Sean Dyche: Mark Warburton will take Rangers back to the 'very top'

The Ibrox boss delivered the Championship flag and Petrofac Training Cup during his first campaign north of the border and is now just days away from leading the Light Blues back into Scotland’s top flight.

Rangers will round off their preparations for the big kick-off this weekend when Dyche brings his Burnley side to Ibrox for the second time in twelve months as they count down to their return to the Premier League.

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And the Turf Moor boss reckons Warburton has the Gers on the right track as he prepares to have a crack at the Premiership crown.

He told SportTimes: “I think he certainly set his stall out well last year and everyone took to Warbo. I have met Walter Smith and what an amazing bloke he is as a manager and a person.

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“I think Warbo has conducted himself well both on and off the pitch for Rangers and that is important when you have had legends of the game like Walter Smith at your club.

“He has done that very well from the off. The way he conducts himself off the pitch is important, he is a bright man and a respectful man and I think he takes that into his football.

“David Weir is very important, he knows all about Rangers, and now Warbo does as well.

“They know the expectation and it goes without saying that they want to be right up there winning the title.

“We know Rangers were fantastic last year when there was an expectation on them and that is part of the journey in getting back to the top of the Premiership.

“He is a realist and he will know that can take time sometimes. He is formulating a way of working that can take the club to the very top again.”

It has been a productive few weeks for Warburton as he has put his plans in place for the Premiership and bolstered his Rangers ranks with nine summer signings.

The likes of former Clarets star Joey Barton and Niko Kranjcar are expected to play influential roles for the Light Blues in the top flight this term.

And Dyche reckons Rangers are an improved outfit from the one his side beat 1-0 at Ibrox twelve months ago as Scott Arfield netted the only goal of the game.

Dyche said: “I think he is being realistic and the first thing is to be competitive. Every game, you are in it to win it.

“They play good football and the quality will rise as the team develops, especially with the good players he has brought in. The main thing, as a start point, is to be competitive in every game and see where that takes them.

“I would like to think, after what they did last year, they would certainly be amongst it. It is new to some of them and they have got a lot of younger players who are learning and developing well.

“With that strength and experience around them, that can help them in the new season. They looked very good last season.

“I think that is what Warbo has looked to do, he has started with a young group last year and then moulded them into a side.

“This year he feels that experience will be needed, especially with the derby to look forward to and you need people who can not only play in them but handle what it is.

“Unfortunately I haven’t been to one but I am hoping to get up to one. People tell me what a big occasion it is, the build-up and the feel of it and sometimes that can take it out of players. You do need players who can use their experience wisely.

“He has brought in that experience to add to the talented players that he had already. Hopefully that will be a good mixture for continued success this season.”