HAVING played for Fargas IF and TPS Turku in his native Finland and then Flora Tallin in Estonia before signing for Rangers in 1997, Jonatan Johansson initially struggled to establish himself at Ibrox.
The size of the Glasgow club, the quality of player in the squad and the intense pressure on the team to perform in every game proved overwhelming for the 22-year-old striker in his early days in Scotland.
Johansson fared far better in his second season after Dick Advocaat had succeeded Walter Smith as manager; he netted 18 goals in all competitions, including no fewer than five in Europe, as a domestic treble was duly secured.
Read more: Under-fire Rangers boss Warburton told goals will come - if he keeps faith in his system
Yet, he vividly remembers just how difficult it was for him to begin with to adapt to football in a different country, shoulder the expectations of a huge fanbase and handle the scrutiny of his performances.
So, he has sympathy with Joe Garner, the £1.5 million summer signing from Preston North End who has netted just once in four games, and the other misfiring Rangers forwards at the moment.
Read more: Under-fire Rangers boss Warburton told goals will come - if he keeps faith in his system
The Ladbrokes Championship winners have netted on a paltry eight occasions in the Premiership in the 2016/17 campaign – only Ross County and Partick Thistle have performed as badly up front - and have hit the target just once from open play in their last three league matches.
That solitary goal came in the 5-1 defeat to Celtic at Parkhead - Garner headed in from close range just before half-time - earlier this month and made no difference to the final outcome in a humiliating defeat.
But the 106-times capped Finnish internationalist, who went on to play for Charlton Athletic and Norwich City in England as well as Malmo in Sweden, feels it will take time for Garner to become comfortable in his new surroundings.
“It was good for Joe Garner’s confidence for him to score a goal in the Old Firm game,” he said. “But it takes time to settle. Garner scored lots of goals at Preston, but it is very different when you come to a club the size of Rangers.
“Opposition teams tend to sit back and try to hit you on the counter attack a lot more than at other clubs. You don’t get the same amount of space up front that you do when you play elsewhere in different leagues.
“The spotlight is on you all the time as a striker at Rangers. At Charlton or the other smaller clubs that I played at you can play against bigger clubs and you aren’t expected to score. People don’t scrutinise your performances as much. At Rangers people are really looking to criticise.”
There has been no shortage of criticism, both in the media and among their own support, at Rangers this season as they have struggled to compete in the Premiership. They have won just two of their matches and are sitting in seventh spot.
Johansson, though, is confident that goals will start to come for the Ibrox club, who scored five against Championship leaders Queen of the South in the Betfred Cup last week, in the coming weeks.
He believes the controversy over the three week suspension handed out to Joey Barton has been an unwelcome distraction for Warburton and believes that their form is only now getting back to where it was last term.
"Creating chances and scoring goals is as much about getting the whole team playing with harmony and with confidence as how the strikers play," he said.
“Both attacking and defending has a lot to do with how the team as a whole plays. Rangers played really well and against Aberdeen didn’t deserve to lose.
“It was a great game. Barrie McKay did really well, was at the level he was at last season. Rangers have had one or two off-field problems and the spotlight has been right on the club. It is only now that they are starting to hit the levels.
“When you only score eight goals you will come under the spotlight. Everything is scrutinised all of the time. If they stay focused and keep doing what they are best at they will be fine.”
Johansson was a member of Rangers teams which were filled with strong personalities - Ian Ferguson, Andy Goram, Richard Gough, Stuart McCall and Ally McCoist were all at Ibrox at that time.
Read more: Under-fire Rangers boss Warburton told goals will come - if he keeps faith in his system
The 41-year-old believes that lifelong supporter Kenny Miller, who made an immediate impact after coming on against Aberdeen in the second half on Sunday, can help his side ride out this rocky spell.
"Kenny is a fantastic player," he said. "His physical fitness levels are incredible. What he did last season when Martyn Waghorn got injured was incredible.
"He is not going to be fazed by anything. He gives his all in every game he is involved in whether it is from the start or from the bench.
"He is also important for Rangers in the dressing room. It is very important that he keeps himself fit and stays involved."
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