Rangers currently sit fifth in the Scottish Premiership table with nine points from their opening six matches.
Former Rangers and England midfielder Ray Wilkins has told Sky Sports News that he thinks the club need to be more patient and realistic with their expectations following their return to the Scottish top flight.
This the first time the Gers have competed in the Scottish Premiership since their liquidation in 2012, and following three promotions in four seasons the club are now back to where they were.
But following the Glasgow club’s 5-1 defeat to rivals Celtic earlier in the month and the situation with new signing Joey Barton, Wilkins believes Rangers need to view themselves as a newly-promoted side rather than potential challengers at the top of the table.
“Rangers are going to suffer a pretty difficult season,” he told Sky Sports News.
“They’ve had quick promotions and they find themselves back in the Premiership with great expectations upon them. Far too much expectation.
“They lost the other week, 5-1 against Celtic – I thought the maximum they could get was a draw in my opinion and they got hammered by a very good Celtic side on the day.”
And the 60-year-old pundit believes the Old Firm result should act as a wake-up call and encourage the team to fight back and improve as the season progresses under Mark Warburton.
“It shows their limitations and what’s going to happen this year,” Wilkins continued. “They lie in fifth position at the moment and there’s no reason as to when the season progresses that they won’t improve on that.
“I’ve got the utmost confidence in Mark, I think he’s done a fantastic job at Rangers and I’m sure he will do from hereon in.”
Rangers will have a chance to get revenge on Celtic in the Scottish League Cup semi-final next month, though for now they will be preparing for the long trip up north to face Aberdeen on Sunday (1pm kick-off).
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