Rangers players back McCoist

[Big Al 55 9,311]

Rangers players back Ally Coist, says Kenny Miller

Feeling the heat: Ally McCoist is under pressure at Rangers

Picture: GETTY IMAGES

By Roddy Forsyth

10:17PM GMT 05 Dec 2014

Veteran Ibrox striker says cup to defeat to Alloa was worst ever result - but manager will only walk away if pressure affects his family

Beleaguered Rangers manager Ally McCoist declared that he would walk away from Rangers in only one circumstance – if the pressure from fans and media affected his family. However, even if he does not command the unreserved backing of his boardroom, the manager has not lost the dressing room, according to the veteran Ibrox striker, Kenny Miller.

The pair were speaking in the aftermath of Wednesday’s shock defeat by Alloa Athletic in the semi-finals of the Petrofac Training Cup semi-final, when Rangers held a 2-0 lead with 20 minutes to go but were beaten 3-2 by their part-time opponents. McCoist was the target for virulent abuse from the Rangers support.

“The dressing room is fully behind the manager and he will never lose us,” said Miller, now in his second spell at the club. “We want to fight for him because we know we let him down on Wednesday night and we know we let the fans down.

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“It is probably the worst result I have been involved in – to give it up the way we gave it up is bitterly disappointing. I woke up yesterday and said to myself: ‘Did that actually happen last night?’

“Had we won on Wednesday, we wouldn’t be talking about this right now – even though we’d still be nine points behind Hearts. That situation wouldn’t have changed.

“The players have to take a big amount of responsibility for what happened at Alloa. We’re out there on the field, we’re 2-0 up and the game is pretty much won. We had to make sure we got to the final from that position – but we didn’t.

“Let’s be honest, what can a manager do at that point apart from stand at the side and watch?”

Ten days prior to the defeat at Alloa, McCoist was also the target for chants of “Ally, Ally, get to f---” from the travelling support at Tynecastle when Rangers lost 2-0 to fall nine points behind Hearts in the chase for the single automatic promotion place in the Scottish Championship.

The manager is under no illusions about the feelings of certain of his directors – Sandy Easdale, the football board chairman is not a fan and neither is his brother, James, who is on the plc board – but given that Rangers continue to leak cash and depend on Mike Ashley’s emergency loans – which will see them only as far as New Year – the board cannot afford to pay £1.4 million in severance deals to McCoist and his backroom staff.

Nor does Ashley have a reputation for bowing to fan pressure, as demonstrated by his support for Alan Pardew at Newcastle United. As matters stand, the only man who will remove McCoist is McCoist himself and he admitted feeling demoralised by the debacle in Alloa.

“I was low – as low as I can remember – but you sit down, you get up the next morning and you go again,” said McCoist. He conceded, though, that if the impact of a downturn in form reached into his home, the time would come to depart.

“That’s completely different, there’s nothing more important than my family,” he said. “I’m very hopeful that I don’t take it home. You would have to ask people at home, but I don’t think so – and I think it is very, very important I don’t take it home.”

Asked how he insulated his five sons from the highly visible abuse which can be found on social media and other outlets, McCoist said: “The older ones – I can’t speak for them, I can only speak to them – are sensible enough to see the bigger picture and I’m hoping the younger ones are too young to have to see it.

“I’m as focused as I’ve ever been and I console myself with the fact – console is maybe not the right word – that there was always going to be massive bumps along the way.

“I’ve got to remain focused and totally determined, that’s a must. If you lose that, then you have no chance. Even if you lose five per cent focus or determination, you can’t waver.

“What happened on Wednesday was a disastrous 20 minutes and we were knocked out by a team in the same division as us. People can go on about budgets and all that stuff, which is fine.

“Budgets are not my gig, so that level of criticism I probably don’t accept, because it’s not my budget, so to speak, but I do accept people thinking and understanding and agreeing that we should be beating Alloa. So that’s the reality of it – and the reality of it is the reaction to it, which I can understand and I also have to accept.”

[stewaj3 1,446]

I like what miller has to say, and in this case he is right the players let the manager down and if I'm honest there's not much else he could have done. No one could forsee the collapse....

However. The board gave the manager money, The manager signed these players. The players are not good enough. The manager is to blame.

Look at hearts, fraction of the wage bill, far better team.

McCoist out.

[TheBluenose1972 1,405]

When Miller scored v Alloa he went straight to Ally, Fans on here would have you believe that Miller hates Ally and thinks he does not know what he's doing and wants his job

The players need to start doing their talking on the pitch rather than in the media

Asked how he insulated his five sons from the highly visible abuse which can be found on social media and other outlets, McCoist said: “The older ones – I can’t speak for them, I can only speak to them – are sensible enough to see the bigger picture and I’m hoping the younger ones are too young to have to see it.

So sad this is happening to such a legend.

[hammer93 15,129]

Statements like that are just making a mockery of the whole situation

[norgerpd 280]

When Miller scored v Alloa he went straight to Ally, Fans on here would have you believe that Miller hates Ally and thinks he does not know what he's doing and wants his job

The players need to start doing their talking on the pitch rather than in the media

So sad this is happening to such a legend.

The longer he hangs around,the worse it'll get.

He should have left(with a little dignity still remaining)after our awful display in last years final of this pissy little cup(that he's failed to win all 3 times........quite pathetic!).

Do the right thing,Ally.

[stewaj3 1,446]

When Miller scored v Alloa he went straight to Ally, Fans on here would have you believe that Miller hates Ally and thinks he does not know what he's doing and wants his job

The players need to start doing their talking on the pitch rather than in the media

So sad this is happening to such a legend.

