GAVIN RAE insists Mark Warburton will get things right at Ibrox – despite losing the marquee summer signings that were brought in to make Rangers a significant force in their first season back in the top flight.
Warburton went to considerable lengths to convince experienced duo Joey Barton and Niko Kranjcar to lead the charge in the Ladbrokes Premiership but now he has neither available to him.
Barton has been paid off after his insulting behaviour towards the manager in the wake of the 5-1 hammering by Celtic, while Kranjcar is out for the season with a serious knee injury just as he was looking to be hitting his best form.
Read more: Joe Garner will hit the goal trail once he finds top gear at Rangers, says Neil Mellor
Rae knows what the Croat is going through as his Rangers career was wrecked when his cruciate ligament snapped in 2004 leaving him sidelined for two years.
The former Dundee, Aberdeen and Cardiff midfielder, now working in Australia, said: "I couldn’t believe it when I heard he got injured. It seems to be the curse of joining Rangers.
“I was back in the UK six weeks ago and I went along to the Partick Thistle game. He scored that day but you could also see he was really coming onto a game.
Read more: Joe Garner will hit the goal trail once he finds top gear at Rangers, says Neil Mellor
“He was dictating things and his quality was shining through and now he has a bad injury. I played against him in the FA Cup Final in 2008. I nailed Kranjcar in the first 20 minutes and I don’t think he was happy, but you could just see his quality and he had the last laugh as they won the trophy.
“It must be so frustrating for Mark Warburton that he made such an effort to sign Kranjcar and Joey Barton and now he is without both of them. It’s been tough for him trying to hit the ground running in the Premiership but I admire him for sticking to his guns.
“I like the way Rangers play, the way they try to keep possession. That’s the way football should be played. I’m not sure if it has been tougher than he thought it was going to be but it’s a challenge for him and something he has got to get to grips with.
“But it’s only the first season back. I’m sure Rangers will be challenging in no time.”
Read more: Joe Garner will hit the goal trail once he finds top gear at Rangers, says Neil Mellor
Rae headed Down Under two years ago after captaining Dundee back to the Premiership and has just become manager of New South Wales semi-professional outfit Hakoah Sydney City East FC.
He helped the side win promotion last year and was assisting brother-in-law Mark Robertson – also a former Dundee player – who has stepped down as manager.
“It’s a challenge but I’m looking forward to it," Rae said. "We finished in September and we don’t start again until next March so it’s a long break between seasons.
“I hope it’s the first step for me in terms of being a manager. It’s a different level here but it’s probably a good level for me to get started and.”
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