SteveC

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/barry-ferguson-rangers-stars-sweating-5950836 Rangers stars will be sweating over their futures if they don't pull their weight for new boss. THE message from Mark Warburton has been delivered loud and clear. He has spelt it out to everyone at Rangers – it’s time to either get the sleeves rolled up and prepare to work or hit the road. It’s simple really, either you’re ready to work or you’re out the door and it’s a message that will be music to the ears of the long-suffering Bears . Let’s be honest, it’s an incredible statement for a manager to have to issue a rallying call to his workforce when they’re employed in an environment such as Murray Park. I’m not going to kid anyone on, it’s a five-star complex so what player wouldn’t want to go in there and work? Maybe the atmosphere hasn’t been great but there is a wind of change blowing through it and it’s no bad thing. I’m not about to question the work ethic of the previous Ibrox regimes as this is about the positive progression of the club. But, like all Rangers fans, I think it’s great to hear Warburton say he won’t be suffering fools gladly and it was a stark warning to anyone who thinks they’ll get away with swinging the lead. If you’re not willing to put the hard work in, you won’t be there. It’s one of the golden rules in football that you can never allow your standards to drop. I may be a young manager but that’s the message I stress to my Clyde players all the time. As soon as you drop standards you’re in trouble. I know from my playing days that players take advantage of a management team that takes its eye off the ball. It’s the nature of footballers that you need to be at them 24/7 and on top of them all the time. They need to be told what’s expected of them during every training session. That message needs to be continually relayed to them and I know from my career and being among players that some will take advantage of situations when nobody is watching. The habit of making sure I had a good work ethic as a player was first drummed into me by my dad and my brother Derek. Then I went into Rangers as a 15-year-old to train full-time and it was John Brown and John McGregor who drummed it into me. Believe me, I was left in little doubt about the standards that needed to be maintained. It was also preached that you train the way you play and that was always the case in my career. No professional footballer worth his salt has ever gone into training and taken it easy. It’s not rocket science, if you dip below those standards then your game will suffer and that’s the message that the Rangers manager has put out. If you’re not prepared to come in and work then you’re no good for him and you’re no good for Rangers. You can tolerate a lot as a manager but a lack of effort isn’t one of them and Mark appears to have an inner steel that was evident during his successful spell at Brentford. He’s slowly but surely finding his way into the job and his presence alone has invigorated the support who are starting to buy into his strategy to bring some success back to the club. I’ve been impressed with what he’s had to say. He’s been talking sense and I like the way he’s come across. He’s handled himself perfectly so far. There have been no big statements of intent, just humility and that’s the type of manager he’ll be for Rangers. He prefers to go about his business quietly and that’s the best way. There will be no shouting from the rooftops, he’s just not that type, but he knows what he’s doing. It’s been a refreshing change to get back to talking about football at Rangers. Let’s hope that becomes the norm. At last we have the chance to talk about positivity for the season ahead with hopefully a raft of new faces arriving into the squad. We’ve seen Danny Wilson come in, a player I watched come through when we were together at Rangers. It was clear he had a bright future. His Liverpool move may not have worked out but he came to Blackpool on loan from Liverpool when I was there. His career went on the backburner for a spell but he’s emerged from his time with Hearts as a more complete player. My Clyde players returned to training on Tuesday, I didn’t know what to expect. Thankfully, they have kept themselves in good condition and that pleases me. I don’t know what nick the Rangers players will have kept themselves in but they’ll soon have Warburton on their case if they are not up to scratch. And, from what I’ve heard, I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes. ==== Not that Barry writes these things anyway but it does bring more than a thought of his own attitude under PLG to mind, not that most of the comments are wrong per se. It also seems a tad self contradictory: "It’s an incredible statement for a manager to have to issue a rallying call to his workforce" " It’s the nature of footballers that you need to be at them 24/7 and on top of them all the time."

