New Rapid Vienna head coach Dietmar Kuhbauer admits he is not expecting miracles when he takes charge of the under-performing Austrians for the first time against Rangers.
The former green and white favourite has returned to the club he served for five years as a player after masterminding the victory that sealed the demise of axed boss Goran Djuricin.
The 55-time capped Austria midfielder was in charge of St Polten on Saturday as they dished out a 2-0 defeat which proved to be the final straw for the Rapid board.
Although they sit top of Gers’ Europa League group following a 2-0 win over Spartak Moscow in their Group G opener, they have made a dire start to their domestic campaign with just two league wins from nine games so far.
They now languish in eighth place in the Austrian Bundesliga following the weekend loss to Kuhbauer’s old side and the new boss admits sorting Rapid will not be a quick fix.
He told the club’s official website: “For me, of course, it’s a huge story to be at the Ibrox Stadium for my first match in charge.
“However, you can not expect any miracles right now, so let us get to know our players first.”
However, Kuhbauer’s preparations for Thursday’s Ibrox clash have already been dealt a blow with the news defender Max Hoffman will miss the Glasgow trip – and possibly the rest of the group stage.
The 25-year-old has injured knee ligaments and is set to be sidelined for up to eight weeks – making him a major doubt for Gers’ return trip to Vienna on December 13.
Meanwhile, Kilmarnock keeper Daniel Bachmann has warned Rapid to beware of key Rangers duo Alfredo Morelos and James Tavernier.
The Rugby Park stopper started his career with their city rivals Austria Vienna and went to school with Rapid number one Richard Strebinger.
He has already squared up to Steven Gerrard’s men himself after making his Killie debut in their 3-1 Betfred Cup defeat back in August.
But the on-loan Watford keeper believes his compatriots have a chance if they can tame Gers’ main men.
He told the Rapid website: “Rangers had a major change in the summer but are not playing well in the league. The fact they lost twice in the first seven rounds is unusual for Scotland.
“Gerrard gets very positive feedback for his philosophy, but it will take some time before his changes in the system pay off.
“Morelos and Tavernier are their two stars. Morelos is an extremely unconventional centre-forward. He’s very fast and agile and often makes big defenders look bad.
“What struck me during our 3-1 defeat – in which he scored a hat-trick – was that he always shoots in the far corner. Rapid must always watch out for him as Morelos undoubtedly has an international class.
“Tavernier is also a goalscorer and is the ideal partner for Morelos. But his forward runs give Rapid a chance because he’s more about attacking than defending, so Rangers’ right-hand side is vulnerable.
“But Rapid has no reason to hide at Ibrox. The atmosphere is intimidating and the Rangers support outstanding but Rapid certainly has enough quality to survive in Glasgow. Rangers are good, but not all-conquering.”
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