Philippe Clement has big Rangers energy and Sparta synergy is giving me Seville vibes - Kenny Miller

Super Ally used the word at Ibrox the other night – energy. That was THE biggest factor in Rangers ’ performance against Sparta Prague.

Dare I say it but it brought back memories of that unforgettable run to the Europa League Final in Seville almost two years ago. No one is getting carried away by the 2-1 victory on Thursday night – not least new gaffer Philippe Clement. But there were definite similarities. Clement has spoken about getting the synergy between fans and players back again. That was certainly evident at full-time.

The team’s energy and urgency gave the supporters something to get behind. They got the early goal and followed it up with a quick second. Think back to that Europa League campaign under Giovanni van Bronckhorst. In every knock-out game at Ibrox, Rangers scored early. The roof comes off and that’s absolutely crucial in these ties. It lifts the Rangers players and intimidates the opposition.

That’s why the performance level was closer to what we remember from 2022. When you think of what the fans have had to endure in this campaign already, it was great to see the players fly out the traps on Thursday.

Listen, I’ve been there. These fans WANT to come with you. But they also know when the players on the park should be producing more.

Against Sparta they fed off the team on the pitch. In turn, that atmosphere can take players to a different level. Or in the case of Gio’s team, all the way to Seville.

Everyone knew there was more in this team and Clement is actually getting it out of them. That first goal on Thursday night was a little snapshot of how he wants this team to play.

I don’t think Rangers would have scored that type of goal five weeks ago. Cyriel Dessers is a willing worker up front