"PSV Eindhoven Too Strong for Rangers According to Dick Advocaat"
Key Highlights :
Rangers' former manager Dick Advocaat believes that his former club will struggle against PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League because they have let their best players leave. The 75-year-old retired from football at the end of last season after a long and successful career that included two spells at PSV Eindhoven, where he won the Eredivisie and a Dutch Cup.
Advocaat was a big-spending manager at Rangers from 1998 to 2002, where he famously splashed out a record £12 million on striker Tore Andre Flo. He won two titles with Rangers, two Scottish Cups, and a League Cup and signed ex-Ibrox manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
According to his friend - former PSV, Ajax, and Dutch international Wim Kieft, Advocaat reckons the departures of the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent have weakened Rangers from last year when they eliminated PSV from the same competition.
He said: "This week, I had lunch with Dick Advocaat and we talked about PSV's game against Rangers. He said he still follows Rangers and knows them well. "And he thinks they have let their best players leave the club. He believes PSV have a very winnable tie now.
"I think last season's elimination will be on the minds of the PSV players, but they look very sharp right now. Personally, I thought they should have got through last season, but they are a better team this season and have an even bigger chance. But it involves a lot of money, so there is really enormous pressure and tension and that could yet play a part."
It's clear that Advocaat believes that Rangers have weakened their squad significantly since last season's Europa League tie with PSV, and that this could be the difference in the two teams' fortunes this time around. With PSV looking sharp and Rangers looking depleted, it's hard to disagree with Advocaat's assessment.
However, Rangers' players will be determined to prove him wrong and show that they can still compete at the highest level, even without their star players. It promises to be an intriguing tie and one that could go either way.
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