GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST has called for patience from supporters as he insisted it will take time for his summer signings to make an impact at Ibrox.
The Dutchman added seven players to his squad during the close season as significant fees were spent on Ben Davies and Ridvan Yilmaz and Rabbi Matondo and Antonio Colak were also recruited.
John Souttar and Tom Lawrence were free transfers from Hearts and Derby County respectively, while Malik Tillman penned a season-long loan deal and arrived from Bayern Munich.
It has been a difficult start to the campaign overall for the new-look Light Blues and Van Bronckhorst defended his recruits ahead of the Champions League defeat to Ajax.
Deputy chairman John Bennett insisted last week that he wouldn't make snap judgements on any player after overseeing the spend from Van Bronckhorst and sporting director Ross Wilson.
And the Ibrox boss has once again backed his side to come good in the long run as Rangers aim to pick up where they left off in the Premiership by overcoming Hearts this afternoon.
"Of course," Van Bronckhorst said when asked if he agreed with Bennett's comments. "Some players need more time than others when they change clubs.
"Getting used to a new level, getting used to team-mates. I think that’s a process I’ve seen before as a player, but also as a manager.
"So I totally agree with what John said. And we just keep on working with them. We have a couple of signings who have done really well, some take more time.
"But you can look around you in any team, abroad or domestically, and it’s not often that you have a new signing that plays straight away and becomes a part of the team.
"Some takes more time than others. I think that’s the patience you have to have as a manager.
"We have good examples already in the team of players who are part of the core of this team who took a longer time to adjust to a new club. So it’s normal and no different to what I am used to.
"Every club has its own identity and its own culture. But it’s also the change of country, the change of club, the change of staff, the change of team-mates.
"There are a lot of factors which weigh on the the way a player adjusts to a new team. So it is not only about Rangers, it’s also about the change in environment and culture."
Rangers will make the trip to Tynecastle just two points adrift in the Premiership title race after closing the gap to Old Firm rivals Celtic before the international break.
Van Bronckhorst saw his side pick up two impressive wins in Gorgie last term but just nine victories have been recorded in his 16 away fixtures as boss.
That form doesn't concern him, however, as Rangers get back down to business on the eve of their Champions League showdown with Liverpool next week.
Van Bronckhorst said: "The differences are very small at the top. We had a big defeat, but almost got the three points with nine men against Hibs. But still, there is all to play for.
"We only concentrate on the three points every game. If that takes us top of the league then so be it. But our main objective is to get the three points against Hearts.
"I’m not bothered about records. I’m not going to go there [to Tynecastle] and look at my away record.
"I just go out and try to win the game and that’s all I need to know in my head. So I will go for a 100% record of three points [against Hearts].
"That’s all I care about, that’s all I need to know. Records? I don’t see the positives or negatives and it doesn’t influence the way I approach games."
