MARK WARBURTON has admitted the financial gap between Rangers and Celtic is so great that a second place finish in the Premiership was always going to be good enough in his club’s return to top flight football.
A win for Brendan Rodgers's men at Ibrox on Saturday would see the current champions go 19 points clear at the top and the only question now is when they will win their sixth title in a row and if it will be by a record margin.
Warburton has always been careful not to claim Rangers could have won the league this season, although some of his players have not been so cautious, but there has been criticism from supporters about the style of play and results against the league’s lesser lights.
Nobody at Ibrox can pretend any more that it is going to take a number of years before Rangers can even think about catching Celtic who are 2/1 to make it ten in a row. However, Warburton was keen to stress that progress had been made given where the club found itself not so long ago.
“I said we wanted to be highly competitive this season and I think we are,” said the Rangers manager. “If we get runners-up in the Premiership and qualify for Europe having just been promoted with a young squad you tell me if that is a good season or not?
“If that is not recognised all we can do is say look at the squad, look at the table, look at where we were, the reality of the situation and can we compete with them financially at this moment in time? Can we? No.
“If you looked at wage structures, I’m sure you would be staggered at the disparity. Our job is to make sure we can compete as soon as possible.”
Warburton’s side have dropped more points than expected but it is his bad luck that Celtic, under Brendan Rodgers, have been literally unbeatable in Scotland.
“I don’t think it is par for the course (to be 16 points behind) but this is Celtic’s best start since 2004,” said the Englishman. “For them it is a record start to the season so all credit to them. You have to take that into account.
“I wasn’t expecting anything. My focus is here. I’m not worried about about Hearts, Aberdeen or Celtic. I’m sure Brendan, Derek McInnes or Ian Cathro think the same way. That is all you can control.
“I’m not focussing on Celtic. They have had an excellent start to the season. One of their best for years. All I hear is we are another two points behind Celtic. I look at where we are. Are we highly competitive? Are we in a league position where we think we can push on from? That is my focus.
“The reality of the situation is that there’s a financial disparity at this moment in time. We are not going to close that between now and the end of the season. We are not going to spend £40m in January. That’s not going to happen.
“Our job has to be, in the shortest time possible, to close that gap. And in a structured manner.
“Rangers can’t be happy with second. But from where the club has been, getting promoted and being highly competitive. If – if – we come second and qualify for Europe, you tell me is that a good season.”
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