Derek Johnstone has his say.

[ray 105]

Derek Johnstone: Rangers players are Third raters

By DEREK JOHNSTONE

I think there is no doubt that Ally McCoist will be given time to develop Rangers because of the way he conducted himself during the many dark days of the last eight months.

Derek Johnstone says Ally McCoist must get more out of his players

But he is a manager and he is well aware that the current run of results is not good enough.

I don't think he is getting to the stage where he is under pressure, but he knows those days will come unless he starts getting much, much more out of his players.

As an outsider, it seems to me that the players are too pampered, too used to the cosy SPL trappings.

One of the best things Ally could do for them is to take away all the luxuries; the fancy hotels before games, the comfy coach and get right back to basics. It is what the other clubs in the Irn-Bru Third Division have to do.

And it might just hammer home the message that these players are Third Division players because that is where the problem seems to lie – in their attitude.

There is simply no excuse to going out of the Ramsdens Cup to Queen of the South, penalties or not.

If you take a look at the players Rangers have at their disposal, they should be good enough to win it off the park.

We've put up with the poor away form, citing tight pitches and players getting stuck right in, but at Ibrox with all the space and the crowd right behind them, there was no obvious reason for Rangers to struggle.

It all comes down to hunger, to a determination to prove yourself and that is what the Queen of the South players had.

Rangers don't seem to have that at the minute and, if it keeps up, it won't be long before the grumbles start to grow a little louder.

Quite rightly, managers get all the praise going when their team is doing the business on the park, but that quickly sours when results are simply not there.

Managers go into the job with their eyes open. They know that this is a results-driven business and the talk, ultimately, is always done on the park.

Which is why Ally needs to get into Murray Park and start giving a few hefty kicks up the backsides to players who are too used to cushy, SPL lives.

They are in amongst it now in the Third Division and they have used up all their lives now.

It's time to start getting the results at all costs and start showing the fight and desire that is necessary to get out of this division.

The attitude to games has to be right and, given the amount of lessons that must have been learned from these first 10 games, it's high time that the players realised that.

It won't take long before the Ibrox crowd starts to get on their backs if they don't start lifting their game.

Guys like Ian Black, Francisco Sandaza, Kevin Kyle and Dean Shiels have all been over the course before.

They are experienced professionals, but they are not delivering just now. There needs to be a steep improvement and it needs to start on Sunday against Montrose.

Rangers are a Third Division club. It's imperative they drop their airs and graces and be prepared to get their hands dirty.

It is a long fight ahead to get back to the SPL and there is no-one who will give them an easy passage back to the top.

[wearethemighty 186]

Fk Derek Johnstone the fat fkr.

[Edmiston Drive 3,846]

Cunt will say and do anything for a few bob.....................you ponce johnstone.............how much did his creditors get when he shut down his building business?

Go and hump your sloppy seconds from dung young.

[Smile 26,622]

I dont think its a bad piece by Johnstone and in the main i agree the players attitudes have not been good enough and are approaching games like they are training matches.

[EastEnclosureBear 2,964]

State the obvious why don't you Derek

[ray 105]

Calling a great Rangers servant a cunt, whatever next ?

[SBG 13]

Shields and Black in particular didnt do enough v QOS. They are players that should be driving us on

[loyalfollower 1,543]

Nothing wrong with that statement

[Zulu 981]

Who the fuck is interested in what this radio whore has got to say.

[iain1712 336]

Calling a great Rangers servant a cunt, whatever next ?

Derek (uncle tom) Johnstone burned his bridges at ibrox long ago.

That said however his article is correct they do need a boot up the arse.

[Edmiston Drive 3,846]

Calling a great Rangers servant a cunt, whatever next ?

Not in my mind is he a great Rangers servant as you put it..............guy is a ponce and only appears positive about the club when freebies are on the horizon. And let's not kid ourselves that the man is anything other than a cunt.

[geronimoo 1,488]

One of the best things Ally could do for them is to take away all the luxuries; the fancy hotels before games, the comfy coach and get right back to basics. It is what the other clubs in the Irn-Bru Third Division have to do.

