PSV Eindhoven boss Ruud van Nistelrooy spoke to the Rangers Review and other assembled media outlets following the Champions League playoff first leg at Ibrox.

Here is everything he had to say following the 2-2 draw.

The crowd here was impressive, how important will the crowd be in Eindhoven?

Yeah, as I commented yesterday, we know what it’s like with great support behind us and that was today as well for Rangers. Some spells in the game the crowd lifts the team in such a way that it’s hard, you really notice it. There are not many places where you really feel like this. Of course, next week we have that support but I think both teams are very level in quality and in playing style. It’s reduced to one game now, a final at home so we have to prepare to be at our best to get a good game against Rangers.

When you decided to change Armando Obispo after the goal, was that for physical reasons?

No, it was because of the yellow card.

Are you very happy with the performance and the result?

I thought it was a game of two halves. Rangers were on top in the first half. Of course, we had the goal, but I thought Rangers was better. In the second half, I think we were just on top. We were better on the ball, we had more possession and created more chances ourselves. 2-2 was, I think, a fair result and now it’s reduced to one game, one final next week in Eindhoven. It’s going to be something to really look forward to.

How impressed were you with Rangers and how dangerous do you think they are next week?

We really had a difficult time. In spells in the first half, I think they played really well from out of the back into the midfield and forward with a lot of passing and movement and good positioning of the team. We had a bit of difficulty with that and that’s why we couldn’t put pressure on them as we would like so that’s all credit to them and the quality of the players. Of course, the crowd gets behind and we went through some difficult spells in the first half but we were able to reduce that in the second half and show ourselves in a better way.

What did it mean to have Sir Alex Ferguson here and I guess you would like to be at least half as good a manager as he was?

Oh my goodness! One per cent maybe! It was a proud moment for me that he actually watched me coach my team and manage my team. I’m glad he’s well, I spoke to him just briefly, he’s looking well and he’s doing great. His family is well so it’s great to see him. It’s great to see that he sees me down on the touchline at Ibrox, for me, it’s a proud moment.

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You must’ve learned so much from him?

Yeah, I did. The thing is, as a player, you learn an unbelievable amount of things from him. When you start to develop yourself as a coach then you look back at moments where the manager’s I had, you think about what did they do, how did they form a team and style of play and managing individuals. He’s such an example in that sense.

Did Sir Alex mention if he had his eye on someone like Cody Gakpo?

He didn’t. We were just talking about how we were and we didn’t really discuss United or players. It was just a personal chat really.

How proud were you of your players that they could turn the atmosphere into one of anxiety?

Yeah, I think that’s a compliment to the team. The way we played obviously calms the atmosphere. I think the best thing and thing I’m most proud of is the reaction after 2-1 because the crowd exploded again but we kept going. Benitez was just moving on with his game, it didn’t affect him and the team just took care of it by equalising. For Walter also to clear out his mistake.

You scored two goals from corners, is that an area you identified as a weakness?

We looked at set pieces but not only that we actually prepared well for their set pieces because they’re a threat as well in the air. But we have great headers of the ball in our team and the delivery was good. They attacked the spaces that we said before the game so they executed that well.

Can you tell us something about the puzzle with Joey Veerman, it seems like he’s more comfortable receiving the ball earlier but his stability with Sangare and Gutierrez is also important. Is it a puzzle for you?

Joey is one who can link with the defence towards the attackers. He can do that very well. In the second half, we had him positioned closer to our defensive players so he could be more part of the first build-up. I think that benefitted the team very well.

What does it say for next week?

That’s a good question. We have to think about these things. We have to analyse the game, what happened in the first half, what happened in the second half and why did things occur the way they did. Rangers had a slightly different approach to the game as we thought to get set in the first half and get the solutions. The team reacted well to that and we’ve got to be prepared for anything next week.