Agreed with the comments on Miller above, his attitude was putrid. Meanwhile Danny Wilson gives a mature performance in front of the shame that is our mhedia:

Still, without exception everyone in the video was wearing jumpers and/or coats. Perhaps it was early and the sun had not yet had time to bake Glasgow into a summer swelter.....

Everyone behind him in the video is also wearing jumpers and/or coats. So, why the surprise?

http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/rangers/1323421-danny-wilson-has-medical-at-rangers-ahead-of-deal-for-ibrox-return/ Former Hearts captain Danny Wilson is having a medical at Rangers ahead of sealing a return to Ibrox. Wilson is at the club's Murray Park training centre as Mark Warburton closes in on a deal. The 23-year-old decided to activate a get-out clause in his contract to leave the Tynecastle side this summer after leading them to the Championship title. Wilson initially joined Hearts on loan in January 2013, before making his move permanent in the summer of 2013. The Ibrox side are also set to announce the signing of Rob Kiernan after agreeing a fee with Wigan Athletic last week. Earlier on Monday, Warburton had stressed the Championship side wouldn't be rushed into panic deals. PS Yes, Admin, I know I post it on the transfer thread but it seemed to fit here given chilledbear's posts above.

Former Hearts captain Danny Wilson is having a medical at Rangers ahead of sealing a return to Ibrox. Wilson is at the club's Murray Park training centre as Mark Warburton closes in on a deal. The 23-year-old decided to activate a get-out clause in his contract to leave the Tynecastle side this summer after leading them to the Championship title. Wilson initially joined Hearts on loan in January 2013, before making his move permanent in the summer of 2013. The Ibrox side are also set to announce the signing of Rob Kiernan after agreeing a fee with Wigan Athletic last week. Earlier on Monday, Warburton had stressed the Championship side wouldn't be rushed into panic deals. http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/rangers/1323421-danny-wilson-has-medical-at-rangers-ahead-of-deal-for-ibrox-return/

Yes, he did, that's my point - I quoted a report on that interview that gave a very different impression to what was actually said as it struck me as an odd thing for someone to do. Hence my description of it as "weird".

This is a weird report: http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/779281031?-11344:801:0 Rangers confirm interest in Allan, Kiernan, Eustace Mark Warburton has today confirmed official interest in John Eustace, Rob Kiernan and Scott Allan, with Kiernan understood to be undergoing a medical at Murray Park this lunchtime. Allan today removed his current employers Hibernian from his Twitter account, near-verifying he will not be at Easter Road next season, with the battle for his signature coming down to a choice between Rangers and Celtic. Eustace is also on Warburton’s radar, and the manager said this about the former Derby man: "People like John Eustace are few and far between. We have just had a chat about him, no more than that." On Allan he said: “Scott Allan of Hibs is another one I've been alerted to.” And on Rob Kiernan, who appears to be the furthest along, the boss had this to say: "I'd like to bring Rob here he is a very talented player but as I say we are not at the end of the good negotiations. I know him very well from earlier in his career, technically gifted, six foot three inches. He was comfortable at Championship level down south and if we can get him, he would be a good addition." He made no comment on Danny Wilson. Posted by Ibrox Noise at 14:48 Firstly MW did mention Danny Wilson, specifically and secondly the truncated quote above skews the original which continued: ""Scott Allan of Hibs is another one I've been alerted to but he is just one of 100 players given to us and right now it's about us doing our homework and we have to create an environment here where talented players want to come and play for Rangers." MW sounded keener on Wilson than Allen but this report gives the opposite impression.

