KENNY McDowall is confident the alarming slumps in form that resulted in some of the worst losses in Rangers' history last season are now in the past.

The Ibrox club was forced to kick off the 2012/13 campaign without playing a single pre-season match as a result of ongoing off-field turmoil.

And manager Ally McCoist then had to put his faith in several of the Murray Park kids due to the threadbare nature of his first-team squad.

Youngsters like Fraser Aird, Lewis Macleod and Barrie McKay all performed superbly given their tender years and lack of experience of senior football.

Yet, at times they struggled to cope with the physical demands of the Third Division as well as the mental pressure of representing such a major club.

The lack of preparation also appeared to take its toll on the smattering of senior professionals who remained with the Light Blues last summer.

The consequences of that were disastrous; Rangers crashed to a host of humiliating results much to the consternation of their disbelieving support. They drew with fourth-tier rivals Peterhead, Berwick Rangers and Annan Athletic away from home and lost to bottom-placed Stirling Albion on the road.

Despite recovering from that fraught start and establishing a healthy lead at the top of the table, even worse indignities were to follow. They drew with Elgin City, Montrose and Stirling in front of large crowds at Ibrox – and were also beaten by Annan and Peterhead.

This summer, though, McCoist has managed to bring in seven senior players despite the signing ban the SFA imposed on Rangers for non-payment of taxes.

Cammy Bell, Jon Daly, Nicky Law, Richard Forster and Stevie Smith all have extensive experience of playing in the top flight.

And Rangers No.2 McDowall is confident the team will be far more consistent in the future as a result of their improved preparation and increased strength in depth.

He said: "There are a lot of different options for us in every department of the team now.

"We have, for example, got a fair few full-backs at the club now with both Richard Foster and Stevie Smith coming in during the summer.

"Last year we were stuck with the same group of players for virtually the entire campaign.

"They did fantastically well at times all things considered. But at times they struggled.

"Now we have the ability to change things around if we need to, whether it be for tactical reasons or just to inject some freshness into the team.

"We have that choice now where we did not have it before. Hopefully that will make a difference in our level of performance throughout the season.

"The good thing for the manager and the coaches here is that we have the ability to chop and change the team as and when required. We didn't have that luxury last season.

"Every member of the squad is looking over their shoulder and seeing a rival for their place. That competition for places should keep the standard high. It is what we are looking for."

"Last year our pre-season was a bit of a nightmare. I thought the boys actually did very well considering they could not prepare properly for the new campaign."

HE ADDED: "At a club like Rangers, where you are expected to win every game you play domestically, it is very important. You have to prepare properly.

"The boys have really enjoyed this pre-season. They have worked hard in our training sessions and in the games that we have played.

"It has been completely different last summer to anything I have experienced before."

Meanwhile, McDowall has assured the youngsters they will still be heavily involved in the Rangers first team despite the arrival of the new players in recent weeks.

And he is anticipating they will contribute even more to the Govan club's cause in the future thanks to the invaluable experience they gained last season.

He explained: "We are all hoping the lads will be even better this season."

McDowall is anticipating more players from the youth ranks will make the breakthrough into the team this season – starting with defender Kyle McAusland.

The 20-year-old made his first-team debut in the first pre-season friendly against Brora Rangers at Dudgeon Park earlier this month and performed encouragingly at sweeper.

McDowall enthused: "We sent Kyle out on loan to Ayr United last year and he stayed at Somerset Park for the full season.

"He has come back to the club and has fitted in with the boys on and off the pitch really well.

"His attitude is great and he has got great ability. On top of that, he is a big lad as well. He has got a lot going for him.

"I've no doubt he will want to make an impression as he saw so many of the young boys getting their chance last year. He will be looking to do the same in the coming season."