Warburton asks for time before judging

RANGERS boss Mark Warburton insists he is being given all the backing he wants from the Ibrox board and has urged fans to give it time before judging him and his low-key signing policy.

The Ladbrokes Championship side released 11 players at the end of last term and have added just three to the first-team squad in Danny Wilson, Rob Kiernan and Wes Foderingham, with Andy Halliday also close to signing a three-year contract.

Kiernan is the only one of those four to have commanded a transfer fee, costing around £200,000, with a bid reported to have been turned down by Wigan Athletic for his former teammate James Tavernier.

Jason Holt and John Eustace are currently on trial, with Warburton stating that he is “close on three or four players”, but the Rangers manager has branded his current squad “really good” and insists he would happy to start the season tomorrow.

“Every player we have gone for so far, we have secured,” he said. “That is the basic fact. We have not lost a player and it is great to have received that

level of support. Our job is to make sure we go to the powers-that-be with players who offer value.

“We wouldn’t last here if that was the case. It is always about quality and not quantity. If I can’t get any of the right players, we are happy with what we have got.”

Rangers have lacked a real marquee signing to mark the era of Warburton and Dave King, but the manager has even suggested he worries bringing in a £1m player could disrupt the equilibrium of the dressing room.

“I would ask the supporters to name one Brentford player we brought in,” he said. “It’s the same thing. If you spend £1m or £2m, it doesn’t mean you get value for money. You have to think about words like ‘harmony’ and ‘unity’ within the squad. You have to make sure it is a happy dressing room.”

BT Sport, meanwhile, have announced their schedule for televised SPFL matches and will air the Ladbrokes Championship match between Rangers and St Mirren on Friday August 7, 2015.