Agrre with that.

I would also throw in he should make them full time players and not part

time, and by that I mean in all week all day instead of coming in for

training a few days a week for a few hours then pissing off back to their

fancy houses in their fancy cars.

[ray 105]

Derek (uncle tom) Johnstone burned his bridges at ibrox long ago.

That said however his article is correct they do need a boot up the arse.

DJ may have burned your bridges he hasn't burnt any of mine, a Rangers legend in every sense of the word from his first cup final goal at 16 years old and a winning one at that and onwards.

[Guest KarlG45]

I'm not a huge fan of DJ, but seems that people here are being a little harsh on him..

Unless someone could give me a few examples of his 'cuntery' - The building firm for example. What happened there?

[whytes3 254]

Good piece by Johnstone.

It is a simple and obvious point but one that the management team at the club seem to be missing at the moment

[Getstiffed 8,863]

Did he ask Alan Rough if it was ok for him to write that?

[georgemcdonald9 5]

DJ may have burned your bridges he hasn't burnt any of mine, a Rangers legend in every sense of the word from his first cup final goal at 16 years old and a winning one at that and onwards.

was my hero as a boy you dont just forget what a servant he was for our club

[papaguy51 912]

I think he's starting to separate Ally the playing legend from Ally the manager, something that a lot of people on here are struggling to do.

[jcb 1,167]

No doubting that DJ was a fantastic player for a number of years, but when he demanded the captaincy and to be played at Centre-half (after scoring 38 goals the previous season)my opinion changed,here was a player putting personal preferences ahead of what was best for the club.

Had he continued at Centre-forward, i'm convinced we would have retained our title and spared us what was one of the worst nights in our lives.

Since retirement he has done nothing to benefit the image of the club and fans as portrayed in the media.

From Hero to Zero imo.

[brissybear 50]

people are crazy harsh on him. Calling him a fat cunt etc, shocking! So what he works for Clyde and criticised us after Villareal and Manchester, woop de fucking woo!!

Outstanding player for us who knew how to slay the tims.

[seaton_bear 4]

I read as far as hunger. Then went and had breakfast................

[JograBear 1,074]

Someone got banned for calling Ally a cunt yesterday. I hope the same applies to DJ who is another legend in my eyes. Some need to show a little respect to those who have served our club well.

[ray 105]

No doubting that DJ was a fantastic player for a number of years, but when he demanded the captaincy and to be played at Centre-half (after scoring 38 goals the previous season)my opinion changed,here was a player putting personal preferences ahead of what was best for the club.

Had he continued at Centre-forward, i'm convinced we would have retained our title and spared us what was one of the worst nights in our lives.

Since retirement he has done nothing to benefit the image of the club and fans as portrayed in the media.

From Hero to Zero imo.

He was eighteen years old when he played CH in the glorious '72 winning team in Barcelona, he in fact played the next two seasons mostly at CH. His Rangers career needs no defending by anyone.

[Edmiston Drive 3,846]

Someone got banned for calling Ally a cunt yesterday. I hope the same applies to DJ who is another legend in my eyes. Some need to show a little respect to those who have served our club well.

You have just called Ally that. So tell me because johnstone is a leg-end in your eyes, people should be banned.

[jcb 1,167]

He was eighteen years old when he played CH in the glorious '72 winning team in Barcelona, he in fact played the next two seasons mostly at CH. His Rangers career needs no defending by anyone.

Never said he wasn't a good player for us either at CH or CF,i actually think he was equally comfortable in both positios, but there is no denying the fact that his personal demands were not to the betterment of the club .

Weak piece of managership by John Greig.NO player is bigger than the club,DJ thought he was.

As for his post- playing career,anyone who thinks he talks with any knowledge & authority is blinkered. I remember years ago he was asked why a young Rangers player hadn't progressed,DJ claimed the player hadn't impressed in training the previous month,the player was actually out with a long-term injury yet DJ chose to lie rather than appear clueless.