coaching. But turning the clock back, he has fond memories of his playing days in Glasgow after signing from Feyenoord in 2005. He said: 'The Champions League qualification when I scored against Famagusta to qualify is one of my favourite memories. 'We reached the last 16, qualifying from a group that had Inter Milan and Porto and even against Villarreal in the last 16 we had chances to go further. We were so unlucky. 'But that year had magical nights at Ibrox and again when we saw the number of fans travelling to support the team. 'Also getting to the final of the UEFA Cup in 2008, that was great, although I didn't play too much because I was coming back from a double knee injury. 'I loved my time in Glasgow. That's why I like to go back and watch these big games.'
Daily Record
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Nico Raskin given Rangers transfer advice as former mentor tells club what Belgian needs from them
Midfielder was left out by Russell Martin recently with boss reasoning he had his head turned by speculation and Thomas Buffel reckons another big season in light blue would benefit everyone. Thomas Buffel has urged Nico Raskin to ignore the transfer noise and focus on another standout season for Rangers. Buffel coached Raskin in the Belgium U21 ranks and watched as he burst onto the full international stage earlier this year on the back of stand out performances in light blue. But new Gers boss Russell Martin left the midfielder out of the starting line up for the recent win over Viktoria Plzn and draw with Dundee, claiming the 24-year-old's head had been turned by transfer speculation. Rangers have received no official offers for Raskin who has three years left on his contract, but Martin admitted 'uncertainty' over his future, adding: 'Not from people ringing us, but I think from people ringing him, definitely.' Wolves are understood to have been tracking his progress while city rivals Aston Villa and La Liga big guns Real Betis have also been linked. And asked if another season at Ibrox would benefit Raskin, former Gers hero Buffel told Mail Sport: 'I think so yes. We will wait and see. Remember Rangers is also a good level. "Sometimes timing in football or being lucky means there will be interest from big clubs. 'But first you need to be consistent and regular in your performance. Then for sure interest will come. But it will be up to him to prove that. 'In every spot in the team you need good players. But definitely in midfield, these are key positions to hold the team together, to set up the attacks and block the counters. You need smart players there. It's the heart of the team. 'If they can hold onto Nico it will be a good thing for Rangers. 'He is a player every coach can use. He has good feet, but is also a player who likes to go in duels, who's not scared of duels. He's got a good work rate. 'I think you have to be clear with him in which position he plays and what you expect of him. 'Because he has good feet, sometimes maybe as a number six he wants to do too much. 'So you need to find a balance there. He can also play more as an eight, box to box, he can come into the box and score goals. He did that for the U21s. 'I remember he played also a game, playing a little bit wide and getting inside to penetrate into the box. But the number eight suits him.' Belgium resume their World Cup qualifying campaign against Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan next month and Buffel - capped 36 times by his country - expects Raskin and Celtic's Arne Engels to be fighting for a spot in Rudi Garcia's squad. He said: 'There's a lot of competition in midfield, so we have to see how Nico's progress goes at Rangers and how he does on European nights. 'There's also Youri Tielemans, Amadou Onana, a lot of guys who can play that position. 'Yeah, I worked with Arne Engels with the U21s aswell. He's also a good player, has a good shot and good timing arriving into the box. A typical box to box number eight. He makes his runs and is a good passer of the ball. 'It's difficult for me to say who's ahead of who between Raskin and Engels as I've not seen enough of them in the last few months. But they are both talented players.'
