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Big Jock was not afforded due credit at Rangers I am sure Rangers fans would have enjoyed the feature in Wednesday's Evening Times on Big Jock Wallace. Derek Johnstone Football columnist Friday 17/10/2014 0 Comments Share Print Derek Johnstone signs for Rangers as boss Jock Wallace looks on It was a great read and brought back some really fond memories of a man and manager I admired so much and a really successful period for the club. I loved everything about Big Jock. He played a huge part in my career, and those of so many players at Ibrox. He was as hard as nails and he knew how to handle people. If he could handle soldiers in Malaysia, he could handle players at Ibrox. I loved the way he did things. But I don't think he ever got the credit he deserved. We won Trebles and people said that we never played any football. That is very unfair on Jock and his management. He was a man that demanded you gave 100% because people were paying good money to come and he was a real thinker about the game. I can remember an Old Firm game at Ibrox and I was playing centre-half that day against big Shuggie Edvaldsson and he scored two goals. I went in at half-time and Jock said, 'you, a ******* centre-half? Get yersel up front, you are kidding yourself on'. We ended up winning 3-2. I went back in after the game and he said, 'I ******* told you, you are no a centre-half'. If you did your job, fine. He wouldn't shout at you if you didn't win, as long as you were giving your all. Hell mend you if you didn't play well, though. There were times we got a real rollicking. We sat down and the only man that spoke was him. He got the best out of players. Playing under Big Jock was a privilege and I know the fans who saw him and his side hold him in the highest regard.

McCoist deserves to see Rangers job through RUMOURS abounded in Glasgow this week that Ally McCoist was going to be sacked as Rangers manager. Derek Johnstone Football columnist Friday 31/10/2014 0 Comments Share Print Ally McCoist must underline club's needs to consultant Derek Llambias But Ally has been told to continue with his job as normal by both temporary executive chairman David Somers and shareholder Sandy Easdale ... and rightly so. The team is second in the SPFL Championship. Okay, they are seven points behind leaders Hearts. But they have a game in hand and have three games against the Tynecastle club to play in the Championship. It is not as if they are languishing in mid-table without a hope of winning the title or promotion. They are also, after their win over St Johnstone in the League Cup quarter-final, still in three cup competitions. I think that having taken Rangers from the bottom division to the second tier he deserves the chance to see the job through. Of course, if his side lose their next half a dozen games then he could be out the door. Every football manager lives with that possibility. But I am hopeful he will get the chance to continue what he has started. I think he has earned that right. Hopefully he will sit down with the former Newcastle United managing director Derek Llambias, who has come in as a consultant, for talks soon. He has to outline what position the Ibrox club is in and what their needs are in the future. Because if Rangers do go up to the Premiership - and I am still convinced they will - then the squad will require investment. There is no way this squad of Gers players will be able to challenge Celtic for the Premiership next season. Remember, Ally McCoist has only spent money on two players, David Templeton and Lee Wallace, since succeeding Walter Smith as manager three years ago. Rangers are going to have to spend if they want to bring in a bit of additional quality and push their Old Firm rivals in the top flight.

Break from Rangers first team will do Boyd good I THINK the time has come to give Kris Boyd a break from the Rangers first team. Derek Johnstone Football columnist Friday 10/10/2014 Loading Comments Share Print Kris Boyd escaped an SFA ban The striker has escaped an SFA ban after the charge of head butting an opponent in the game against Hibs was not proven. But giving him a rest may not be the worst thing to happen to him given the difficulties he is experiencing at the moment. He had a golden chance to end his scoring drought in the SPFL Championship game through in Livingston last weekend. Richard Foster did well to get to the goal line and cut the ball back to him. An empty net beckoned, but Kris missed the ball completely. That told me that his confidence is shot to pieces at the moment. I wasn't surprised when Ally McCoist took him off the pitch shortly afterwards. You certainly can't fault the 31-year-old for a lack of effort. The lone front man has worked his socks off in recent matches. But after his miss at the weekend his head really went down. I think a spell out would be the best thing for him. He has, though, to keep working hard on his finishing at Murray Park to ensure that he gets his name back on the scoresheet soon. There are times as a striker when, no matter what you do, things just don't fall for you. Kris is experiencing one of those frustrating spells just now. Boyd has been brought back to Rangers to score goals and if he isn't contributing anything then it is going to start getting to him. But he will get through it by redoubling his efforts in training. As soon as one goes in I am sure he will be up and running and I have no doubt he will bag a few. A stint on the sidelines, though, could be what he needs just now.