And the different descriptions of him on here!

http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/livingston/new-livi-ace-sheerin-hails-rangers-wallace-for-rise-1-3808492 When new Livingston striker Jordyn Sheerin dropped down to play amateur football with his mates only three years ago, he thought football was only going to be a hobby for the rest of his life. Now Sheerin can call himself a professional footballer after the 25-year-old earned his first full-time contract, a remarkable feat given how far he’s come from the days when he contemplated giving the game up altogether. Sheerin penned a two-year deal at the Energy Assets Arena last week to become Mark Burchill’s first new signing of the summer transfer window after an embargo forced on the club by the SFA in their investigation into dual ownership was lifted following Gordon Ford taking on majority shareholder status at the club. After a six-week period out of the game when he left East Stirling in 2012, Sheerin was looking ahead to continue to work as a joiner alongside his dad as part of their attic conversion company – a career which he thought would take him to the end of working days. He was disillusioned after part-time spells at Arbroath and East Fife and resigned to the fact that his dream of making it as a professional footballer was over. It took countless phone calls from close friend and Rangers defender Lee Wallace, who started coaching at local amateur club Heriot Vale to persuade Sheerin to get back playing again. The ex-Hearts man showed incredible belief in Sheerin to convince him that he could still make something out of the game and thanks to Wallace, the two could line up against each other in the forthcoming Championship season. “Lee took me there [Heriot Vale] when I’d given up all hopes and ambitions of playing football,” said Sheerin. “Lee would phone me every day and say, ‘Listen, this isn’t happening, you’re going to do something with yourself at whatever level’. He was always right 
behind me pushing me and it took me a wee while to turn round and say, ‘Right, OK, I’ll come and play again’. He 
obviously saw something in me and I owe him a lot. “When I was playing amateur I went there because of the disappointments in the past. I thought when I went down to that level to play with my mates that football would just be a hobby for the rest of my life – it was going to be playing football and working five days a week. Hand on my heart, I thought to myself I’m going to be a joiner for life.” Sheerin’s form for Vale earned him a call-up to the Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur FA (LEAFA) select side, where his goalscoring prowess, including five goals within a 13-minute period after coming off the bench at half-time in an inter-association fixture, got him a call-up to the Scotland amateur team. His performances at the cream of amateur level caught the eye of Musselburgh Athletic manager David McGlynn, who offered Sheerin the chance to join the Olivebank club and he replicated his nous in front of goal with a record 42 goals as Burgh reached the Scottish Junior Cup final. Although admitting the step up to Scotland’s second tier will be massive, Sheerin has no doubts that he’ll be able to cut it in the Championship against the likes of Rangers and Hibs, but first he has set himself a goal of getting rid of his belly before the new season. Livingston begin pre-season today and Sheerin, who has dropped two stone in weight since making the move to the juniors, is aiming to get lean ahead of the new campaign. He’s recently taken up hot yoga with Musselburgh keeper Ali Adams to shed the pounds. “I know I’ll be able to handle the jump,” he said. “The big difference for me will be having a really good pre-season under me. I’m not naive in thinking that the shape my body is in just now is anywhere near what it should be for the Championship. It was fine to get me through playing in the Super League, but drastic things will need to happen. Playing full time football and training every day and with the commitment and drive I’ve got, I’m sure I’ll do really well.” The title of being a professional footballer still hasn’t quite hit him yet and he’s not sure if it ever will. He spent time in the gym at the Energy Assests Arena last week with Scott Pittman, who made the move to Livi from Bo’ness United in January and hounded the midfielder with questions about the step up. He said: “It hasn’t really sunk in yet; I’ve been asking Pittman so many questions about how long it takes until you really realise and he must be getting bored of it. “I was watching Hibs a few seasons back when I was playing amateur and watching it, I felt devastated that I wasn’t playing professional football and thinking to myself I am a player, I’m just not living to my full potential. To be here now, thinking that I could be playing in front of those crowds next season, is just amazing. “When I was working I used to toil to get up for work and now I’m up half an hour earlier than I’ve ever been up before in my life, making coffees for myself and Laura [his girlfriend]. I’m a lucky guy.”

