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Rangers warned Europa League French test won't be Nice and easy as Ibrox favourite makes Lyon comparison
Rangers were taught a lesson the last time they faced French opposition.
And Gregory Vignal has warned Philippe Clement’s side that their next Ligue 1 assignment will be just as tough. The Ibrox men were outclassed by Lyon in their Europa League clash in October as they suffered a 4-1 home defeat. Next up for Clement’s men in the competition is OGC Nice, who are just a point behind them right now in the French top flight.
Their trip to the Cote d’Azur on Thursday night could have a huge bearing on whether Rangers progress to the knockout phase. But if supporters think Nice won’t be as strong as Lyon, Vignal says they’re in for a shock. The former Liverpool defender - who won a title and League Cup double on loan at Gers under Alex McLeish - is an admirer of OGC gaffer Franck Haise.He’s also a friend of the club’s CEO, ex-PSG star Florian Maurice who was his team-mate at Bastia.
Vignal likes what they’re building at Nice and insists it will be another big Euro test for Rangers. He told MailSport: “Nice won’t be an easier game for Rangers than Lyon - and we saw how good they were at Ibrox.
“They are still sixth in Ligue 1. They’re doing well and are quite similar to Lyon.
“They have some top players, like Jonathan Clauss, a France international, Tanguy Ndombele, who everyone remembers from Tottenham. They have Gaetan Laborde up front and Moise Bombito at the back, who plays for Canada.
“So they have some excellent players which means it won’t be an easy game for Rangers. But because of Nice’s style, it might suit them going over there.
“They’ve done really well in Europe under Clement so far. Nice will want to attack so it might be perfect for Rangers on the counter.
“I could see them starting with a low block to attract Nice in. But as soon as Rangers regain possession, they can break the lines with passes forward and get runs from forward players.
“The counter attack could be a good plan for Rangers and we’ve already seen they’ve got players to do it away from home in Europe. It will be a really good test for them.”
Vignal still watches a lot of French football and likes the style Haise has adopted with Nice. He’s also impressed by the structure at the club, led by Maurice and backed by British owners Ineos.
The former full-back said: “I know Franck, the manager. He’s a guy who likes to play 3-4-3 most of the time, with speed up front. He likes his teams to play with intensity because he did the same at Lens before.
“He plays an aggressive, attacking style of football. You will see Nice trying to create combinations on the flanks and going from there.
“It should be a really good game on Thursday, I played with Florian, the CEO, at Bastia and we get on really well.
“He’s got an idea on how to build this club. He wants to keep them in Europe every season. He has a good vision for Nice and has signed a good manager.
“But there might be a little bit of uncertainty there right now with the owners. They have obviously invested in Manchester United so there are questions about what will happen to Nice.
“We’ll have to see in the future. But football-wise, it should be a terrific game when Rangers go there."
Rangers have gone six games away from home unbeaten in Europe under Clement - one behind the record set by ex-gaffer Steven Gerrard. And Vignal believes if they continue that kind of form in France, they CAN get a positive result.
But the 43-year-old, who is now a coach, is disappointed that people in his country now talk more about Celtic’s success than Rangers’. Vignal said: “It will be a big challenge for Rangers but they can do well over there.
“Some of their best performances this season have been in Europe and I really hope they get a result. If they can, it will give them a big boost going into December which will be a huge month for them.
“The club is going through a lot of changes so a positive result would really help them. At the moment, I have to say that French clubs and supporters have more respect for Celtic than Rangers.
“That’s because of what they are doing in the Champions League and the amount of trophies they’ve won in the last few years. When I'm in France, people also talk about Celtic’s transfers. They are aware of how well they’ve done with that too.
“During my time as a player, it was the other way. The French people were talking more about Rangers.
“Myself and the likes of Jean-Alain Boumsong were at the club, which helped. Celtic are now in front. We have to agree on that. But they have a lot of respect for both Glasgow clubs because of their magnitude.”
