Steven Gerrard's reputation is stopping Rangers fans from hounding him out, reckons ex-Celtic star

Kris Commons reckons only Steven Gerrard's status as a British football legend is stopping Rangers fans from hounding him out of Ibrox.

They now trail their rivals by 10 points at the top of the table, though Rangers do hold a game in hand.

As a result of their recent poor form, Commons feels this Thursday's Europa League meeting with Braga will take on extra significance.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard. Picture: SNS

He wrote in his column for the Daily Mail: "Stopping Celtic's march to nine in a row was always the priority, but the wheels have come off that particular wagon quite spectacularly.

"If they then go and follow that with a weak European exit, particularly if they were to suffer a heavy aggregate defeat over the two legs, it would pile the pain on Gerrard.

"For their season to unravel so dramatically for the second season on the spin, there is a sense that Gerrard is surviving purely on reputation at the moment.

"If it wasn't such a high-profile figure in the hotseat, it would be getting to the stage now where fans would be hounding him out of the door.

"There's a lack of ideas in this Rangers team. They have become stale and one-dimensional. So, in that sense, a return to the European arena may offer them a chance to rediscover their spark."