IT is not about the taking part ... it is about the winning for Mark Warburton and Rangers.

The Petrofac Training Cup may not be at the top of the new Ibrox manager’s wish list this season, but that doesn’t diminish his determination to lift the silverware.

He is in it to win it.

Having already toppled their biggest rivals for the competition on Saturday as Hibernian were swept aside in an eight-goal thriller at Easter Road, the odds on Rangers emerging victorious come April are expectedly short.

The memories of recent years show that upsets can happen, though, and Rangers only need to recall the penalty shoot-out defeat to Queen of the South, final turmoil against Raith Rovers or capitulation at Alloa to know they can take nothing for granted this term.

It is the Ladbrokes Championship title that is Warburton’s main aim in his first season in Scottish football and, for his sake as well as Rangers’, failure is not an option.

But the 52-year-old will treat every challenge, every opponent and every 90 minutes with the same careful planning and same intensity as he looks to make his mark at Ibrox.

Rangers will face Peterhead in League Cup action and St Mirren and Alloa on Championship duty before they meet Ayr United at Somerset Park in their Petrofac second-round tie next month.

And Warburton will ensure his side are in prime shape and fully equipped to tackle the Honest Men as they look to compete on all four fronts this term.

“I don’t know a great deal about Ayr, but I will do by the time we play them,” the former Brentford boss said.

“It’ll be a tough place to go to, though, and I’m sure I’ll be told that much by David Weir.

“We look forward to it. We have an idea about them because we played them in a closed-door game but, as it was for us, it was in the early part of their pre-season preparations.

“I’m sure they’ll have come together as a team, so we’ll need to put in a certain level of performance.

“Any competition you go into you want to win it, but it also offers all of our players the chance to be involved. It’s not about an 11 or 14, it’s about using your entire squad and making sure that every single player, at any given time, is in shape to play for you.

“That’s how it should work, so we’ll keep it lean and keep it tight and make sure that everyone feels part of it.”

Warburton has spent recent weeks overhauling his Ibrox squad and has given his major summer signings – Wes Foderingham, James Tavernier, Danny Wilson, Rob Kiernan, Andy Halliday, Jason Holt and Martyn Waghorn – chances to make positive impressions in the friendly fixture against Burnley last week and cup clash with Hibs on Saturday.

The Gers boss referred to the Easter Road trip as ‘game four’ in terms of his side’s preparations ahead of the new Championship campaign, which starts at home to St Mirren a week on Friday.

And Warburton hopes getting their first win on the board will lead to further successes for Rangers this term.

He said: “From our point of view, we have new players coming to the club and you want to win games because winning becomes a habit. It’s an old saying, but it’s true.

“I want to win every single game, as every team should do, so we’ll be prepared as best as we can be for every match that we play.

“It’s important, having entered the tournament, that we win it or, at least, go as far as we possibly can in it. Our aim is to collect the trophy.”

While the Championship title remains the biggest and most sought-after prize for Rangers this term, the Light Blues cannot afford to take their eye off the ball when it comes to knockout action.

The battle on four fronts is a tricky one to fight and will require every player in Warburton’s newly-assembled squad to play their part in the coming weeks and months.

And the Gers boss will mix and match to ensure that Rangers remain on the right course through his maiden campaign in the dugout.

Warburton said: “I don’t see it as fighting a war – I see it as an educational opportunity for our young players.

“You want to give your defensive and midfield units the chance to work together, so you’ve got to use every opportunity that comes along.

“The senior players can handle all of the fun, so to speak, but we also need to make sure that it fits into a balanced schedule and I think it will do.

“At Brentford last season we were playing Tuesday/Saturday every single week and that was tough.

“That’s not so prevalent in Scotland, but we’ll look to use the games we have to our benefit.”