Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been backed to remain Rangers manager by former Celtic man Peter Grant.
The Dutchman is under increased fan pressure after a poor run of performances and results that has left the Light Blues trailing Ange Postecoglou's champions by nine points going into the World Cup shutdown. Dropped points against Livingston and St Mirren coupled up with defeat at St Johnstone has left their title chances in the balance. Angry Rangers fans confronted James Tavernier and the team after the defeat in Perth.
The Champions League campaign ended in six defeats and the unwanted tag as the 'worst ever' group stage team after the brilliant efforts to qualify with a big win over PSV setting up the chance to face Liverpool, Napoli and Ajax. Injuries have been an issue for the Ibrox men, particularly in defence with ever-present and key man Connor Goldson out alongside John Souttar and Filip Helander. Tom Lawrence has also been long-term as has Ianis Hagi and that sort of injury list has Grant believing Van Bronckhorst deserves a chance.
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He's also backed the Dutchman over the Alfredo Morelos situation earlier this season when he decided to leave him at home for the trip to the Netherlands to face PSV.
He told the Go Radio Football Show: "I think he still should be manager, and I know people will be saying 'yeah you are saying that as a Celtic man'. No, because I think he deserves the opportunity and the reason I'm saying that is they've got an injury list of ten players.
"You could probably say eight of them would be in the team, that's as far as I would go and one of their main players at the start of the season (Tom) Lawrence was not involved, they've had [Ianis] Hagi out for most of the time he's been there, so all these players.
"If the full squad was available then I would probably have a completely different scenario as I've been there as a manager I know what it's like when you've got top players missing.
"You've got an 18-year-old playing at centre-back, and no matter what level you are at; tell me anywhere else in the world where an 18-year-old is playing at any of the top teams in the Champions League at centre-back? Because it's a position where you need experience in the respect of that and knowhow.
"That's when you are playing with another experienced player. There's been two young boys and a midfielder playing at centre-back, so it's very very difficult.
"I'm taking the manager's side on this. He's had a lot to deal with around the [Alfredo] Morelos situation. The manager is going into one of the biggest European games and has to leave him back home. That's soul-destroying as a manager."
Grant went on to slaughter Morelos and admitted for him he would have probably have said 'he's got to go' describing the situation as 'unforgiving.
He continued: "I would've probably lost my job because I know how stubborn I can be. If he's letting the team down and the club down, I think that's the most important thing because can I trust him again if he hasn't done what he was supposed to have done and what we have seen since. For me, I'd have probably said he's got to go.
"I understand Rangers' situation because at that particular time everyone was saying he was worth X, Y and Z so I can understand the reasoning behind that but for me as a manager, I'd have found that very very difficult because I'm going into one of the biggest European games to qualify for the Champions League, the amount of money that was at stake, everything, and he was unprofessional. That for me is unforgiving.
"If you are in a football club, you are their player for 24/7 because that's why I say you've got to be professional 24/7. We can let our hair down now and again for sure but there's times and places for it.
"They were going into a Champions League game and the manager has got to leave him behind, I found that so difficult and it's very difficult for Gio in the respect of that because he's got [Antonio] Colak who has done fantastically well for them goals wise, but if he gets injured you've got [Kemar] Roofe out, you've Hagi out and it's why I've a lot of sympathy for the manager. If all of these boys were fit and they were getting the same results, then there would be a completely different question getting asked."
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