GRAEME SOUNESS reckons it is a ‘big ask’ to expect Rangers to challenge for the Premiership title at the first time of asking this term.

And the former Light Blues boss has called for the Ibrox board to play a greater part in the rebuilding job by sanctioning bigger deals in the transfer market.

It has been a frustrating start to the campaign for Mark Warburton’s side as their silverware ambitions have suffered a number of blows already in the opening weeks.

After storming to the Championship crown last season and seeing a host of players arrive at Ibrox over the summer, many Gers fans had high hopes for Rangers on their return to the top flight.

Former manager Ally McCoist insisted before the Old Firm clash that Rangers were still two or three years away from being in a position to lift the Premiership trophy.

Warburton was unhappy with the reaction to the 5-1 derby defeat as he was criticised in many quarters.

But Souness knows the pressure will still be on the Englishman’s shoulders as he looks to live up to the high expectation levels from the Light Blue legions.

He said: “It is the passion that the supporters have for it. Whoever loses, you know you will get stick for a while.

“There is only one place to be if you are at Rangers or Celtic and that is number one.

“Put it this way, you could be playing the best football but if you draw a game and lose an Old Firm game all the focus and criticism is on you.

“You could be playing the best football but that doesn’t matter because you need to be number one. Wear your hard hat.

“Keep doing what you think is right. Last year they played attractive football and dominated a game at Hampden against Celtic.

“Celtic started the season with the strongest group because they have, on paper, the best players.

“They are the champions and Rangers are a team that got promoted. It was a hell of an ask for Rangers to come up and to look to win it this year.

“For all the Rangers supporters, and I know the emotion involved in Old Firm games, you have to have a rationale and think long term of the bigger picture.

“It would be a big ask for any team to come from the lower league to the Premiership and win it, a big ask.”

After lifting the Championship title and Petrofac Training Cup in his first season in Glasgow, Warburton embarked on another recruitment drive over the summer to add strength and depth to his Light Blues squad.

The £1.5million deal for striker Joe Garner was the biggest outlay of the transfer window for Warburton as eleven players signed on the dotted line.

The Gers board are continuing to work their way through a number of issues that they inherited two years ago, including the high-profile battle with Mike Ashley over their merchandise arrangements.

But Souness believes more money could have been given to Warburton to allow him to ship in a different market and bring a higher calibre of player on board.

He said: “I can’t comment on [the Ashley situation] because I don’t know the details of it.

“I would like to have seen, like all supporters, the owner spend some money and give the manager a real chance. It looks like they are spending what they generate so he is running it as a business.

“If you are him or a director, that is something you have to run with. If you are a supporter it is not great.

“I am a supporter and like every supporter I am not interested in the bottom line, as long as we stay solvent. Find the money from somewhere and give the manager a chance.”