ALLY MCCOIST insists it is not second or bust for Mark Warburton at Rangers this season.
And the former Ibrox boss admits he would not be shocked if the Light Blues failed to finish best of the rest in the Premiership.
It has been a lacklustre start to the campaign for Warburton’s side as they have fallen well off the pace being set by Celtic at the top of the table.
The Gers head into their clash with Dundee tomorrow third in the standings and in desperate need of an improved run of form to ease the pressure at Ibrox.
But Light Blue legend McCoist believes expectations should be lowered as the rebuilding work continues in the coming months.
He said: “No, would you? Would anyone be shocked if Aberdeen finished second?
“I think there is too much made of budgets. When 11 line up against 11 you don’t think about budgets. You just think about your job.
“I get it that if you’ve got a bigger budget you should be able to get a higher calibre of player. Of course I understand that.
“But Aberdeen have been solidly Scotland’s second best team for the last two seasons and I don’t think that’s going to change because they’ve got a good solid base and a good manager.
“The team knows what it’s about. Hearts have done exceptionally well. They went into administration and benefited from going down and rebuilding and coming back up.
“I always felt that these clubs would certainly be in or around Rangers unless Rangers spent a lot of money – and that Aberdeen would be potentially be better. So it would not be surprising if Aberdeen finished second.
“I don’t think [it is second or bust]. I think some people might think that. I think second would be a good achievement actually but I don’t think it’s second or bust. I certainly don’t think anyone should be losing their job if they finish in the top four.
“My own opinion at the start of the season was I would like to have thought Rangers could compete with Hearts and Aberdeen and possibly be slightly better than St Johnstone.”
Warburton added 11 players to his Ibrox squad this summer as he prepared for the Gers’ return to the Premiership.
Few of his recruits have hit the ground running this term as the Light Blues have found the going tough in the first few months of the campaign.
But McCoist is confident the Gers will finally click as they look to climb the top flight standings in the coming weeks.
He said: “It’s always a concern because as a manager you live or die by your signings. But I do still think it’s a little early.
“I think the football team will be developing over the next 18 months or so. I don’t have any doubt about that.
“I don’t know but they will probably strengthen in the next couple of windows. There will be changes, definitely.
“But there have been no absolute standouts. I get that.
“The Barton thing hasn’t work out. Kranjcar has been really unlucky, Rossiter is injured again. These are hard luck stories.
“But you do get judged on your signings and I would be hopeful that one or two others would step up and start playing consistently well.”
With their title dreams dashed, Rangers must now look to finish in second spot this term and prove that they are on the right track on Warburton’s watch.
The Englishman has been bemused by some of the comments directed towards his side this season but McCoist knows it is all part of the game at Ibrox.
He said: “I think we are all in agreement that if you are an Old Firm manager, a manager at any level but particularly an Old Firm manager, you are generally gauged on your opposition.
“If you are doing better than your opposition you will be winning things and if you are not then you won’t be.
“Listen, Mark is an intelligent man and he certainly knows now, he has got Davie who would definitely know, that the level of criticism and expectation certainly won’t decrease.
“It’s one of the things that is guaranteed in football management, particularly at the Old Firm.”
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