Not much of this reads very believably, but , anyway: Scott Allan has today dropped the biggest hint yet that he is no longer a Hibernian player by removing the club’s name from his official Twitter account. As is well known he is under massive interest from Rangers and Celtic, and Ibroxnoise.co.uk sources have confirmed that Hibs tried to offer him a substantial wage increase and two-year extension. Today’s developments suggest he has rejected that, and it now comes down to a straight choice between the two Old Firm clubs. One source claimed he made a verbal agreement with Celtic manager Ronny Deila a week or so ago, but has yet to agree terms or finalise the deal (this information supposedly came from a current Rangers player), while others have confirmed the asking price has increased to £1.2M and Rangers may be priced out. Rangers have reportedly initiated contact with Hibernian, and with Allan a boyhood fan, he will hope the Ibrox men can stump up enough cash and offer an incentive to make him choose the Championship for another year over the SPL and guaranteed European football with Celtic. http://www.ibroxnoise.co.uk/2015/06/scott-allan-drops-major-hint.html?

Good point and the fee does seem very high, his agent is playing a good game though, it would seem and English clubs from the top two divisions (and some lower) can pay that out on players they'll never even play - just on the off chance, like Liverpool splurging over double that on Danny Wilson, just in case he developed to their standard.

Might be different for a number of reasons: * season tickets might need a boost by something "seen to be happening" by those unwilling to give the new board or manager time to do things in a non-showy manner * MW will be keen to get a core of his team together asap and start crucial pre-season work as immediately as is feasible * Might lose him to someone else if we drag our heels (that's presuming we want him that badly). Though I agree handing Hibs nearly a million quid at this stage of the transfer window is endangering our own prospects.

Danish journalist Soren Sorgenfri has today linked Rangers with Aarhuf GF’s under-21 Danish internationalist Jens Jonsson. The defensive midfielder, capable of playing in both defence & midfield, although primarily a CB, is currently away on duty with his country in the Czech Republic for this summer’s European Championships, and has also been courted by Bristol City and Hearts. With Rangers desperately trying to enhance the squad, a 14-time capped Danish U21 international defender with two goals to his name would not be the worst addition to the squad, although whether new manager Mark Warburton would be looking at him as a first-team starter or a quality reserve is less known. Rangers are currently reportedly working on deals for John Eustace, Danny Wilson, Scott Allan and Rob Kiernan to name but four, and Jonsson could be another contract the Club will endeavour to close out before the end of the week. http://www.ibroxnoise.co.uk/2015/06/rangers-interested-in-danish-u21-star.html?

