CHRIS Burke believes the only way Rangers can make up for their calamitous early exit from Europe this season is to go on and win the SPL title for the first time in four years.
The Scotland international winger is back in light training as he continues his recovery from the serious ankle injury he sustained during last season's Scottish Cup semi-final victory against St Johnstone at Hampden Park.
Burke watched in horr
or on Tuesday night as his team-mates were knocked out of the Champions League in the second qualifying round by Kaunas, leaving the Ibrox club with only domestic matters to contend with for the rest of the season.
The 24-year-old, representing Rangers at yesterday's Setanta Sports media conference ahead of the new SPL campaign, expects an immediate and positive reaction when they begin their championship bid at Falkirk tomorrow.
"Even before we went out of Europe this week, the SPL was our main target this season," said Burke. "The manager stated last year that he wanted to close the gap on Celtic and we did that, coming so close to winning the title.
"This year, we obviously have to look to win it. It's even more important after what happened on Tuesday and we know if we don't win the title, it will be looked upon as a failure.
"If you're not winning at Rangers you are going to get criticised no matter what.
"That's the bottom line. It's not acceptable to draw even after nine victories in a row. That's what happens at Rangers and Celtic. It's always just one game and everyone turns the other way.
"Everyone at the club is hurting and very disappointed in themselves. The players now have to prove a point on Saturday and show the gaffer and the coaching staff that they are Rangers standard.
"We have got injury and suspension problems, but at a club like Rangers the players who come in should be able to be victorious. We have got to bounce back from the blow of having no more European football this season.
"The players showed a good mentality last season and if we can get that back, then we will be able to bounce back fine."
Along with Barry Ferguson, DaMarcus Beasley and Steven Naismith, Burke is one of the current injury absentees who may have been able to provide Rangers with some of the invention they lacked in Lithuania.
"I'm not putting any timescale on when I come back," he added, "but I'm back doing light jogging now and I'm happy with how I feel. It is just torture when you are not playing. It was so hard watching on Tuesday night and it's even hard just watching the rest of the team training every day."
Like the rest of the Rangers players, Burke was confronted yesterday by speculation of an imminent clear-out of the Rangers squad. Carlos Cuellar, who missed both legs of the Kaunas tie through injury and would therefore be eligible to play for another club in Europe this season, is the club's biggest asset in terms of potential sale value but Burke is sure the Spanish defender is in no hurry to move on.
"Carlos loves it here," he said. "He has adapted very quickly to life in Scotland. It's up to him what he wants to do, but I don't think he wants to go. Who comes in or out is up to other people, but I think we have got a great squad."
The full article contains 595 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
