RANGERS manager Mark Warburton has launched a scathing attack on the SPFL for forcing his side to play four games in nine days in the revamped League Cup competition.

The Betfred Cup, as it is now known, was relaunched with great pomp and circumstance, reintroducing a group phase in July which, it was felt, would replace pre-season friendlies with meaningful matches.

Warburton, however, says the format is all wrong and many other Premiership managers will share the same view as it does not allow him to prepare the way he would like for Rangers’ return to the top division.

The Ibrox side, who head to Charleston, South Carolina tomorrow for 10 days, face Motherwell on July 16, Annan Athletic on the 19th, East Stirlingshire three days later and then Stranraer on Monday, July 25. Warburton feels it is farcical situation.

He said: ‘We face four games in nine days – with the hardest one first. I look at it and say any team would like to have probably a five or six-game pre-season programme, building up in quality and intensity to prepare you as best as possible for the season ahead.

“I just find it, for us, far from ideal. I’m being very polite saying that. Look at the actual details. As a squad of players in pre-season, the idea is to try to get a six-week period. But when you have that many games it’s play, recover, play, recover, play, recover.

“There’s no work being done. You’re not doing style of play. You’re not working on tactical aspects or specific parts of your game. Why four games in nine days? I can’t play the same team on the 16th that I play on the 19th, the 22nd or the 25th, and then we play Burnley. How is it going to work? How do I bed in the team, bed in a back four? I don’t know.

“It’s just trying to get through that period of games without injury.

“It’s a huge tournament and it’s part of the treble, and Rangers with their history and tradition will want to compete for every competition they go into.

“I’m sure Mark McGhee and the other guys have the same problems but what do we do?

“You tell me if it’s revitalising the League Cup or having the opposite effect. Is it wide of the mark what I’m saying?”

Warburton, who is taking 25 players to the USA, added: “I’ve got players arriving on July 1, who won’t join us until July 9. Therefore, they will have only days with us before we play our first game – against a Premiership opponent.

“At the end of the day, it’s about the players and giving them the best chance to perform. The better they perform, the more entertainment and the more fans that come to watch the games.

“I haven’t figured out yet how I’m going to play these games.”

Warburton, however, believes his trip across the Atlantic will be beneficial to his players as they will have more enjoyable free time in beautiful South Carolina surroundings.

He said: “It’s the downtime that kills the players so we felt if we could improve that, it would be a big help.

“So we have chosen Charleston. It’s a great town, on the shore, and while they are working hard three times a day and will have a tough game against a good Charleston Battery team, the idea is take their mind off that with some good downtime.”