Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst is already planning for January despite current questions over his future in charge of the club, says former Ibrox man Alan Hutton. 

The Lowdown: Pressure on Van Bronckhorst

Recent question marks have emerged over Van Bronckhorst's long-term position at Ibrox.

On Wednesday, talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan claimed that the Dutchman's job hinges on Rangers' upcoming league results and how they fare in their games against Old Firm rivals Celtic, hinting he would be out of the job by New Year's Eve.

This comes after the Ibrox club crashed out of the Champions League after failing to pick up a single point in any of their six group games.

The Latest: January transfer plans

Despite this tough period for the manager, one former Rangers figure believes that Van Bronckhorst is fully preparing to be in charge come the turn of the year.

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton had this to say on the situation:

"I think there is a few positions at this moment in time that he will be looking to strengthen. He will definitely have a plan in mind. He will see who can get back first and foremost and look to strengthen for the next half of the season."

The Verdict: Back the manager

While it will undeniably be disappointing for the club and the fans to see how the team fared in the Champions League, we feel this should not push the hierarchy at Ibrox to sack Van Bronckhorst.

If the 47-year-old does have plans for potential recruitment, he'll have to make sure that whoever comes through the door can fit in and hit the ground running immediately or that would only serve to turn up the heat.

In terms of what areas of the squad the Dutchman could look to strengthen in January, the fact that Rangers have scored far fewer goals than Celtic (31 vs 42) this season suggests some reinforcements to support top scorer Antonio Colak could be in order.