I'm sure it'll not bother you to be disagreeing with Malky Mckay but, anyway, here's that creature's thoughts on Eustace: One of a dying breed. A warrior. A leader. Rangers fans may have doubts about the prospect of a 35-year-old coming in as their captain and midfield linchpin – but Malky Mackay doesn’t. John Eustace has been targeted by Mark Warburton as a key
 summer signing in the lightning rebuild he’s having to construct in the weeks ahead. Released by Derby, dormant since knee ops in both January 
and April, and in the late autumn of his career, the alarm bells 
were ringing as his name hit 
the headlines in the Daily 
Record yesterday. But few are better placed to pass judgment on him than the former Cardiff and Wigan gaffer who made Eustace his skipper for two years while in charge at Watford. And he believes he’s exactly 
the type his old Vicarage Road 
colleague Warburton needs at the heart of his dressing room. Mackay said: “John’s a real 
warrior, a leader, someone who pulls people in around him and gets them playing as well. “I don’t like to use the phrase ‘a dying breed’ but there aren’t many of them around any more. He’s a guy who orchestrates things in 
the middle of the park. He was my captain and he was an outstanding professional. “Even then, and it’s five years ago now, people were questioning his legs but in centre mid, he was the absolute leader of my team. “He was a good voice on the pitch – something there’s far too little of these days – and a good guy around the changing room. “It’s funny, when I first took over at Watford for three games in between Ady Boothroyd going and Brendan Rodgers taking over, one of the first things I had to do in management was drop him! “I was going to pick a completely different team as I only had three games to make an impression. “I had to bring John in and tell him. It was hard because it wasn’t a kid, it was an experienced pro. “I’ll always remember it because it was the first time I had to go from being the coach who was every player’s pal to being the manager who could impact on someone’s life . But he dealt with it like the pro he was. “And ironically when I got the job a year later I played him every time I possibly could and made him my captain.” Mackay’s a manager who believes age is nothing but a number, a conclusion he arrived at through experience. He captained Watford into 
the Premier League himself at 34, and played there past his 35th birthday. In his promotion season in charge of Cardiff his best pound-for-pound signing 
to help get them to the
 promised land was Heidar Helguson, the 35-year-old hard-as-nails Icelandic striker. And he insists there are plenty of other examples. He said: “You need leadership. If you get the right 
people, it can be so important. “When Watford didn’t renew his contract and let him go two years ago there was quickly a feeling they’d made a mistake. “John went to Derby and was involved in their promotion pushes but injury has stopped him this past season. “But I felt I got better as I got older – at 32, 33, 34 I was 
arguably playing my best. “I won promotion to the Premier League three times in three years with three 
different clubs. “Look at Davie Weir. He was 36 when he signed for Rangers . “These guys are playing at that level for a reason. They dedicate themselves to their profession and look after their body. We all listened to 
Gordon Strachan when he talked about looking after himself the older he got – and he was playing in the Premiership at 40. “Gianfranco Zola was another one. It’s not rocket science. “If you dedicate yourself and have the talent, you can keep 
playing at that level if you play in certain positions where pace 
isn’t so required. “A centre forward, a centre mid or a centre back and you keep your body athletic – not necessarily quick – then you can use your brains as well as your legs and 
keep playing. “Look at Ryan Giggs, still playing Champions League in his late 30s in centre mid because he took to things like yoga, different diet. “John fitted into that category in terms of how he looked after himself. “And it’s also a good character coming into your club – 
I’m sure that is 
something Mark is thinking about as well.” Mackay is watching with 
interest to see how his old pal 
puts Rangers back together again in a hurry. Centre half Rob Kiernan – another who played under Mackay at Watford and briefly at Wigan – is expected to sign tomorrow. And Mackay said: “I had him at Watford at 16 when he was coming through the ranks. “He’s a terrific lad, two good feet and he’s a good age at 24. He’s 
6ft 2in and will deal with Scottish football at that level just fine. “What Mark’s having to do in a short space of time isn’t easy. I had to do it at Cardiff. We had nine players at our first training session and I brought in 10 in a hurry. “He’ll have to do the same. 
No-one gets them all right but he needs to get seven or eight right. “He has no reason not to, though, because he has great knowledge of players and he obviously has a budget to play with.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/malky-mackay-john-eustace-perfect-5921788

I was a bit grumpy there had been no response to my post on this...until I realised I'd put it in the wrong thread! http://the72.co.uk/27094/why-re-signing-john-eustace-should-be-a-priority-for-derby/ Why re-signing John Eustace should be a priority for Derby Derby County missed out on the chance to play in the Premier League at the death for the second time in two seasons with a 3-0 loss at home to Reading causing them to finish outside of the top six. Derby had been top less than three months ago and looked to be cruising to the Championship title, however a poor run of form saw them drop out of the promotion picture all together. One key absentee from Derby’s run in was defensive midfielder John Eustace. Eustace had been a key member in the Derby squad that had reached the Play Off final a year previous and seemed to be favourite of Rams boss Steve McClaren, but an injury in mid January, coupled with a lengthy absence due to a previous injury saw his game time limited in the 2014/15 season. Eustace’s contract is up in the summer and there has been little indication that the 35 year old will be retained, despite his performances rarely stealing the headlines he is still an important player and someone that Derby should be looking to keep. Eustace only played for Derby 13 times last season, managing 1059 minutes in that time, and they certainly benefited from his influence. Derby only lost one game in which Eustace appeared in, that being a 2-1 loss to Wigan in which Eustace scored. Of his 13 games derby won eight, His defensive work is evident when you consider that Derby only conceded once in Eustace’s last eight games, winning six of those games. In terms of stats, Eustace once again is shown to be an integral member of the Derby midfield, he averaged 2.9 tackles and 1.5 interceptions and 1.5 aerial battles won in his 13 games. In terms of passing he averaged nearly 42 passes a game at a success rate of 84.8. The only downside to Eustace’s game is his lack of attacking presence. He did manage one goal in 13 games, but no assists and 0.2 key passes per match meant that it was his only contribution. His lack of discipline is another concern, with him averaging 2.3 fouls a game last season, but his ability to get stuck into the opposition provides intensity to Derby’s defensive duties. At 35 Eustace is certainly not a player for the long term but his stability and experience could be crucial for a Derby side that will be shaken following consecutive failed promotion attempts. He would also be a good mentor for younger midfielders such as Will Hughes and George Thorne, and his lengthy Championship career means that Derby have a proven asset at their level. Overall, a short loan spell and his two years at the club permanently, Eustace has played 62 times and managed three goals, this is a different John Eustace to the man that played 168 times for Watford and scored 16, assisting 13, with the potential to threaten the goal from any distance, he is more mature and conservative in his deeper role, a role that Derby will be desperate to fill if the veteran is to leave The Ipro Stadium. ABOUT AUTHOR STEPHEN MARTIN

