Warburton hopes for an Ibrox effect
surrounds will help lift the performance of even the most experienced of players.
Barton has already gone out of his way to demonstrate he is gradually learning about Rangers’s history and traditions – quoting Bill Struth, winding up Celtic players and laughing online at their European defeat etc – and the manager’s wish is for others to show similar willing.
It is debatable whether it makes any difference to a player’s on-field contribution whether he chooses to study the backstory of his new club or not but Warburton felt that it can only be a positive.
Ahead of every pre-match meal at home, the players troop past reminders of successful Rangers teams of the past as they wind their way through the corridors of Ibrox. Warburton hopes it will lead the current team to one day have their own achievements placed behind glass for posterity.
“It won’t be the normal Ibrox crowd [against Annan] but the new boys will experience that in the first league game of the season or maybe even against Burnley,” said the manager.
“But there will still be a good turn out and it’ll help the players to get accustomed to the stadium and the playing surface. We have two home games before Burnley come up so we’ll make sure everyone has that experience.
“You don’t realise at first [when you walk out the tunnel] that there’s a third tier [on the Main Stand]. When you’re on the touchline and you look behind you see the director’s box and then there’s another level above that as well. When you walk round the far side you understand the sheer size of it. It’s a proper football ground.
“When we go for our pre-match meal we walk up the marble staircase and we walk down past the various caps and badges and the history of the place. So the players experience that and they have a look in the Blue Room and the Trophy Room and the Family Lounge so they’re well aware of the history. What we need to do now is get their photographs up there. We did it last year by winning the Championship and the Petrofac Training Cup but we need more pictures up on those walls. That means winning trophies and league titles.”
Harry Forrester, the winger who missed the run-in to last season due to injury, is another who believes Ibrox can be an inspiring arena. “Even the manager said that when he came up, he didn’t realise until he got to Scotland and walked out at Ibrox what it is like,” he said. “As soon as the new boys feel that they will be hungry for more. They have played at some great clubs but Rangers fans are unique. They get right behind you everywhere you go. They talk to you and wish you well and they will thrive off that.”
Warburton, who revealed he is close to completing the signing of Joe Dodoo from Leicester City, believes his squad are moving through the gears the closer they get to the start of the new Premiership season on August 6.
“Everyone’s champing at the bit to play because they’re all winners. Some are further behind than others in terms of training – Joey started later than the others and didn’t go to Charleston with us. Niko Kranjcar got half an hour on Saturday [against Motherwell] so we’ll up that to an hour and we’ll keep increasing that load. Everything is geared towards August 6 but, with the games coming thick and fast, we’ve got to be careful and ensure things aren’t too intense too early.”