A leading Czech journalist has been left 'astonished' by the vitriol he witnessed towards Rangers while in Glasgow for Jablonec's 1-0 defeat at Ibrox.
Derek McInnes' side huffed and puffed en route to a single-goal first leg win over the Czechs ahead of next week's second leg Conference League playoff.
But it was sombre mood music, played by worried fans before, during and after the pedestrian display which resonated with visiting Michal Kvasnica – a writer with one of the biggest publications in his homeland.
Pessimism and boos at Ibrox
He painted a bleak picture of the current Rangers campaign, as he claims he was greeted with waves of 'pessimism' before experiencing an Ibrox boo-fest at half-time – with the game 0-0 at the interval when the ref blew his whistle.
McInnes' side improved after the interval with Ryan Naderi scoring, Djedi Gassama missing a sitter for the ages before Cammy Devlin's red card.
But it was the acrimony off the pitch which became the major talking point back in Czechia.
Czech reporter's account
The reporter, buzzing to sample the famed Ibrox experience under the lights, admitted he encountered a club bereft of confidence before kick-off, and then saw evidence why when the game began.
Kvasnica, writing for iSport, said: 'The menu of world-famous Michelin chef Gordon Ramsay cooks in a restaurant located in the corner of Ibrox Stadium, the surroundings smell better than the stadium's fish and chip stands. How did the Jablonec bastion, cooked by the home team, Rangers taste? Decent! The North Bohemians showed an organised performance, and although they take home a 1-0 defeat, nothing is definitely decided yet.'
'The pre-match pessimism of Rangers fans was astonishing. Whether you asked taxi drivers or SLOs, few in Glasgow believed in the favourites despite the bookmakers' odds or completely different financial possibilities. The first half revealed the reasons. Thirty-five thousand heads at Ibrox Stadium whistled, booed and cursed.'
'Jablonec fared better that their hosts, although they still didn't take home a goal. In the 50th minute, the defence made perhaps the first mistake, letting the ball fall to Ryan Nader in the small area, and the German forward with Czech roots had an easy job. Kozel was furious, the goal really looked extremely cheap. Still, the 1-0 defeat is a solid result for the rematch!'
