Joining English elite appeals to Warburton
SINCE being unveiled as manager in June, Mark Warburton’s sole concern has been to ensure Rangers are a Scottish Premiership team next season.
However, for the briefest of moments yesterday, the Londoner contemplated the possibility of the Ibrox club one day joining the more illustrious English version.
Dermot Desmond, the Irish financier and Celtic’s largest shareholder, had set the hare running on the saga for the umpteenth time on Wednesday by stating that he foresaw a British Premiership within 10 years.
While such a familiar statement might well be met with a collective shrug of the shoulders by fans from both sides of the Glasgow divide, Warburton’s take on it — as a football fan and a manager — was intriguing.
Asked if he also saw it happening, the Rangers boss replied: ‘Yes, but there are a lot of things to be worked out beforehand. But I think one day it will happen.
‘I think people will want it because of the draw of Rangers and Celtic and their supporters. All the obvious things. But there are many, many avenues to be worked out first.’
The actual means of Rangers one day making regular visits to the Emirates or Old Trafford remain some way beyond Warburton’s ken, though.
‘It would need people more clever than I am to work that one out,’ he added.
‘But I don’t think you would go into a league straight away. Whether you would first go i nto a cup competition ... I don’t know. But I think sooner or later, it has to be given some serious focus.’
The counter argument has always been straightforward; when an English club can claw in £100million for finishing in 20th place, the disincentive for welcoming the big two from Glasgow is obvious.
Warburton i s aware t hat turkeys are not normally inclined to vote for an early Christmas but he believes the staleness that will eventually take hold of the world’s most lucrative league will see change demanded by other, more powerful parties.
‘What dominates English football is the TV money,’ he said. ‘ We have spoken about the quality of the product, so therefore you always want to keep it fresh. If things get stale, you will lose viewers and clients, etc.
‘I would imagine it would be seen as keeping it fresh — with new additions who are big clubs with big fan bases.
‘Sometimes you turn on Monday night football and it’s Club X versus Club Y — does it really appeal to the average man in the street? Suddenly you would get Man Utd v Rangers or Arsenal v Celtic ... so I would imagine that would be one aspect.’
Back in the here and now, Warburton hopes to end the first quarter of the Championship term with a perfect record by seeing off Falkirk at Ibrox tomorrow.
If that would be a heady enough feat, the fact 28 goals have been scored in the process has been just as pleasing.
The style of play Warburton has cultivated has seen him and his players afforded hero status by a long- suffering support. But he remains acutely aware that stern examinations of their principles lie in wait.
‘The fans have been great but that’s a danger for us, they might revert to type and encourage us to hit it l ong,’ warned Warburton.
‘If it doesn’t go right or we concede a goal, the obvious thing is go back to what you know.
‘So we need to be wary of the fans losing patience and, if they do, that puts a lot of pressure on the young players.
‘ But t he f ans have been outstanding. I hope they can see what we are trying to do and I hope they can see the effort of the players. As l ong as the commitment is there, the fans will buy into it.’
So far, manager, players and fans are on the same page. It was the same for Warburton this time last year, only for Brentford owner Matthew Benham to intervene.
Benham, a professional gambler, believed the Bees should follow the so-called moneyball model, where statistical analysis is at the heart of every decision.
Warburton begged to differ and the pair parted company.
This week, the team he took to the play- offs last year parted company with his successor, Marinus Dijkhuizen.
Warburton was reluctant to dwell on what has happened at Griffin Park over the past couple of years but hasn’t changed his view that while statistics have their place in the modern game, so does the naked eye.
‘I think it’s a balance,’ he said. ‘I don’t think you can go too far right or too far left.
‘You are going to have data. Data is going to play a bigger role, but it doesn’t mean the scout’s eyes are worthless or information flow from within the game is worthless.
‘There’s no doubt statistics have a part in the game. It’s just how you use them.’
Rangers are still offering fans a 25-per-cent discount on season tickets, with prices starting from as little as £197 for adults, £157 concessions and £3 for kids in the Club Deck and Family section.