MARK Warburton is certainly not dismissing Hibernian as anything other than difficult opponents in what will be his first competitive match as Rangers manager next Saturday lunchtime.

However, as far as he is concerned the Petrofac Cup first-round tie is game four of his pre- season campaign. The former Brentford manager has a strategic plan which is aimed at having Rangers completely ready when the Championship season begins on August 8. Winning the title and, therefore, promotion is his major focus.

Warburton was taken aback by the reaction when Rangers were drawn to play at Easter Road, as if this was a task that would be beyond them. He admits he may take a hastily assembled team to face Alan Stubbs' outfit but he stresses that it is not as if

Rangers are about to face an infinitely superior opponent.

"Something that really irked me was when the draw was made," he said. "People were talking as if we'd drawn Real Madrid in the Petrofac Cup. With no disrespect to Hibs, we're Rangers Football Club and we will go into every game well prepared and ready to apply ourselves

appropriately.

"This is a great game for us and good for the fans. It's game four and a really tough test. In any pre-season programme, you start and move up gradually. The Hibs match is perfect for us."I see the Hibs game as Game Four. We're training hard and looking forward to the game on Tuesday against Burnley which is Game Three and everything is geared towards August 8 and it has to be. The league campaign will dominate although we will try to win every other compet-

ition."

Rangers and Hibs, of course, will be main protagonists in the chase for the Championship title and he already has a relationship with Stubbs having taken a couple of

players on loan at Brentford from Everton when Stubbs was running the academy. He also knows that Scott Allan is the player who makes them tick.

It is no secret that Rangers covet his services and may yet tempt Hibs chairman Rod Petrie with an offer before the transfer window closes at the end of next month.

"I've seen bits and pieces," Warburton said. "They are a very organised team. I know Alan Stubbs from his Everton days and they'll be fit, organised and hungry.

"They will be tough opponents. I'm sure Hibs will look to play, I hate to use the term the right way, but it's the way you prefer. Of course they are ahead of us in the sense they have had players together for a longer period of time. That will be a benefit to them. We've got to recognise that and counter it. It's got to be about us. It's always about us and how good we can be.

"If we dominate the football we'll be fine but talk is cheap, action speaks louder than words. We will go into the Hibs game with the strongest team possible. There is no point in lying, we are four weeks in and we hope to add four or five players in the coming days so we could have players playing in the Hibs game who have only been here for two days.

"So in terms of being patient, while we want to win that game and the competition as a whole, it takes time to bed players in but we will do what we can."

"While Warburton is not about to spend considerable money to sign a Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne or Ronald de Boer, there is a feeling among supporters that a marquee signing of some description would give them a boost ahead of a very important season. So far he has dipped into the market he knows best with the signings of Rob Kiernan, Wes Foderingham and Andy Halliday and the pursuit of Wigan Athletic pair James Tavernier and Martyn Waghorn. This tactic is unlikely to change.

"I think the fans are looking for players who will come to Ibrox, wear the shirt with pride and produce the style of play and results they want to see," he said. "You could get whoever it may be from South America for £5 million or you can get the guy round the corner for five bob, but if the guy round the corner does the job, the fans will be happy, I'm sure.

"Our job in terms of recruitment is to find the right players who can do that job. It is a big job to walk out in front of 45,000 people – that expectation to deliver the goods is a tough ask. That's why our recruitment and research has to be right."