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Ally McCoist: Players must stick to the plan in Scottish Cup semi-final against


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Ally McCoist: Players must stick to the plan in Scottish Cup semi-final against Dundee United to prevent a repeat of last year's defeat

RANGERS boss says his team need to follow instructions if they are to beat the Arabs and make it to the final at Celtic Park.

SNS Group Ally-McCoist-2952105.jpg Rangers manager Ally McCoist

Ally McCoist hopes his players follow their instructions against Dundee United in the Scottish Cup semi-final – after blowing it last season with only 15 seconds on the clock.

In the build-up to their clash 13 months ago, Rangers worked extensively in training to combat the threat of Jon Daly only for defensive pairing Emilson Cribari and Ross Perry to switch off to leave the plan in tatters.

Johnny Russell converted a Daly knockdown and Jackie McNamara’s men went on to win 3-0.

And to compound matters Ian Black and Kal Naismith were sent off for Gers in an embarrassing 90 minutes.

Now, as the build-up starts to next month’s clash at Ibrox, McCoist knows his players will need to stick to the plan if they are to make it to the Final at Celtic Park on May 17.

And while Daly is now at Ibrox, the Arabs still have a major threat that has to be contained in the shape of Nadir Ciftci.

McCoist, whose side play at Brechin today in the league, said: “It will be good to have a crack at Dundee United.

“It keeps everyone going and it’s important the momentum carries on. We have the Ramsdens Cup Final coming up which we’re looking forward to and we are unbeaten in the league and we want to maintain that.

“But the Cup semi-final is important. I remember last season’s game very well – it was just unbelievable.

“Jon Daly was a player who was always on the radar, someone I’d always admired and I knew he was a threat.

“We spent two days working on the diagonal ball to him – and we lost a goal after 15 seconds.

“Jon bullied us that day, he was excellent. We had two players sent off but that had nothing to do with the result, the better team won.

“They now have Nadir Ciftci. He’s a different player to big Jon, he’s been a good signing and scored good goals including the winner against St Mirren last week.

“He looks a great addition to Jackie’s squad but they have a good blend and they like to play decent football. They can go short and long and get in behind you.

“Ciftci will be a threat to us but no way is he the only one.

“I hope our players will raise the bar again as I think United will as well. They’re playing Rangers the club, they’re not looking at it and thinking, ‘They’ve got Gascoigne and Laudrup’.

“They’ll put in the same application and desire to win the game no matter who we put out. All aspects of our game will have to improve for the semi-final.

“They are not a completely different side to last year but they are different. They have real quality down the left-hand side, boys with a lot of pace and talent.

“Our squad, as you would hope, has improved from last year but I don’t think United have stood still.”

McCoist understands United’s frustrations over the game being played at Ibrox but he expects McNamara’s players to thrive on the big occasion.

The situation reminds him of when Rangers played Celtic in a Cup semi-final at Parkhead in 1998 – and won.

He said: “With the greatest respect, that Rangers team would have played anybody anywhere – we had so much belief.

“It was a successful side that didn’t fear a lot. The venue wouldn’t have mattered that much to us.

“It was the toughest venue in the country but it didn’t scare or faze us and we went there, enjoyed it and got a very good result.

“People have said Stephen Thompson’s comments will only fire up Rangers and give us an edge but I don’t think so.

“Players thrive on big stadiums and big-time atmospheres and with the greatest respect to a home game at United, places like Hampden, Celtic Park and Ibrox are the three big ones in Scotland.”

McCoist has no problem with Thompson’s gripe over the venue and ticket allocation.

He said: “Stephen is only fighting what he sees is a good fight for his club. That’s fine, we do it ourselves.”

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Sticking to a plan? Sounds good and sounds encouraging. The thing with plans is they can be made to look good on paper, and maybe even look just as good in training or rehearsal. Problem is surviving contact with the opposition - as Ally found out last season. Some might argue that plans are not the important bit but that planning is thing that matters. The mindset to adapt and adjust, the ability to take the game to the opposition, confidence in your own ability, the mindset to take strength from a fired-up crowd and use it to advantage. Its hard enough to write a plan for that and for countering what you think are the opposition strong points. But imo the greater skill is the planning that leads your team to be ready for anything and to impose your own strengths while protecting your weaknesses. All that said, this time its at Ibrox and this time the Support can create the sort of big-game Ibrox atmosphere that should help the team do the job.

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Sorry Ally but Thompson is only fighting because it is Rangers. If it was a final between his mhob and the mhanks at Snake Mountain do you think for a minute he would be shouting for it to be moved to Ibrox or, more appropriately, Murrayfield? Not a fucking chance.

Rangers, my team not my project.

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Await all the retarded comments of McCoist being a pussy etc, when what's he's saying is perfect - not giving anything away to the opposition, not giving them anything to use to motivate them.

WHAT HE SAYS TO THE PRESS AND WHAT HE SAYS TO HIS TEAM ARE TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THINGS

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Await all the retarded comments of McCoist being a pussy etc, when what's he's saying is perfect - not giving anything away to the opposition, not giving them anything to use to motivate them.

WHAT HE SAYS TO THE PRESS AND WHAT HE SAYS TO HIS TEAM ARE TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THINGS

Exactly. Just like Mourinho does. Both went to Largs as well. No coincidence.

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Await all the retarded comments of McCoist being a pussy etc, when what's he's saying is perfect - not giving anything away to the opposition, not giving them anything to use to motivate them.

WHAT HE SAYS TO THE PRESS AND WHAT HE SAYS TO HIS TEAM ARE TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THINGS

Was thinking the same thing myself, I have a really good feeling about this game, I think our players will go at them like the night we won the league, Utd ain't going to know what hit them, 3-0 to us.
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