Not so long ago, the Rangers players were being pilloried from pillar to post. Now they are being praised from the rooftops. In these torrid love-hate relationships that the fluctuating fortunes of football can quickly stoke up, this current feel good factor clearly stems from the joy of six.
Mark Warburton’s sprightly start to life in the Ibrox hot seat has spawned six wins on the trot and more satisfied cooing than a flock of turtle doves at a singles night. Even Lee Wallace’s omission from the Scotland squad for the forthcoming European Championship qualifiers with Georgia and Germany could not dampen this sense of upbeat cheeriness from Warburton.
“He has not been called up but he can't be far away in my opinion, not that I would tell a national manager what to do,” said Warburton of his club captain. “He’s been outstanding for me. From the first minute of pre-season this year he's been first class and I'm told by people that he looks leaner and stronger. He's in a good place right now and we are lucky to have him."
On a day that saw Darren McGregor and Jon Daly depart for pastures new, Warburton continued to wax lyrical about his revamped Rangers. Part of this face lift is Yorkshireman James Tavernier, who continued to repay some of the £200,000 that Rangers forked out to Wigan with the winner against Hibernian on Sunday. It already looks like a decent bit of business, particularly when you look at some of the fees that full-backs in England command these days. Tyrone Mings, for instance, went from Ipswich to Bournemouth for a shuddering £8 million. “Clubs were aware of him (Tavernier) but then the Tyrone Mings transfer happened and people were maybe unsure of what the price is for full-backs,” added Warburton. “So the timing was good for us and we were thankful of getting hold of him and we did. Some clubs hesitated and we secured him.”
The battle could be keeping hold of him in the future. "I think he can play in the Premier League,” declared Warburton. “I hope we are struggling to keep all the players and I mean that in the right way because that would mean we are doing well and we'd be in good shape if that happened. As a group we are getting stronger.”
Next up for Warburton and company is a trip to Airdrie in the second round of the League Cup tomorrow. The Rangers manager will be hoping for a less fraught experience than the one he had a year ago in the English League Cup when his Brentford team eventually squeezed through on penalties against Dagenham & Redbridge after a bamboozling 6-6 draw.
“It was a quiet affair,” he said with a smile. "It was a frustrating, difficult evening and if I remember rightly, it was lashing down with rain as well, so it was just like being in Glasgow. It was just one of those games. In truth, it was character building.”
Warburton is certainly building for an all out assault on silverware.”That has to be the aim,” he said. “I can’t get my head round managers or coaches who don’t go to win a competition. If you enter it, try and win it.”
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