Kris Commons reckons Giovanni van Bronckhorst's controversial Champions League comments will have set alarm bells ringing at Rangers.
The Ibrox boss angered supporters after a 4-0 drubbing from Ajax last week when he insisted his side can't compete in the competition without "hundreds of millions". The sobering result in Amsterdam followed losing to Celtic by the same scoreline just days earlier and piled pressure on Van Bronckhorst.
His side are already five points adrift of their city rivals in the Premiership and, after the manager's "defeatist" claims, Commons says he feels sorry for fans who forked out a hefty sum for the club's three-match Champions League ticket package. The former Celtic star isn't having the notion Rangers - who reached last season's Europa League final - can't lay a glove on the likes of Ajax and has told Van Bronckhorst to cut out the excuses. He wrote in his Daily Mail column: "The alarm bells are beginning to ring for Rangers.
"Two pitiful 4-0 defeats in a matter of days have posed serious questions of Giovanni van Bronckhorst 's future as manager. But, even beyond the results against Celtic and Ajax, it was his comments after the Champions League defeat in Amsterdam which will have angered fans most of all.
"Supporters won't be impressed to hear their manager claiming that the team can't compete at that level. It's nothing more than a convenient excuse.
"Yes, I understand that Ajax are a big club and they played some excellent football on the night. But they're not a Real Madrid, a Man City, a Liverpool, a Chelsea or a Bayern Munich. They are not among the true financial superpowers of European football.
"They are just a very well-run club with a clear idea of what they're doing on and off the pitch. I didn't hear much talk of budgets and financial gaps from Dinamo Zagreb when they beat a Chelsea side who spent over £250million in the summer.
"It showed a defeatist attitude from Van Bronckhorst to use the excuse of money. A well-coached and well-motivated team can always compete. Also alarming was how much the match in Amsterdam was just a continuation from what happened at Celtic Park. There was no reaction whatsoever from the Rangers players.
"If Rangers can't cut it at this level, as Van Bronckhorst claims, then God help the fans who have just forked out £180 for the three-match package at Ibrox. It speaks of a manager who doesn't believe in his players.
"Even if this squad aren't equipped for the Champions League, the boss shouldn't be saying that in public. He should be focusing his efforts on a solid and settled starting XI.
"There's still too much uncertainty around this Rangers team. There's no clear idea of what they're trying to do and that's in stark contrast to what's going on at Celtic."
