Rangers decision-makers Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell were once again forced into the line of fire as irate fans vented their frustrations at Bergen Airport. It happened just hours after Glasgow Giants suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Brann, leaving them bottom of the Europa League and a far cry from their final appearance three years ago.
Stewart and Thelwell faced a barrage of abuse from disgruntled supporters, in an incident reminiscent of the incident in a Graz hotel lobby a few weeks ago. Despite attempts to placate a disgruntled fanbase during Danny Roll’s introduction, their pleas fell on deaf ears as Bergen Airport was under high security. But this didn’t deter two particularly furious fans from publicly criticizing the embattled duo in colorful terms, the Daily Record reported.
Mr Stewart and Mr Thelwell have indicated they have no intention of resigning, despite ongoing protests and banners calling for their resignations.
Thelwell has been heavily linked with the £10m signing of Youssef Cermiti, who has struggled to regain form and confidence, particularly as evidenced by his lackluster performance against Norway.
The pressure on everyone at Rangers continues to mount, with new manager Danny Rolle forced into the role of mediator on his first day in charge, trying to appease angry fans after the final whistle.
The manager was quick to apologize in the post-match press conference, saying: “I think there should be high standards at Rangers.
“It’s very important to understand this. It was clear that everything wasn’t right, but we’re very disappointed with the 3-0 defeat.
“[Finally]I first apologized to[the fans]for this loss and the performance. They travel a lot for the team and are always there.
“This club has a lot of passionate fans and they deserve this. It was very important for me to show that I understand them. I also told them that we are working hard to improve this group of players and get results.”
“We were very welcome before the game, so you would have liked to get the three points right away and make us feel good, but it’s a shame that we couldn’t do that.”
“That’s why I walked up to them to give them the respect they deserve. This is my job.
“Our fans have to be very patient and understand that we can’t expect them to be happy with us all the time even with performances like this.
“That’s why I took the courageous step of going to them. I hope they understand why I did this.”
