Kris Commons reckons Steven Gerrard's reputation is keeping him in the Rangers job.

Former Celtic midfielder Commons is sure fans would be "hounding him out the door" if he hadn't had such a magnificent playing career at the top level for so many years.

Rivals Celtic are 10 points clear at the top of the Premiership table which is already an issue some fans have been unable to stomach.

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Gerrard's side take on Braga in Thursday evening's Europa League first-leg tie in the last-32 at Ibrox and Commons says the Light Blues have to win - because if they don't, it could spell the beginning of the end for Gerrard.

Writing in his Daily Mail column, Commons said: "Rangers' season is threatening to implode. Make no mistake, this is a tie which is laced with danger for Gerrard and his players.

"Listen, not for one second am I writing Rangers off. Some of Gerrard's best results during his time at the club have come in European ties.

"There's a clear sense that his team are better suited to European football. They can play it cagey on the counter far more than they can domestically, when the onus is on them to break down packed defences.

"But this is now a massive moment in their season. If they can get the better of Braga over two legs, it would inject some much-needed momentum back into the Ibrox camp.

"If they lose, though, the heat will be turned up considerably. Yeah, I understand that getting this far in Europe was always going to be viewed as a bonus by the majority of fans.

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"But you have to view it all in context. 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.

"He took responsibility for the defeat at Kilmarnock last week, but only to a degree. By questioning the mentality and bottle of his players, he did still effectively throw them under a bus.

"Gerrard is, ultimately, the man who signed them. If he has assembled a group of prima donnas who can't handle the heat, then he's as culpable as anyone else in all of this.

"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."