A few experienced heads guiding the youngsters. That's what he said he wanted. Lets give the manager a chance!

Yes, but we have the most unsettled team going into the new season- new owners, new management, new team that needs time to gel

St Mirren, Hibs and QotS as three of our first four = we'll have to start well. Of course the 4th team in those fixtures being Alloa spells doom as much as any other!

I quickly edited mine to a string of full stops on re-reading yours!

....................................

I didn;t think I should start a new thread for this, but it sort of fits in with this thread (if not the title) http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/new-rangers-boss-wants-brentford-duo-to-join-him-at-ibrox/? New Rangers boss wants Brentford duo to join him at Ibrox Date: 17th June 2015 at 7:44 pm Written by: Lee Clarke | Comments (0) As featured on NewsNow: Football NewsFootball News 24/7 Newly appointed Rangers boss Mark Warburton is set to return to Griffin Park to take two of his former players to Ibrox, according to reports in the Scotsman. The ex-Bees boss wants to make midfielder Stuart Dalls his first summer signing at his new club and is set to test Brentford’s resolve with a bid of £1.5 million. The Northern Ireland international has two years left on his contract at Griffin Park and netted eight goals in 44 appearances last season, as the Bees qualified for the Championship play-offs with a fifth-placed finish. It is thought that the seven-figure price tag will not put the Scottish giants off, with incoming chairman Dave King pledging to splash the cash. Warburton is also keen on taking out-of-contract defender Alfie Mawson north of the border, with the club being short on defenders at present. Rangers released the majority of last season’s back line at the end of last season and Mawson, who spent the 2014/15 campaign on loan with League Two side Wycombe Wanderers, is high on Warburton’s list of targets.

Mark Warburton@MarkWarburton9 Sincere thanks for the many warm messages of welcome.Facilities outstanding and looking forward to meeting up with players and staff

I love it that no media hack had a sniff of the story until our bid was accepted. Medical thing is a bit concerning, though

