WHEN is enough not enough? It is a question that Rangers fans, and the Ibrox board, will surely be asking.

As Mark Warburton knows, and has said on many occasions, you live and die by your recruitment. Now, he has a target on his back from some sections of the support.

Warburton bristled and was bemused when Alan Stubbs spoke about the cash disparity between Hibernian and Rangers last season. This term, he has been open about the fact that Celtic counterpart Brendan Rodgers is able to spend sums that are just not available to him right now.

Read more: Rangers 1-1 Ross County: Stats tell a story but Ibrox reaction says it all about Mark Warburton's side

If it is to be accepted that Celtic are so far ahead because of their financial muscle, then surely the same should apply to Rangers when it comes to the race for second spot? It is one that the Gers are no longer in pole position for.

One of the reasons that Warburton was an attractive appointment following his exit from Brentford was the fact that he had punched above his weight in the Championship. He had spent little, earned plenty and almost hit the jackpot as the Bees chased the Premier League dream.

Much of that success was put down to the work of Frank McParland. When Warburton and David Weir made the move north of the border, the Scouser quickly followed as he joined as Head of Recruitment.

In Warburton's first season at Ibrox, he enjoyed a particularly high strike rate in the transfer market as a title-winning squad was assembled. It was a group that was too good for the second tier, but it is one, even with further reinforcements, that has struggled in the top flight.

Since that summer window, there have been few success stories and not enough progress has been made. It is not down to a lack of investment, either. McParland is often seen at Ibrox, but has he made an impact?

Read more: Rangers 1-1 Ross County: Stats tell a story but Ibrox reaction says it all about Mark Warburton's side

The Light Blues board may not have given Warburton the kind of sums that Rodgers has to play with but his budget dwarfs those that his Premiership counterparts have at their fingertips.

Warburton stated last season that it was not about the size of your budget but how well you spend it. In the last year, Rangers haven’t got value for money.

No other club, Celtic aside of course, could have paid £500,000 for Michael O’Halloran or settled the respective quarter of a million compensation bills to bring Jordan Rossiter and Joe Dodoo to Ibrox. Accrington Stanley also got cash for Josh Windass and Matt Crooks.

The board backed Warburton and McParland’s judgement on Joey Barton but then had to pay £250,000 to get him out of the door just months after he penned a two-year deal on £20,000-per-week.

Then there is the £1.8million paid to Preston North End for Joe Garner. After 20 appearances for the Gers, the striker has five bookings and only three goals.

Like most bosses in Scottish football, Warburton had a look down the out of contract list and made a handful of moves. Again, they were ones that were out with the reach of everyone in the league apart from Rodgers.

Nobody else could have afforded Niko Kranjcar, Clint Hill or Philippe Senderos, while another £250,000 was spent in January on Jak Alnwick as he replaced Matt Gilks and followed loan signings Emerson Hyndman and Jon Toral into Ibrox.

Read more: Rangers 1-1 Ross County: Stats tell a story but Ibrox reaction says it all about Mark Warburton's side

It is no surprise that the signing structure is being questioned in the stands and the Director’s Box at Ibrox. It also came under the spotlight at a board meeting last month as Warburton was flanked by his two right-hand men.

This squad is good enough to finish second but doubts are now being raised about whether the foundations have been laid for a title challenge sooner rather than later.

When chairman Dave King spoke about £30million being required to return Rangers to the top of our game, nobody should have expected Warburton to be handed an open chequebook. That kind of cash was never going to be splashed at once, and it wasn’t going to be spent only on the first team squad.

It will take more investment for the gap to be closed to Celtic. But what has been spent so far should have been enough to be best of the rest fairly comfortably this term.

The issue at Ibrox is whether Warburton can be trusted to spend what Rangers have. Having failed to drastically improve his squad in the last three windows, should he be given another crack at it?

Read more: Rangers 1-1 Ross County: Stats tell a story but Ibrox reaction says it all about Mark Warburton's side

Rangers needed McParland to uncover rough gems and Warburton to polish them into high-worth diamonds. But only keeper Wes Foderingham has improved from last term and he, alongside Barrie McKay, could boost the balance sheet if sold on.

As for the rest? There is either little real resale value or the jury is still out as Rangers look to end the campaign on a high note.

Come May, the verdict could be damning for Warburton. Many supporters have already made up their minds, but it is the Ibrox board who have a decision to make.