Skip to content

Rangers have made ‘significant progress' in recent games, says Mark Warburton

Mark Warburton has seen 'significant progress' from Rangers in recent weeks
Image: Mark Warburton has seen 'significant progress' from Rangers in recent games

Mark Warburton has seen "significant progress" in Rangers' recent performances despite Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen.

The Gers have taken just nine points from their opening seven Scottish Premiership games this season but there has been an upturn in form since their 5-1 defeat to Celtic, despite two poor results in the league against Ross County and the Dons.  

Aberdeen were given the opportunity to seal victory at Pittodrie thanks to a controversial free-kick awarded in the final minute and Warburton believes "fine margins" have impacted upon recent results.

"It's difficult for our fans to swallow when you take one point from six, that's not Rangers but we hope very much that they can see a lot of big progress is being made," he told the club's official website.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Highlights of the SPFL game between Aberdeen and Rangers at Pittodrie.

"There is loads more to come but we think in the last few games we have seen significant, consistent progress. We know we went to Pittodrie, delivered a good display and should have come away with the points.

"The fine margins are never ever an excuse, you have to look at it and over the course of a season what goes around comes around. You'd like to think they even themselves out over 38 games but when you look at them, it's frustrating."

Watch the Ryder Cup on NOW TV
Watch the Ryder Cup on NOW TV

Get a NOW TV Week Pass for £10.99. No contract.

Rangers were undone when referee John Beaton adjudged James Tavernier to have fouled Johnny Hayes, with James Maddison scoring a sensational goal from the resulting set-piece but Warburton is not looking for sympathy.

Also See:

"The free-kick came, has been well documented and I think has been clarified that there was no free-kick," he added. "They are the fine margins at the moment and they are not going our way, no excuses and we're not looking for a sympathy vote, far from it."

Warburton was upset with John Beaton after the Aberdeen game
Image: Warburton was upset with referee John Beaton after the Aberdeen game

Rangers have scored just eight league goals so far this season and have lost the opening goal in five of their seven matches but Warburton insists his side must continue to work through their problems.

"It is just work," he added. "We have to make sure that work is there and they have been putting it in. I get frustrated, David Weir does and so do the staff because they never got the rewards on Sunday.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher says he didn't believe James Tavernier's last-minute challenge was a foul in the Aberdeen v Rangers game.

"We asked them to be brave, the Aberdeen line-up suggested energy in their side, lots of running to shut us down and stop us playing our game. We got out time and time again and got on the ball and created chances.

"People talk about possession and it means nothing without penetration and goals but to go there and dominate the ball in that manner is pleasing.

"I think we had more possession and chances against Aberdeen than we had against Queen of the South but we were more clinical in that game. At 1-1 we felt we should have had more out of the game, we could have tested the keeper more.

Aberdeen's Jonny Hayes (right) and Rangers' James Tavernier battle for the ball during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match at Pittodrie
Image: Aberdeen's Jonny Hayes (R) and Tavernier battle for the ball

"We had a header over the bar, Martyn Waghorn had an effort just over the bar, Jason Holt has put it wide and Joe Garner had a header blocked at the far post so we had a number of different chances."

Watch every minute of the Ryder Cup, plus Friday Night Football and the Malaysia Grand Prix, on NOW TV for £10.99. No contract.

Around Sky