Arthur's Column // 17th August 2022

It's disappointing when you are ahead in a game and can't keep hold of the lead, as was the case Tuesday night against PSV Eindhoven. But, after the 2-2 draw, the tie is still very much alive and there is plenty to play for in Holland next Wednesday evening.

Obviously, it goes without saying that Rangers will look to defend better next midweek. The PSV players are too good to be given time and space. We need to be more aggressive and more compact. The Dutch team showed just how good they are. At the other end of the pitch, I feel Giovanni's players will get chances. It's about being clinical and not wasting opportunities.

I said last week that I felt this tie was very much 50-50. Maybe, now, with home advantage, PSV are slight favourites. That won't bother Giovanni and it puts a little bit extra pressure on PSV to do it in front of their own fans.

They have the benefit of winning in the last round against Monaco and that will give them encouragement. Ruud van Nistelrooy and his players found a way to battle until the very end to win the tie after extra-time. This tells us that PSV is a very capable team and that they are very patient to wait for the right moments.

It's up to Rangers to soak things up and stay focused. James Tavernier and his team-mates must not allow the occasion, or the atmosphere, to get to them. I'm sure they will be calm as they have plenty of experience of coping with high-pressure situations. But this is the biggest of the lot. There is a Champions League place at stake for the players and a financial boost of around £35million for winning this tie.

Every Rangers player will need to stand up and be counted.

And it will not just be about the starting line-up. I've a feeling the subs will also play a part next week. So, we will see what next week brings. It would be nice to head to Holland on the back of a victory against Hibs at Easter Road.

We cannot lose focus on how important it is to win the SPFL Premiership this season and getting three points in Edinburgh will help take us towards that. That will give us extra confidence going into the PSV tie and we know that Giovanni and his players have it in them to produce another massive result.

Collectively, they have been written off a few times in the past year or so, but they usually find a way to get a positive outcome.

I hope they can do this midweek, and if they do, it's going to be their biggest performance of all.