MARK Warburton, the Rangers manager, concedes the last week in Scottish football has done nothing to help bring in the vital investment he believes is needed to grow the game.

Warburton expressed his own frustration over Andy Halliday being sent-off against Morton for raising a clenched fist in the centre of the field and watched with dismay as St Johnstone became embroiled in a row with the SPFL over League Cup semi-final tickets while East Kilbride and Celtic struggled to secure a venue for their forthcoming meeting in the Scottish Cup.

The Ibrox boss insists the top end of the national sport has to improve its image to become a product people want to plough finances into, and concedes incidents such as those do little to raise standards and expectations.

“You mention the English Premier League,” he said. “Look at the slickness of that product. Look at the way it is done and delivered. You have to ask if we can learn from it or match it. If we can do that, we are moving in the right direction.

“We have got to learn from it to try to improve the brand. Incidents, as you mention, will not help, I am sure.

“What we are talking about is the Scottish football product. We want investment because everything comes down to money. That is what we need to help the young players, help the teams, improve the stadia and make the matchday product for the fans better.

“Incidents happen, though, at different levels of the game which are negatives.”

One decent advert for the game, mind you, is Kenny Miller. Aged 36 and having recently secured a new contract until the summer of 2017, he is enjoying a fine run of form and setting his sights on remaining part of the playing staff at Rangers for some considerable time to come.

“I think Ally McCoist said last year that my problem was that I still think I’m 21,” he said. “For me, age is just a number.

“I might have lost half a yard – I wouldn’t say a yard – but I’m enjoying my football and I feel great.

“I don’t feel that I’m close to being finished yet and I hope the year coming up won’t be my last.

“I also enjoy the responsibility. Even when I was young, I was always vocal and the manager is a big advocate of lads giving their opinions because that helps them develop as people as well as players.

“I think the penny has definitely dropped in the last few months of the importance of each and every game.”

Miller, naturally, does not boast the pace of old, but he insists the possession-based game promoted by Warburton is making it easier for him to prolong his career at a prominent level.

“I think that does help me because I don’t have to be chasing too much when you have the lion’s share of the ball,” he said.

Miller has also been making his first tentative steps into coaching with the Under-20 squad, with Warburton convinced that he will forge a successful second career in that arena – whether it is as a part of the Rangers backroom staff or as a manager in his own right.

“He might want to be his own man and go off and do something totally different, but I’ve no doubt Kenny Miller will be a top-rated, high-quality coach,” he said.

Warburton, meanwhile, is currently focusing his attention on Saturday’s home visit of Kilmarnock in the fifth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

“The Scottish Cup is really important,” he said. “It amazes me down south when I hear talk of disregarding the FA Cup.

“The FA Cup is a magnificent tournament, as is the Scottish Cup.”