'Manager who doesn't believe in his players' - Ex-Celtic star questions Rangers boss' comments

Former Celtic and Scotland star Kris Commons has questioned comments made by Rangers managers Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the aftermath of the club’s 4-0 loss to Ajax.

The Ibrox side failed to provide a reaction to the 4-0 thumping handed out by rivals Celtic in their Champions League opener in Amsterdam.

Rangers found themselves 3-0 down within 33 minutes as they failed to lay a glove on the Dutch giants.

Van Bronckhorst offered up a frank assessment afterwards, admitting it is a struggle for the club to compete at Champions League level.

According to Trasfermarkt, the value of the respective Champions League squads are Liverpool at £794million, Napoli £401million, Ajax £228million and Rangers at £114million.

“To compete in the Champions League you need hundreds of millions otherwise you can’t compete,” Van Bronckhorst told BT Sport.

"If you look at all the squads we are facing now, Ajax sold for over €200million. So for us to compete with them it is too much to ask. We want to compete but we want to compete with the squad we have and the squad we are able and capable in making.

"We knew it was going to be tough and it showed.”

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst has been criticised for comments made in the aftermath of the 4-0 defeat to Ajax. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Commons was left baffled by those remarks from the Rangers managers.

"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," he wrote in his Daily Mail column. “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."

Rangers are back in Champions League action this week when they face Napoli at Ibrox in a game which has been pushed back 24 hours due to policing issues following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.