Mark Warburton tells squad ‘enjoy responsibility’

Kenny Miller leads the line during a training routine at Murray Park yesterday. Picture: Kirk O'Rourke

King again underlined the imperative of a return to the top flight next summer in his address to shareholders at the club’s agm last week.

Rangers remain favourites to win the Championship title and secure automatic promotion to the Premiership this season, but that status has been placed under genuine threat by Hibs’ impressive recent run of form.

Warburton’s men will open up a three-point gap between the teams at the top of the table if they defeat Dumbarton at Ibrox tonight in their game in hand on Alan Stubbs’ men.

The Rangers manager insists he has no qualms about meeting his chairman’s demands in his first season in charge.

“That was really clear from day one,” said Warburton. “It was never a secret. We know what our target is and we know what we have to do. I am aware of it, acutely. So are (assistant manager) David Weir and the staff and so are the players. They have got to enjoy that responsibility. As long as they enjoy it and don’t crumble under it, then we will be fine.

“All we can do is keep winning games of football. All credit to other teams for putting runs together, it is hard to do in football. But we have got 37 points out of 42 so far and we are in a good place right now.”

Rangers’ next meeting with Hibs at Ibrox on 28 December is already being viewed as a potentially pivotal fixture in the title race.

But Warburton is more concerned with tonight’s match against Dumbarton and the subsequent league games against Raith Rovers, Morton and Falkirk in December before that festive showdown with the Easter Road outfit.

“They are all challenging fixtures,” added Warburton. “Everyone seems to raise their game against us.

“I look at the games Celtic play in the Premiership as well. Teams raise their games against Celtic and then the following week have a tougher fixture. We are aware of it. Livingston was tough in our last league game, we went there and they put in a great performance.

“Every week is a tough game, especially at Ibrox. Teams can thrive off that as well. We have to be aware of it. Every game we play is a testing encounter. I understand you looking at 28 December. But from our point of view, there is no point looking at that game against Hibs if we lose two or three games in the meantime.

“I am expecting Rangers to be prepared for every game we play, I am expecting Rangers to go into them and have a good level of performance and get the right result. Other teams, all credit to them if they put runs together. But that is not my focus. My focus is here.”

Warburton’s attention has already turned to the January transfer window when he hopes to make at least two significant additions to his squad. He is also braced for the possibility some of his current players may attract interest from English clubs.

“We have targets we can hopefully move for, but again the market is constantly changing,” he said. “Club owners and managers change and if a new manager comes into a club, they have new remits and views. You have your targets and you do your homework, but until they land here and sign for you, you never really know. We need to get players who can play at the next level and the one above. We have to do what we have to do to get the right players in if they are available.

“We also have to be careful of clubs looking at our players. There are certain transfers down south where they tell you value is hard to come by. So you look at every available pool – that’s the ‘what if’ scenario we speak about.

“If a club comes calling to us, any player leaving leaves on our terms and we have to have contingency plans. It’s about looking at new players and making sure we have options in place should disaster happen, for want of a better term.”