DJ: Rangers may cut Mohsni and Peralta loose for new signings ALLY McCOIST spoke this week to the Rangers chief executive Graham Wallace to see if any money is available for him to strengthen his squad. Derek Johnstone Football columnist Friday 01/08/2014 0 Comments Share Print Bilel Mohsni and Arnold Peralta could be let go in order to free up funds for some new players But whether there is any cash left in the budget or not I think there will be arrivals and departures at Ibrox before the close of the transfer window at the end of this month. I certainly think that if bids come in for Bilel Mohsni and Arnold Peralta in the weeks ahead then Rangers will not be too difficult to deal with. We can look in at the club from the outside and say right now: "That squad is strong enough to win the SPFL Championship. It is the second strongest in Scottish football. They should walk it." But Ally knows his squad better than anybody. He also knows the incredible demands that both he and his players are under to win and, what is more, to win well. Rangers did fantastically to win the league title in both of the last two seasons. But the performances against small clubs often left a great deal to be desired during that run. Ally has taken his team to places they have never been before and they have played teams they have never played before. At times, that has not been easy. After two testing seasons, however, the manager knows where the weaknesses in his squad are. He knows where he has to strengthen. And he is aware that if offers are made for Mohsni or Peralta and they move on then it could free up money for him to sign the players he wants and may need to beat Hibs and Hearts to the title this season and return to the Premiership. I would reckon that big Bilel is by now as low as fourth or fifth in the pecking order for a starting spot in the Rangers central defence behind Lee McCulloch, Darren McGregor, Marius Zaliukas and possibly even Luca Gasparotto. Honduran Peralta, meanwhile, was clearly not happy last season. The midfielder had moved to Scotland from the other side of the world but was not getting a regular game. To make things worse for him, he picked up an injury and missed the chance to go to the World Cup in Brazil. If Arnold moves on it will give Ally the chance to bring in a ball player or a ball winner in the centre of the park. He will want to sign a player with real leadership qualities. Like all managers, McCoist will want to spend every penny that is made available to him. The squad is stronger now than it has been in the last two years due to the experienced players who have been brought in during the summer - Kris Boyd, Kenny Miller, McGregor and Zaliukas. So I'd not be surprised if we see a few younger lads go out on loan after a few games are played and it becomes obvious they are not going to feature. ROBBIE Crawford is one of those who could be loaned out to gain experience, even if it was to another Championship club. Rangers have done this sort of thing in the past with great success. If a lad wants to play then good luck to him. You work hard all week to play 90 minutes on a Saturday. If that chance is being denied to you then why not go somewhere else and get a game? I am sure that Fraser Aird, Calum Gallagher and Lewis Macleod will feature regularly in the months ahead. Beyond that trio, though, the other kids will struggle to get a first-team game at Rangers. Barrie McKay looks to have improved enormously after his season at Morton. He showed up very well in pre-season and is another kid who could get some game time. Of course, some players might not want to go on loan even if they aren't featuring. The facilities at other clubs will not match up to what they have at Rangers and it may not appeal to them. I have to say I can't understand anyone who would prefer to stay at a club and sit on the bench when they have a chance to move on elsewhere and play regularly. A lot of things can happen over a season so I expect more players to arrive and some to leave before the window closes at the end of August. This is a massive season for Rangers. The Championship will be the most competitive league in Scotland. The Ibrox club will have to play consistently well to win it … and they'll need as strong a squad as possible.