Rangers boss Mark Warburton has blasted suggestions that he should not have taken his team for a friendly match on Sunday against RB Leipzig as the 4-0 defeat could have shattered confidence at Ibrox.
The Gers took on the Bundesliga outfit at the Red Bull Arena in Germany, but found themselves clearly second best as RB Leipzig ran riot and eased to a comfortable 4-0 victory.
It has been suggested that the defeat will have had a negative impact on confidence levels amongst the Rangers squad, but Warburton disputes that.
He feels that it is essential the Rangers players see the level the club aspires to and know they must work to reach the standard of sides such as RB Leipzig. The Gers boss admits he could have set up a friendly against a team his men would thrash, but he feels that would have been the wrong move.
Warburton explained to Rangers TV: "We can go and play a local team or a team from down south and have a comfortable victory and high five each other – the fact is we have to say this is the level.
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"They are a top European team. They are second in the Bundesliga, three points behind Bayern Munich. A magnificent club.
"They have had heavy investment over the past four or five years. Eight years ago they didn't exist.
"So it was a tremendous test for us. We wanted that type of challenge.
"I've heard some nonsensical comments about should we destroy confidence", the Rangers boss continued.
"Far from it. We're saying to the boys that's the level.
"We have to work harder in training, we have to aspire to that.
"They are a top German Bundesliga team."
Rangers return to domestic action this coming weekend when they kick off their Scottish Cup campaign by hosting Motherwell at Ibrox on Saturday.
The Gers are next in Scottish Premiership action on 28th January, against the same opponents, but at Fir Park.
