McCoist looks to life after Whyte

[pete 2,499]

 

For almost half an hour at Murray Park yesterday, he managed to come across as thoroughly unimpressed and dislocated from Craig Whyte, without actually saying anything too damning. There will be a time when McCoist will feel he has the freedom to let rip on the man who has brought disgrace on Rangers, but not yet. Not while â?? officially at least â?? they are manager and chairman. The relationship between those two positions ought to be the most important one at any club. McCoist and Whyte haven't spoken for days.

 

These are unprecedented times. McCoist fended away questions about whether Whyte would ever be back at Ibrox, about whether a guy like him should ever be allowed so much control, about whether the police had interviewed him about what his employer was up to. There have never been days like this in Rangers' history.

 

At one point, McCoist was asked if collective fans' ownership might be a way forward for Rangers, alluding to the idea of Paul Murray and/or Dave King assembling a consortium which would then raise money from a share issue. The answer required McCoist to speculate on Whyte being ousted and replaced and, carefully, he did so. "I am really open-minded on how our club moves forward. I certainly don't have a problem with the fans having a say, and a big say, I'm not against that at all. But I'd have to sit down and look at all their proposals and all their ideas."

 

He has known King for "a long, long time". Supporters should not read too much into the fact they were pictured leaving Ibrox together the other day, he said, but given that they drove off together it was reasonable to take that as a McCoist endorsement of any takeover move by King.

 

Men will leave before King or anyone else arrives, though. Chief operating officer Ali Russell and director of football Gordon Smith became the first casualties of administration when they accepted redundancy. McCoist denied having a strained relationship with Smith and insisted he was sorry that both men will be leaving. "We always had healthy, competitive discussions, " he said. "We weren't always in agreement with each other, but we all wanted what was best for the football club. I wasn't at odds with Gordon."

 

Smith had spoken of feeling undermined by Whyte. "I can sympathise with Gordon and his frustrations about not being able to carry out the job he was brought in to do," said McCoist. "There is genuine sadness at people losing their jobs. But I'd have to say Gordon and Ali have always had the club's interests at heart. They wanted to make the club a better club. Only they could tell you if they were allowed to do it, or if they were hindered in any shape or form."

 

If Whyte's director of football felt undermined, did the same apply to his manager? Did McCoist think Rangers made genuine attempts to sign the likes of David Goodwillie, Carlos Cuellar and umpteen others, or did Whyte only pay lip service? "There is only one man who can answer that, and that is him. Not getting a replacement in for Nikica [Jelavic] when we had Laff [Kyle Lafferty] out and [steven] Naismith out: that, if anything, hit home that there was definitely something not right. When we weren't replacing people it became evident we had a very real problem."

 

Rangers could be forgiven for feeling that the remainder of the season is little more than a prolonged tour of shame, in which they will be exposed to the ridicule of rival supporters. McCoist was unperturbed about that (nor has he had time to worry about Celtic possibly winning the league title at Ibrox on March 25) and said he intended to enjoy today's trip north, and an overnight stay in Inverness, before tomorrow's match at Caledonian Thistle. "It's only Inverness, but we are looking forward to getting away. It's not Spain or America we're going to, it's Inverness. But it's the fact that we can all jump in a bus, get to a hotel and spend a bit of time together. That's going to be a good thing."

 

Failing to submit audited accounts to the SFA before March 31 â?? as seems inevitable â?? will prevent Rangers playing in Europe next season, but the league runners-up receive £2.4m and third place earns £1.5m, so McCoist's team is playing for £900,000 at a time when every pound is precious. Motherwell would go level on points with Rangers if they were to win at Celtic Park today, although Rangers would have a vastly superior goal difference and a game in hand.

 

"There's absolutely no doubt it's a battle [for second place]," said McCoist. "Motherwell will have a wee sniff and will be looking across at us and thinking they have a real chance. Knowing the Motherwell team and their manager [stuart McCall] as well as I do, that will be the case. We have a challenge."

 

It was left unsaid that finishing first is beyond them. For Rangers to be 20 points behind in February might be grounds for a sacking in any normal season. But normality, like Whyte, is absent at Rangers now.

 

Ally not wanting to say what he really feels.

[ian1964 10,720]

The Rangers manager does not blame the former chairman David Murray for the club's present malaise

 

It was far from the most audible chant at Ibrox last Saturday, but it was probably the most notable. Rangers fans who enjoyed the success – and excesses – of David Murray's ownership would never have envisaged a day where they were urged to clap their hands if they hate the tycoon.

 

Those leading the singing were youngsters, a generation with no direct knowledge of what it was like to follow Rangers in the barren years immediately before the arrivals of Graeme Souness and later Murray at Ibrox.

 

Ally McCoist is a better-placed witness. The Rangers manager was a key part of the team that claimed nine titles in a row and had aspirations of competing meaningfully in European competition. That is the positive Murray legacy.

 

The obvious flipside was the reckless spending which left Rangers in the firm grip of the Lloyds Banking Group. From there, Craig Whyte picked up the club and presided over the recent slip into administration. An element of the Rangers support hold Murray responsible for this almighty mess but McCoist still chooses to back his former chairman.

 

"One thing that's guaranteed with being involved with this club, no matter at what level, is that you're going to get stick somewhere along the line – whether as a player, manager, coach or on the board," says McCoist. "It's guaranteed. I know David Murray as well as a lot of people and better than most. He'll admit he made mistakes and, of course, he made mistakes but I am of the opinion that when he was in charge of the club he always did his best for the club.

 

"People will have their own views on the whole situation, Mine? I'll always remember David Murray for being good for the club and for doing his best for the club. Like any ownership, it's peaks and troughs but as the person I am, I always like to look at the peaks."

 

The quest of Rangers' administrators to secure the Uefa licence that would allow them to compete in European competition next season also highlights a parallel. On the final day of the 1985‑86 season – best remembered for Celtic pipping Hearts to the championship – McCoist scored a penalty to seal his team's European place.

 

"That was the day Celtic scored five at St Mirren. Graeme Souness came in and was surprised at the state of our dressing room – we had just qualified for Europe and we were devastated," says McCoist with a smile. He would be more morose if European entry is denied this time around.

 

"It [not to qualify] would be a massive blow but you'd have to say it's a distinct possibility at the moment. The administrators are doing their best and while there's a chance you've always got to remain optimistic. But you'd have to say there's a danger of us not having European football next season."

 

McCoist has been circumspect about Whyte's running of Rangers. The manager admitted, though, that the fact funds from future season ticket income were used by the club owner to pay off a debt to the Lloyds Banking Group riled him. "If that's the case I would have to say I would find it unacceptable," McCoist adds.

 

Somehow Rangers' record-scoring striker must maintain a strong degree of on-field focus. Motherwell's form has left Rangers in a battle to secure second place in the Scottish Premier League, a stark contrast to the title challenge McCoist hoped to preside over when the campaign opened.

 

"I've pointed out the benefits of finishing higher up the league to the administrators," he says. "I've pointed out the importance of finishing second. The financial rewards are there for everyone to see. There's a big difference between finishing second and third.

 

"The job of the football club is to provide a team that goes on to the park and hopefully gets a result on matchdays. That's the one thing we can never get away from because the fans turn up to watch their football team and the administrators are aware of that, as indeed we are.

 

"They haven't taken the approach of saying: 'Ach, the league's over,' which is really encouraging. If you don't put the best quality on the park that you can then fans won't come and watch you, which generates finance as well."

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...coist-rangers?

[Ergatrude 0]

900k for third place? I didn't even think the winner got that!