MARK WARBURTON wants a rethink on the rebooted League Cup format which the Rangers manager claimed has been decremental to his side’s pre-season training plans.

Unlike some of his contemporaries, the Englishman does not see much merit in playing competitive games so early one because his squad would be better served facing stronger opposition, such as English Premiership side Burnley who they face at Ibrox on Saturday.

Wins over Annan, East Stirling and Stranraer may have guaranteed that Rangers win their group in the newly named Betfred Cup but, according to the Ibrox manager, his players have not been properly tested, as they would have been had the completion not started in July.

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Warburton will hope Rangers are involved in Europe this time next year, which would excuse them from the group stage of the first season's first domestic competition, but he would still like to see lessons learned from what he believes is a flawed idea.

“I understand the changes but you’ve got to learn from your mistakes,” said Warburton. “I don’t mean that in an arrogant way but for a pre-season programme you’d like to think you start lower and build up to a tempo where you get the toughest test before the league programme starts.

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“Can we get that right? People say to me it’s not about the big clubs, it’s about the small clubs, and it’s a case of yes and no. We all want Scottish football to prosper and the big clubs to thrive. You want them to get into European football and for money to come in.

“But to have that generated you need to help the big clubs as well. It can’t just be this generic approach to football. Could we have played Motherwell in the fourth game? Could we have played four games in 12 or 13 days? We probably could have done.

“If that happens then it becomes a far more suitable programme where it builds up.The Herald: Mark Warburton

“I hope there will be discussions as the only way we’ll learn is from learning from our mistakes, that’s the only way to move forward. To have Motherwell as our first game, and I’m sure they’ll say it, wasn’t right for them either.

“I hope I’m not the only one saying that, I’m sure Mark McGhee would be saying he would have liked not to have played Rangers as their first game. That would suit everyone and we should learn."

Apart from the Motherwell game, Rangers have not been challenged at all by their lower league opponents and that is not the best preparation for Warburton who cannot have helped but notice Celtic will have played four Champions League ties and Barcelona before they begin the defence of their tile.

“It was the league cup, it is what it is. We can’t control it. We’ve gone into those games and played very well,” said the Rangers manager. “We’ve dominated games of football, we’ve played four and kept four clean sheets. There’s been no real questions asked defensively and that’s difficult for the goalkeepers.

“We put goalkeepers Wes (Foderingham) in for two and Matt (Gilks) in for two — they haven’t had much to do and that’s testament to the good work of the team."

Warburton has this summer signed nine players, the wild rumour Robin Van Persie would be a tenth was ridiculed by the Rangers manager who still wants a commanding defender and natural goalscorer.The Herald: Rangers manager Mark Warburton

He does not believe such deals will be completed before the league season begins, and if he once again turned to the loan system then he is prepared to wait until late August to get the right sort of players.

“I don’t think we’ll get the players we’re looking for before the start of the league season,” said Warburton. “At this stage it’s not about quantity but more about quality.

“If we can find a striking option with the calibre of attributes we don’t currently possess then great, we’ll move. But we have high quality all over the park in every single position.

“People keep asking me what’s my best 11. It’s not about 11. It’s a squad game now. We could be looking for a 6ft 4in centre half to add to the aerial presence but we’ve got Matt Crooks to come back and he could be an option there.

“But, yes, if the right player becomes available then we’ll move. Don’t forget about the loan market, that’s only beginning to pick up. If things go well then that usually kicks in at the end of July, beginning of August.

“If you remember that was when we picked up Dom Ball and Gideon Zelalem. If we can move quickly then great but we’re not going to act just for the sake of it.”