David Tanner: People are asking questions of Giovanni van Bronckhorst after Rangers defeat v Ajax
Reporter David Tanner has suggested that “people are asking questions” of Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst after their 4-0 Champions League defeat to Ajax.
The Light Blues put in a sorry first-half display which saw the Eredivisie side race into an unassailable 3-0 lead and left Rangers facing their second heavy defeat in the space of a week.
It’s been a difficult start to the 2022/23 season for Rangers and Tanner feels that they are in the Champions League just to make up the numbers.
Talking on talkSPORT Breakfast [8 September, 06:45], Tanner said: “Four times in the last ten months, Rangers have conceded three goals in the first half of games.
“I thought they completely lacked character at the weekend at Celtic Park and I thought they lacked character last night.
“People are asking questions of him [Giovanni van Bronckhorst] for the first time and the Europa League final feels like a distant memory.
“I fear more for Rangers than Celtic that they will just be in the Champions League to make up the numbers.”
GVB must stand up
This is the first time in van Bronckhorst’s Rangers career where the pressure is genuinely on for the Dutchman.
Ajax were in majestic form on Wednesday evening (7 September), but at no point should Rangers be losing 4-0 in back-to-back games.
If the Gers fail to pick up a win against Aberdeen on Saturday (10 September), then there will be genuine concerns about their away form.
Rangers put in a top-class performance only a matter of weeks ago away at PSV Eindhoven to secure their place in the Champions League, which is why the drop in standards is hard to understand.
It’s very hard to put a finger on what has gone dramatically wrong for Rangers over the past seven days, but it is now time for van Bronckhorst to earn his money and turn this around.
There are strong arguments to suggest that he wasn’t sufficiently backed in the transfer market, considering the amount of money that the club recouped from the sales of Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo.
Regardless of Rangers’ summer dealings, good managers will find a way to get a tune out of what they have been given and that’s now a must for the Dutchman.
If he fails to get a positive against Aberdeen on Saturday then the pressure will really start to mount on him and the board at Ibrox.
In other Rangers news, Michael Stewart got stuck into one player after what he did in the past week