THE Rangers kids need more experienced players around them in order to cope with the excessive demands of the Ibrox support.

That is the message from former Gers starlet Robert Fleck today as he responded to growing criticism of Ally McCoist's young side.

Fleck knows exactly what the likes of Robbie Crawford, Lewis Macleod and Barrie McKay have been going through this season.

He was a baby-faced boy of just 18 when he broke into the first team at his boyhood heroes back in 1984 in a game against Hearts at Tynecastle.

It was not a halcyon era for the Glasgow giants; they finished fourth, fourth and fifth in the Premier League in his first three seasons.

Despite a distinct lack of investment in the squad, fans were not slow in voicing their displeasure at Fleck and his contemporaries.

So the ex-striker can fully appreciate the flak that has been flying in the direction of the current Rangers team in recent weeks.

Despite winning the Irn-Bru Third Division comfortably, they have played poorly against Stirling Albion, Annan Athletic and Montrose.

But Fleck, now a scout at Barclays Premier League club Norwich City, feels there are not enough senior professionals in the Rangers team at the moment.

He said: "When I was a kid and I got into the Rangers team they weren't doing that well. But there were still a lot of great players there to help us out.

"The likes of Davie Cooper, Bobby Russell, Tam Forsyth, Peter McCloy, Sandy Clark, Bobby Russell and Derek Johnstone, to name just some, were all at the club.

"Unfortunately, in the predicament Rangers are in just now, the young lads don't have that many older professionals to look up to. Ally is unable to buy and they are going through a bad spell."

He went on: "He does have some experienced players in Neil Alexander and Lee McCulloch. After them, though, you have to look hard for players who are going to help the young lads as they come through.

"Rangers have always been happy to give the best young players a chance. But there were always a lot of experienced players there to help them. Unfortunately, they have not got the back-up they need."

Fleck dismissed the argument that, as highly-paid full-time professionals playing against part-time opponents, Rangers should win all of their matches, home and away, in the fourth tier comfortably.

"The fact they are playing part-time footballers in the Third Division doesn't really matter," he said. "Those guys are going to raise their games whenever they play Glasgow Rangers."

Fleck recalled the difficulties that a young player starting out on his career at Rangers has to overcome before they can even break into the first team.

He said: "When you are a kid, just going in to Ibrox to train can be overwhelming. When you sign and become a full-time player there is an enormous amount of pressure on you straight away. Your life totally changes."

The former Scotland striker, though, feels the kids should still feel grateful for getting the chance to play while they can and must do their utmost to stake a claim for future inclusion.

He said: "Rangers are miles ahead in the league and have won it with room to spare. But still the fans expect better. They have always been like that. When you aren't performing they will let you know about it.

"But in many ways you are lucky because you are getting to play. These lads have got to think that way. They have got to grow up quickly. Now they have got their chance they have to take it."

Fleck played up front alongside current manager McCoist when he was at Rangers and remembers the tough time his former team-mate endured at the outset of his Ibrox career.

He believes there could be nobody better to help the Murray Park youth graduates through their current travails and has tipped the club legend to survive and thrive as manager.

He said: "Ally knows what these guys are experiencing as he has been through it himself. When I was there he would get some terrible abuse.

"He could easily have packed his bags and gone during that time. He had opportunities to do so. But he was determined his time would not be deemed a failure. That is what kept him going.

"He has done better than I expected him to given the short space of time he had to get a team together. I think what he has achieved has been absolutely fantastic."