KEVIN Thomson will be expected to raise his game while Barry Ferguson recovers from ankle surgery – and the Rangers midfielder admits he needs to.
Thomson took time to win over the Rangers fans after his £2million switch from Hibernian in January last year and he is the first to admit he needs more consistency in his game.
Walter Smith's central midfield is looking light after Ferguson under
went surgery earlier this week, which will rule him out for up to four months.
Attempts to sign Steven Davis on a permanent deal have stalled with Rangers unwilling to meet Fulham's £4million asking price.
So Smith will look to 23-year-old Thomson to take control of the team's engine room when they open their season with a Champions League qualifier on 30 July, almost certainly against FBK Kaunas following their 4-1 first-leg win over Santa Coloma in Andorra.
Thomson himself is looking for improvement after his first full season saw him pick up two winner's medals but miss out on Uefa Cup and title success at the final hurdle. The player told Rangers News: "My own season was pretty average overall last year.
"Obviously the club's success was good and it was great to be part of that in my first full campaign here. But I certainly think there is a lot more to come from me.
"My performances in certain games were of a good standard but my consistency levels were a wee bit sloppy. I missed ten games through injury and sat out a couple more, just when things were starting to click for me, because of suspension.
"Hopefully I'll be able to avoid such situations this season, although a lot of it is down to the way I play the game.
"Sadly, picking up yellow cards and suspensions is part and parcel of that and it hurts because I missed some big games as a result last term."
Meanwhile, Smith could be further frustrated in his bid to sign a centre-back after Cardiff warned Rangers off a £1.5million bid for Dutchman Glenn Loovens.
Smith is said to have turned his attention to the former Feyenoord player after Rangers failed to agree personal terms with Watford's Danny Shittu.
Loovens has refused to sign a three-year contract extension at Cardiff as he wants to play at a higher level, and would be able to move on for nothing next summer.
But City chairman Peter Ridsdale is reluctant to part with the 24-year-old. He said: "I've heard nothing from Rangers. The figure being reported may well be £1.5 million but our valuation is far in excess of that figure."
However, a swap deal could be possible as Cardiff manager Dave Jones is keen on Rangers striker Kris Boyd, having had a £2.5million offer rejected last month.
The full article contains 481 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
