TALKING RANGERS

IT WAS a matter of when, not if. The writing had been on the wall, but the I’s had to be dotted and the T’s crossed. In the end, even that took longer than expected.

The timing may have been a surprise to some, but the outcome shouldn’t have caught anyone unawares.

The Scottish Cup clash with Morton tomorrow had been portrayed as a make-or-break 90 minutes for Mark Warburton. The 53-year-old didn’t even make it that far.

At 21.00 on Friday night, Rangers released the statement that brought an end to Warburton’s tenure at Ibrox. The announcement was late, but for many the decision was belated.

The pressure had grown on Warburton in recent days after his side followed up the 4-1 capitulation at Tynecastle with a 1-1 draw against Ross County but the spotlight had been on him for some time.

He had insisted that he wasn’t feeling the strain. On Friday afternoon as he conducted his pre-match press conference, Warburton was adamant that he didn’t believe his job was on the line.

Just hours later, he was gone. He took assistant manager David Weir and Frank McParland, the Head of Recruitment, with him.

All three men attended a board meeting at Ibrox last month as chairman Dave King and his directors posed a series of probing questions, mainly regarding Rangers’ transfer strategy in the summer ummer and the value for money y the club was getting out of a series of deals.

With his side 27 points adrift of Celtic in the e Premiership and behind Aberdeen erdeen on goal difference, Warburtonburton was under scrutiny from om the Director’s Box and the e terraces.

As discontent t amongst supporters grew ew and more doubts were raised over Warburrburton’s ability, itt became clearer that at a divorce was on the he cards just months hs after he signed a new contract that doubled his Ibrox salary. A Rangers sou source said: “It has been obvious for some time that the manager has not been up to the job and indeed, out of his depth. “The resu results and signing policy have just not been goo good enough and the team and the club shoul should be further ahead than it is at prese present. “T “The manager has been keen to pro promote the noti tion that Celti ic’s superior s spending powe er has seen them amass a 27 point lead in the Premiership.

“However, Rangers have only lost two games to Celtic, and six points.

“The other 21 points conceded by Rangers have been against clubs with infinitely inferior financial resources to those made available to Mark Warburton.”

The 340-word statement posted on the Rangers website confirmed that Warburton, Weir and McParland were gone.

Like many chapters in the Rangers story, nothing was straightforward and there was another twist in the tale. In the whirlwind of counter-claim and information that ensured there was one fact that was clear: Warburton won’t be back at Ibrox.

MANY Gers fans had made up their minds that Warburton wasn’t the right man to see out the season, never mind start another campaign, weeks, even months ago.

But it was in the last few days that Warburton made the first move as he and his righthand men edged towards the Ibrox exit door.

Rangers were approached by agent Dave Lockwood, work-