Mols tells fans: Title tilt would be true miracle but don’t lose faith in Warbs..
IT IS one thing being aware of the expectation levels, but it is quite another being able to live up to them. That is the situation that Mark Warburton finds himself in at Ibrox. He needs time, but he is short of it.
Rangers have collected just nine points from their first seven Premiership outings. They are seventh in the standings and already seven points adrift of Celtic.
Their form in the opening weeks of the campaign has not been that of a team who, by the manager’s admission, had to be “highly competitive” on their return to the league, never mind title challengers. Warburton has a number of issues to solve but is now un
der increasing pressure after seeing his side falter against Hamilton, Kilmarnock, Celtic, Ross County and Aberdeen.
The manner in which Rangers won the Championship last term, coupled with the arrival of a host of new players, meant hopes were high amongst the Light Blue legions before a competitive ball was kicked in the Premiership.
But the former Ibrox striker Michael Mols believes the demands from the stands should be more realistic and fans should understand the process that Warburton is working through.
“I think it’s normal. It’s a big step from the Championship back to the Premier League,” he said. “It also has to do with the expectation from everybody. I think it’s too high.
“The team need time, the manager needs time. They are
not there yet where they belong, to challenge for the title, but that’s normal.
“You can’t expect a team just back in the top flight to be challenging for the title.
“The thing is, for the opponent it’s still Rangers … the old Rangers, so they’re all fired up and giving everything, but Rangers don’t yet have the quality to compete directly.”
HAVING started out with their sights set on silverware, some supporters are adjusting their goals when it comes to what Rangers can achieve this term.
For many, the Premiership crown was a realistic aim but Warburton’s side have been unable to live up to the hype in the opening weeks.
The visit of Partick Thistle this weekend is a chance for the Gers to get their campaign back on track as they bid to end a four-game run without a win in the top flight.
Former boss Ally McCoist stated last month that it could be two or three years before the Light Blues are in a position to challenge for the title once again.
And Mols believes those in the stands have to think longterm as the rebuilding job continues on and off the park at Ibrox.
“Maybe next season,” he said. “This season they need to adjust as quickly as possible.
“Also the manager is just building the team again and it takes time. In football everything’s unpredictable. You can’t say OK we have two months for this, then two months for that. It goes up and down.
“Of course the supporters want success directly and they want back the Rangers like before, challenging for the title, but it doesn’t work that way in football.
“It needs time and if you see also the budget the manager has, he has to be very sensible and careful with spending and even then if you buy a player it doesn’t mean it’s going to be the right one.
“You always have to wait and see.”
The thirst for success has never diminished at Ibrox but Warburton finds himself in a situation that none of his predecessors have been in as he looks to turn a second tier winning side into one capable of lifting the Premiership crown.
THE 54-year-old added 11 players to his squad over the summer but the Gers have failed to hit the ground running.
He has been encouraged by the steps forward that have been taken, yet the speed of progress is not enough to satisfy some.
Mols said: “For me it was different [settling in to Rangers]. They won the Treble the year before.
“I came in ’99 so the team was already there. I was just like the missing piece of the puzzle when I look at that now, so it was easy for me to adjust.”