DAVE KING expects Rangers to mount a strong challenge to Celtic in Pedro Caixinha’s first full campaign in charge.
The Portuguese has taken over at Ibrox with the Light Blues 33 points adrift of their Old Firm rivals in the Premiership standings but he has set lofty ambitions for the coming weeks as he looks to overhaul Aberdeen in the top flight and lead his side to Scottish Cup glory.
Caixinha met chairman King for the first time this week and will be given funds to bolster his squad in the summer as Rangers target a return to Europa League action. He will be judged on his domestic efforts next term and King is keen to see the Gers get closer to Celtic at the second attempt after failing to put up a fight for the league flag this time out.
“I still think that we must challenge Celtic, as I expected to do this year,” he said. “Aberdeen challenged them and got to within five or six weeks. It certainly wasn’t the race it was this year.
“I would like us to challenge Celtic. Does it mean win the title next year? Of course it doesn’t. But I would like to challenge Celtic and see some distance between ourselves and Aberdeen and Hearts because again investment will be made to do that.
“We are looking to get through the Europa League qualifiers, although there is an understanding that we are not there. We will have to look at investment for that as well.
“From my point of view, we are, despite the hiccup, still on track for season three. If I go back to what I said originally, I said try and have seven players that mature from the Championship, add five to seven and then another five to seven.
“We have had a hiccup now and it is up to Pedro now. He might find the five to seven, guys might start playing that we thought weren’t playing before. He needs a number of weeks to assess that and then come back and say ‘I am happy with this, I like the look of this’.
“I am expecting that in a matter of weeks so that we have some preparation in advantage of the end of the season because the Europa League qualifiers are coming up smartly at the end of the season and we need to have a team that can compete to get us through the qualifiers.”
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