THE times have changed but the attitude remains the same. The players are different yet the pressure on their shoulders is as high as ever.

For Derek Parlane, this season should be the exception to the rule, though. A unique set of circumstances require the perspective to be altered.

Parlane played in an era were silverware was expected every season and turned out for Gers legends that demanded only the best from their side as Rangers strived for success.

Come the end of his decade long stint at Ibrox, the striker had won three League titles, three Scottish Cups, three League Cups and helped the Gers to European success in Barcelona.

Read more: Derek Parlane delighted to see Kenny Miller still starring for Rangers

Parlane now watches on from afar and has reverted to his role as a supporter as the current crop of Gers stars look to add to the illustrious Ibrox honour roll.

But, just a couple of months into the campaign, two chances of silverware have gone and only the Scottish Cup remains as a realistic target.

A wretched run in the Premiership and defeat to Celtic at Hampden has piled the pressure on boss Mark Warburton. Now, this season only, finishing best of the rest is the aim.

“Getting back into the Premiership was always the goal and that is what they did,” Parlane told SportTimes.

Read more: Derek Parlane delighted to see Kenny Miller still starring for Rangers

“When I am talking to any Rangers supporter, I always said that this was never going to be an easy season and it was always going to be a challenge.

“It is going to be a long season, there will be some downs but there will be some ups as well. We are not there yet by any means and I am sure the manager and his coaching staff will know that as well.

“It is about building on what he has got and strengthening where he needs to strengthen and hopefully getting the finance to achieve that. We mustn’t raise our expectations because we are Rangers.

“It is not automatic that we are going to win every league that we are in. It has been a long way back and now it is about stabilising, growing and building for the future.”

Having seen their side storm to the Championship title last term, many Gers fans were in optimistic mood ahead of their top flight return in the summer.

Some would have settled for solid runs in the cup competitions and a Premiership campaign that lived up to Warburton’s ‘highly competitive’ hopes.

But there were others who only had eyes for the silverware, especially after seeing some big names sign on the dotted line at Ibrox.

The dreams of title glory were quickly killed off but now boss Warburton must seek to close the gap to Celtic and show signs that his side are capable of competing with their Old Firm rivals next term.

Parlane said: “I go round a lot of supporters clubs and speak to fans and I really enjoy doing that.

“This kind of question about the expectations always comes up and there are a lot of people that agree with me. Because we are Rangers and with the fantastic history that we have got, the expectations are very high.

“But we need to start from now and maybe lower our sights a little bit. Expectations will always be high because it is Rangers we are talking about.

“That will always be the case but this is an extraordinary circumstance this season.

“To be honest I think a top three finish would be superb for Rangers this year. But that top three could mean we are twenty points away from Celtic and seven or eight away from the second team.

“It is a difficult one. It is an old cliché but we have to take it one game at a time and one stage at a time.

“We have got to build and there are areas where Mark Warburton will know where he has to strengthen.”

The task for Warburton in the coming weeks and months is to prove that he and his side are on the right track and are capable of stopping Celtic next season.

Significant steps have to be taken forward on the park, while progress is also being made off it as the rebuilding job continues at Ibrox.

Read more: Derek Parlane delighted to see Kenny Miller still starring for Rangers

It has been a frustrating start to the campaign for the Light Blue legions. But Parlane is pleased results and performances are the biggest issues for supporters once again.

He said: “This is a big thing and I am delighted, as all the fans should be, that we are talking about the players on the field and not the people in the boardroom these days.

“For how many years did we take our eye off the ball about what was going on on the park to focus on the boardroom?

“That is a lot more stable and now the fans are talking about what they should be talking about.

“It is about the manager and the players having that pride of pulling on that jersey and playing for Rangers. It is a breath of fresh air that we are talking about that again.”

*Rangers legend Derek Parlane - ‘The King of Ibrox Park’ - is the latest Light Blues hero to have a brick panel named in his honour and supporters can snap up stadium bricks with their own personal messages now for £50.

Bricks on Derek’s panel – situated on the Sandy Jardine Stand - can be purchased from www.rydc.co.uk, by calling 0141 427 4914, texting RANGERS to 67766 or visiting the Rangers Lotto office in Broomloan House at the stadium.

Stadium Bricks are ideal presents for Christmas and are just one of a number of Rangers Youth Development Company products that help fund the Rangers youth department. 

For more information on RYDC and their portfolio of products – Rising Stars, Rangers Lotto, Scratchcards, Stadium Bricks and the new Youth Members Club – log on to www.rydc.co.uk or emailrydc@rangers.co.uk.