So sad what is happening? McCoist getting stick?

Welcome to life as a football manager.

If McCoist got the results he wouldn't be getting stick. He's been allowed the second highest wage budget in scottish football and signed duds.

Always a Rangers legend and always a place for him at our club... Just not as manager.

His wage is way way ott and frankly he is not worth it.

[pcbear 10,924]

Aye fuckin looks like It.

[bornabear 6,222]

Oh boo hoo, nobody has mentioned his family, nor would we attack his family, so why is McClown introducing them into the equation. Disgusting remark.

[Blackandra 732]

Is he not in his 3rd spell?

[NeoGeo7 10,627]

I like what miller has to say, and in this case he is right the players let the manager down and if I'm honest there's not much else he could have done. No one could forsee the collapse....

However. The board gave the manager money, The manager signed these players. The players are not good enough. The manager is to blame.

Look at hearts, fraction of the wage bill, far better team.

McCoist out.

The one irrefutable piece of evidence that mccoist shoulders a good chunk of the responsibility and therefore the blame is that I doubt the players consistently decide to play the long ball game after game or pick the team amongst themselves. True, the players are sub standard but if we had a manager that I could believe would paint the dressing room walls with rather than joke around with I think we'd see more out of them even playing that long ball pish.

The fact of the matter is mccoist is way out of his depth and I can't see any area of his managerial credentials that are up to scratch.

Time to go Ally before it's too late for the club and also you.

[legalbeagle 3,734]

Oh boo hoo, nobody has mentioned his family, nor would we attack his family, so why is McClown introducing them into the equation. Disgusting remark.

He got asked a question about it. Jeez, all the things that get said about Ally on here, and you find that disgusting?

[theiconicman 3,013]

He should leave now before it turns ugly and it does affect his home life. He must realise the fans have deserted him, why continue with the charade and cause further anger and take it to a breaking point for him? If he says the only way he'll resign if it affects his home life, I hope to God he leaves well before then.

[islandblue 366]

A family man Ally ? Strange fucking family then

[dummiesoot 16,116]

Is he not in his 3rd spell?

Yup usual shite, why bother with getting facts right, reporting.

[Reformation Bear 6,453]

Well if we really only can get by financially until the New Year then unless substantially more money is found from somewhere or massive cuts are made or a bit of both then all the talk about the Manager staying or going and all the talk about a rank awful result last Weds and all the talk about whether or not we might win promotion would pale into much lesser significance because if we run out of money then that would trigger some very severe consequences. Very severe indeed.

Wonder what a Chairman and whatever few Directors are left will have to say about that at the AGM in a few weeks - which is after all only itself a week or so away from the start of the New Year. Is the reason the Board are so publicly silent about the on-pitch disasters because there is an even bigger disaster just around the corner?

[nachothelegend 1,932]

It has affected his Family, the Rangers Family.

He should go then.

He would be a bigger man if he did.

[bornabear 6,222]

He got asked a question about it. Jeez, all the things that get said about Ally on here, and you find that disgusting?

Yes, things get said about Ally, which are quite legitimate regarding he is the manager of our Team which are not performing well tactically or football wise, so therefore, folk will react, some more vociferous than others.

Our fans are no different to any other Team's fans and that's the way fans throughout the football world react.

I am sure he has parried questions before, so why answer this one now of all times.

[The Beast 9,264]

At what point does the manager accept responsibility Kenny?

McCoist would be more than willing to take credit from any success. The flip side is that he has to carry the can when things go wrong.

Where does the buck stop?

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

Aye you lot back him because a new manager would come in and want rid of every one of you waster cunts, Macleod excluded.

You can fuck off as well Kenny, another waste of wages from the dumbo in charge.

[Blumhoilann 6,712]

So some think a player would sit beside his manager and say he's a f**king deluded w**k? Get real.

[theiconicman 3,013]

Going to bed.

[legalbeagle 3,734]

Yes, things get said about Ally, which are quite legitimate regarding he is the manager of our Team which are not performing well tactically or football wise, so therefore, folk will react, some more vociferous than others.

Our fans are no different to any other Team's fans and that's the way fans throughout the football world react.

I am sure he has parried questions before, so why answer this one now of all times.

Why should he? I don't get why it is disgusting for him to answer a question about how it is on his family for him to receive such criticism.

There are legitimate criticisms and there are nasty, disrespectful tossers - if we were limited to the first, there would be no issue whatsoever, but because we excuse the latter, his kids will have to learn to put up with it.

[theiconicman 3,013]

Why should he? I don't get why it is disgusting for him to answer a question about how it is on his family for him to receive such criticism.

There are legitimate criticisms and there are nasty, disrespectful tossers - if we were limited to the first, there would be no issue whatsoever, but because we excuse the latter, his kids will have to learn to put up with it.

But McCoist has stated that he won't ever leave if fans just give legitimate criticisms, only if it affects his family.

If he digs his heels in any further we'll need to dig him out with a a JCB.

[loyalfollower 1,543]

I agree the players gave to take the blame but when they're continually picked despite being woeful then it becomes the managers fault. If mccoists players let him down so much recently then a few changes would take the heat off him but as we already know- he wont drop his mates and that is the only possible reasons for them playing every week because in football ability and attitude they have none. If he were to drop law bkack jig mosnhi and boyd and actually give others a chance then the manager would get my support but as he keeps picking them then he deserves nothing but criticism

[jimfaebrigton 31]

honestley its awrite ally made us play tig for an extra hawf hour so were up for this noo