Under-fire Rangers star set £47.5m Spurs example in 'no coincidence' social media claim
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What a difference a week, or even a few days, has made for Czech winger Vaclav Cerny at Rangers.
The international attacker, 26, has joined the Gers on loan from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg until the end of the season and arrives with a sizeable profile.
Having come through the youth ranks at Ajax, Cerny impressed in Dutch football before earning his move to Germany last season but finds himself at a crucial juncture in Scotland.
At the end of a tough week for the winger, Vaclav Cerny signed off with a double against St Johnstone but it's not just on the pitch the winger has been encouraging Rangers fans.
Vaclav Cerny wins Rangers fans on and off the pitch
By our own admission, the Rangers support are a difficult bunch to please.
For a club which has for long dominated Scottish football, the impeccable standards of Rangers have been the driving force behind the club's legendary historic success.
Stepping into Ibrox, any player must be made aware of it but more than that, have the character to rise up and flourish within that pressure.
Rangers fans naturally had doubts when an underperforming Vaclav Cerny, a player signed to deliver at the top end of the pitch, turned on the support against Hibs last week.
This was after the winger missed a one-on-one chance to double the Gers' lead against Malmo in Sweden.
In a major no-no in Rangers circles, Cerny bit back at frustrated supporters against Hibs and followed it up with a terrible miss in the opening moments of the 4-1 humbling against Lyon.
Such was the response, Cerny deactivated his personal Instagram account.
Online abuse is another issue altogether, and whilst it seems particularly bad amongst frustrated Rangers fans, Cerny's very public response has gone down well amongst supporters.
Not only did Cerny deliver with a match-winning double against St Johnstone, the first of which was a stunning solo goal, but the winger's post-match comments have encouraged fans.
Taking responsibility for his poor form as of late, Cerny insists it's on him to repay Philippe Clement and get firing.
Such honesty is refreshing for Rangers fans in desperate search of a talismanic hero to steal their hearts amid the uncertainty of this season at Ibrox.
"It's about how you react to things," said Cerny. "And I think today was a good reaction and I want to build on this.
“In the end, for me, it was today more like a mental thing, to get through it.
"Obviously, those big chances, I woke up in the night like, ‘oh, I shouldn’t miss those.’
“So it helps for a striker, for a winger, to make those two goals after such a tough period. So I’m very glad I could do that."
Could Rangers star follow Premier League example?
Rangers fans often find themselves having that very modern football debate about players and social media.
The club has had plenty of run-ins with players in the past, Todd Cantwell standing out as the most obvious, with football wrestling with the challenge of this direct, off-pitch communication.
Cerny was asked about his decision to deactivate social media and gave a refreshingly honest answer.
“As I said, it’s been tough for someone like me, who is always willing to give my all, and sometimes I show it too much, as we all saw," Cerny said.
“But that’s just me, because I want to do as best as I can every single time, and once you guys get to know me a bit better, you will see that.
"This was my bad reaction, it’s alright, it’s in the past, but it’s because I want to help as much as I can."
Cerny isn't the first player to deactivate his social media and perhaps the Rangers winger can draw some Premier League inspiration.
Tottenham Hotspur paid £47.5m to sign Brennan Johnson last summer (Sky Sports) but the Welsh winger has struggled for consistency in North London until recently.
The winger deactivated his social media accounts after receiving criticism for his role in the 1-0 North London Derby defeat to Arsenal in September.
Since then Johnson has scored in three consecutive Premier League matches.
According to legendary ex-Wales striker Robert Earnshaw, such returns are 'no coincidence' since he put down his phone and focused on the football.
"I think it's different for everybody, but for sure there's something in it because I think for him it was clearly affecting him with social media and it's (deleting the account) clearly had a real positive impact,” Earnshaw told BBC Sport.
“It's no coincidence for him because I think the reason he deactivated it was because of all the negativity and everything was going into his game and over thinking and then all of a sudden he was thinking about that as he's playing.”
It's food for thought, certainly…
