Alex McLeish predicts Scottish Premiership position Rangers will be fighting for this season

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Mark Warburton’s Glasgow Rangers side are currently fifth in the table after a mixed start.

Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish

Alex McLeish has told the Evening Times that he expects Celtic to win the Scottish Premiership title this season, and thus, Rangers will be in the battle for second place.

Mark Warburton’s men have endured a mixed time since their promotion to the top flight. One league win since August in conjunction with defeats to Celtic and Aberdeen has left the Light Blues fifth in the table, already seven points behind the Hoops.

Rangers manager Mark Warburton

And with McLeish conceding that their Old Firm foes – who also have a game in hand – should be out of sight, the former Gers boss suggested who their main rivals will be this term.

“It is for Mark to discover this league as well and for his players to show that they can compete,” he told the Evening Times.

Rangers have already lost significant ground to Celtic

“I would say they are going to be in there for the runners-up alongside Aberdeen and Hearts. I really can’t see Rangers taking the title from Celtic, as much as I want them to.”

In fairness to Warburton, he took what appeared to be a calculated gamble in the summer by signing several names who boasted bags of top flight experience in England, where the pressure and expectation is extremely intense.

And while many would have expected that to benefit those players’ chances of thriving at Ibrox, several of the new acquisitions have taken time to settle.

Though Niko Kranjcar, Clint Hill and Philippe Senderos have shown signs in recent weeks that suggest that they are starting to find some good form, it has arguably come too late for a title charge this season unless the team puts together an incredible run of results.

But if the whole team can build on the promising signs of late, it seems likely that they will stand a great chance of winning the battle for second, and perhaps putting some pressure on the Hoops ahead of next season.