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/walter-smith-david-weir-would-5896101? LIFE’S greatest journeys are seldom planned on a road map. They just happen, sometimes almost by accident. For example, when Walter Smith first arrived at Ibrox, 29 years ago this summer as assistant manager to Graeme Souness, he was fairly sure life was about to change forever. But he had no idea to what extent or, far less, that he would end up creating history as the architect-in-chief of 
Nine in a Row. It was the same at the start of his second spell in charge. When he signed Davie Weir as a short-term emergency he could never have envisaged that the defender, who was already well into his veteran years, would still be lifting trophies four and half years later. If experience has taught him 
anything it’s most probably the futility of guesswork. Which is why Smith knows better than to predict a similar managerial journey for Weir, who has returned to Govan as wingman to the club’s new manager Mark Warburton. Smith said: “I certainly don’t think he’s taken the job as assistant to Mark with one eye on becoming the manager himself. Anyone who knows football knows it doesn’t work like that. It was certainly the last thing on my mind when I agreed to work as Graeme’s assistant. “What happens in the future, 
nobody knows. All Mark and Davie 
need to know right now is they need 
to be successful. That can be their 
only aim.” Smith does not doubt that Warburton sees his own final destination at the top end of England’s Premier League. But he believes Weir may have played a crucial role in persuading the much sought after 52-year-old to take this timely diversion following his surprise departure from Brentford. He said: “There is no easy route into managing in the English Premier League. Mark took his first job at Brentford and there’s no doubt he’s held in high regard in England. “But he’s obviously spent some time thinking over his next move. “It doesn’t matter what anyone says, Rangers and Celtic are still massive clubs to be given the opportunity to manage. You can achieve a profile within these clubs which might be difficult to achieve in other places. “Yes the Premier League is one of the main leagues in the world and I’m sure Mark still has ambitions to get there. “But Davie will have been instrumental in telling him how big an opportunity this is and, on top of that, Mark will see this as a chance to get European football which is a massive incentive for any aspiring manager. “Regardless of how highly you’re rated down there, you have to land a job at one of the major clubs before you get the same opportunity.” And Smith is sure of one other thing – that Warburton and Weir wouldn’t have touched this job with a bargepole had he still been presiding over what had become the most dysfunctional board in British football. The former chairman said: “They’ll be happy to be joining at this time because there has been a change of circumstances in the boardroom which is as important as the management aspect. “Davie had a go at management at Sheffield United but the circumstances were not conducive to being successful. That’s something people don’t understand – more and more managers are suffering because of the circumstances at their clubs. “It happened to Davie in Sheffield, to me at Everton and Ally McCoist over three or four years at Rangers. It’s not an excuse, it’s just a factor that you have to handle. But if the circumstances had not changed at Rangers I don’t think Mark and Davie would have put themselves into this situation. “That’s what pleases me most about it – Rangers are becoming predominately about football again. The fans now feel the club is ready to get back to some kind of normality and to concentrate on being successful on the pitch. “There’s a new board and new management team and a new era is ready to begin. That’s exciting for everyone connected with the club after all they have gone through. “This is the first time in four years there is a feeling of genuine optimism inside Ibrox. That’s a massive statement on its own.” And yet, from personal experience, Smith knows Warburton will be in for a shock at the scale of the task he has taken on – and the intensity which comes with it. He said: “ It came as a shock to myself when I left Dundee United in 1986. “What hit me right away was the rise in profile. We had always done well under Jim McLean but at Rangers we were operating under a microscope. “It’s the same at Celtic and clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea. But there are very few jobs in any country which come with such pressure. When I was working in England I used to tell people that they would be surprised. “Down there the newspaper coverage is more regionalised because there are so many clubs. But up here? It’s Rangers, Celtic and Scotland dominating every national newspaper every day. “That’s where Davie’s experience at Rangers will be a big factor. They have shown they work well together as a team in their own roles and they seem to get on with each other. “But Davie’s knowledge of Rangers – from the four-and-a-half years that he had as a player – is an advantage. “During that time Davie was turning his mind towards management and coaching. So he will have been looking at things from that perspective and forming his own ideas. The intensity certainly won’t surprise him. “When I signed him it was only meant to be for six months and at that stage he was only interested in playing. “But such was his influence on the team that he lasted for another four years after that first half season, which really was quite remarkable and a testament to his professionalism. “It was later on he began to turn an eye to coaching. He’s a bright fella so it wasn’t a surprise he started to do his coaching badges because he was one of these boys, when you saw the way he operated with other players, it looked like a natural progression for him. “It wasn’t just his leadership qualities or his experience – it was because of the type of person he is. The other players just had a huge amount of respect for him. He’s not the sort for bawling and shouting at people. “He goes about his business quietly and professionally and with a single-minded determination to be a winner. That’s exactly what Rangers need as the new era begins.”