Arrogant Warbo claims Hibs cup tie is a pre-season friendly
Despite being in charge for over a month Warbo has still to field his side in public with only a training session against Spurs u-17’s and an evening match against the part-timers of Ayr United to assess his charges.
Last season’s Petrofac Training Cup defeat to Alloa led to Ally McCoist being sent on gardening leave but the former city trader, who worked from 6am to 10pm dealing in millions on a daily basis, sees no reason to fear the tie at Easter Road.
“People were talking as if we’d drawn Real Madrid,” the 52-year-old former Brentford boss said. “With no disrespect to Hibs, we’re Rangers Football Club and we will go into every game well prepared and ready to apply ourselves appropriately.
“This is a great game for us and good for the fans. It’s game four and a really tough test. In any pre-season programme, you start and move up gradually. The Hibs match is perfect for us.”
Continuing in the same arrogant manner that was the trademark of former Rangers (IL) chief Dave Murray the new Ibrox boss added: “It’s game four of our pre-season programme and I would be lying if I say otherwise but we go into every game to win it with the best team available and that’s what we look to do.
“There is no point in lying, we are four weeks in and we hope to add four or five players in the coming days, so we could have players playing in the Hibs game who have only been here for two days. So in terms of being patient, while we want to win that game and the competition as a whole, it takes time to bed players in, but we will do what we can.
“I don’t think anyone is in better shape than us at the moment. Hibs have players in situ with experience, that goes without saying. I’ve seen bits and pieces. They are a very organised team. I know Alan Stubbs from his Everton days and they’ll be fit, organised and hungry. They will be tough opponents.
“I’m sure Hibs will look to play, I hate to use the term the right way, but it’s the way you prefer. They will be organised and of course they are ahead of us in the sense they have had players together for a longer period of time.
“That will be a benefit to them. We’ve got to recognise that and counter it but it’s got to be about us. It’s always about us and how good we can be. If we dominate the football we’ll be fine but talk is cheap, action speaks louder than words.”