Would McCoist Ever Walk Away From Rangers?
When Ally McCoist uttered the words…
‘This is my club, the same as it is for thousands and thousands of Rangers supporters, and we don’t do walking away.’
Many a Gers fan cheered. Alistair Murdoch McCoist was a hero and an idol and he was the man that stood by the club during its most difficult period.
But now only a few years on, the Ibrox faithful have an element in their ranks that continually question McCoist and his managerial pedigree. That minority is definitely growing with each insipid display and uninspired signing.
In truth, in my opinion, too much has been laid at Ally’s door. He’s never had a successful board to back him, his squads in the lower leagues was never going to compare favourably with Rangers teams of the past and he has no scouting system to support his recruitment drive. Thus meaning he has had to work most of the time with a massive handicap. In the transfer market he goes for the tried and tested and brings in players he knows, even if they seem a bit past their best.
Plus if you actually think about it; Rangers have won their last two leagues titles at a canter and reached last seasons Scottish Cup semi final.
But the thing is this, Ally seems to lack the tactical nous that can push Rangers on to greater things like cup final victories and European results if/when Rangers get back there. His ability to continually play players out of position and fail to lift squads when they need a lift is also quite noticeable. His dugout decisions often create moans inside Ibrox and that will have a negative impact on his team too. McCoist also needs more creativity and imagination to inspire both his side and their fans. Plus more should be expected of a squad with the second highest wage budget in Scotland!
His comments to the press also leave him open to criticisms. His barbs against Hearts boss Robbie Neilson came back to haunt him yesterday. He stated in the build up ‘He’s in the management game 30 seconds and he’s playing mind games already.’ Now it was probably a tongue in cheek, throw away remark typical of McCoist. But here is the problem, Hearts went to Ibrox and won. So McCoist lost out to a rookie manager, which he’d pointed out himself only a day or two prior, ending up with egg on his face (Not literally like Kirk Broadfoot). I am also curious at his attempts to shift the blame onto Charles Green. Now I am not a fan of Green in the slightest but as a manager it’s McCoist’s job to block out that nonsense from the dressing room and keep the players minds focused on the Hearts game. If that wasn’t the case then McCoist totally neglected his own duties in my opinion.
Now I am not here calling for McCoist’s head, I don’t need to cater to such nonsense. But my question is this; would Ally leave if it were best for the Rangers Football Club?
Say the majority of the Gers support turned on the manager and called/demanded change, would McCoist walk away?
Like most gaffers in football Ally McCoist has two traits that can be a blessing or a hinderance, depending on your success. He is both a proud man and a stubborn person too. Now most managers have these traits. It worked wonders for Sir Alex Ferguson and not so well for David Moyes.
For McCoist to accept that he isn’t the man for Rangers it would take a lot of soul searching and the fifty-one year old would have to believe that the Gers managers job wasn’t his destiny after all. That type of call would be the biggest decision he’d have to make but would his pride let him take the fall? Or would he like many before him soldier on, become stubborn and wait for the sack when everything gets too much and its too late?
Now I love Ally McCoist. he’s my footballing idol. As a kid, I would try and play like him and get as many goals as he did. When I was fairly little, my brother would wake me up in the morning and tell me ‘Super Ally’ was downstairs. I would scurry down the stairs, in the hope of meeting my hero. He was never there and looking back I did fall for that trick too many times. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting McCoist a few times and the man was a gent always armed with a grin.
So I’m probably biased when I say Ally McCoist deserves more time in the Ibrox hot-seat. But my opinion doesn’t matter, I am not the one that has to turn up every other week and see dire, dull football. If he can’t convince the legions I have the feeling that McCoist would still try and fight it out and that would be a real shame.
Alas only time and fate will tell us the truth.
Side note: For those that want McCoist out, could you tell me who you’d like to see come in? As I can’t see any obvious choices and doubt certain managers will look at the Rangers one as being attractive at this moment in time.
Posted on August 11th, 2014 by scott
Filed under: Article
Walk away from the guts of a million quid a year when no one else in their right mind would pay him a 10th of that ? No he’s not gonna walk.
Billy Davies. Steve Evans. Stuart McCall.
Hi good reading been supporting gers for 60 years watching the last two seasons was like a Sunday pub team there is no football what so ever, a team who don’t play like a team Ally gets rid of some god kids and keeps the like of Hutton , I watch the start of this season and for me its time for Ally and his crew to move out he blames everything and everyone else and keeps saying we need to work harder lets get someone in with a football brain bring back Souness or bring in Billy Davis
Kind regards
Stuart
Alex Mcliesh. And Barry Ferguson, disgusting to see the size of mcoist. Durant and McDowell and they take trying. Well
What this team of high earners / Low deliverers (75%) need right now is a Graeme Souness Kick up the backside, a bit of encouragement where required (the young guns) , and the difficult conversations that every manager requires to do when the business is not delivering !!!! Be that in football or any other business, Ally does not look capable of delivering those sort of conversations, so the only vision that leaves us with is that the likes of Jig, for all he has done it is time to move aside, Ally will never ask this until the individual themselves call it a day, “God help us ” in the first week of proper competition he has been out thought, outplayed by two guys who have been in their respective clubs 6-8 weeks, those teams will only get stronger, I leave the rest to your imagination where the gers will go, unfortunately, nowhere.
Billy Davies is a good shout. I don’t think Souness will go back into management. I had thought of McCall myself and although he has done a good job at Motherwell, I kind of believe that is his level. Rangers played some pretty dire football under Big Eck and I would think Barry needs to prove himself capable elsewhere first. I would never hire Steve Evans.
Bob – Money is certainly a factor I naively over looked. Good point.
Send for BIG ECK
Good article,
I believe McCoist has to go. We have not improved in the 4 years he has been at the helm and he is yet to improve one player under his charge (Hutton, McLeod, Aird…). If truth be told, many players have regressed after we have signed them (Law, Black, Templeton, Clark…). For the past 3 seasons he has allowed the players to just do enough then point to lower division titles as some sort of vindication. The sad truth is, since McCoist took over we have had no invention, no guile, no tempo, no cohesion, no work rate, no plan B, no passion, no drive, no desire and worst of all nothing from the dug out. There seems to be very little work done on defending/attacking set pieces. No team shape or individual player instructions. This was ok in the lower leagues were our squad strength and depth saw us through, not now. We will not scrape wins in this league. We no longer have superior fitness (some would question this too) or quality to nick a game. The fact is we are could be there for the taking most weeks.
McCoist is a legend and his dedication and service to Rangers should never be forgotten, but he’s a sub standard manager. He has had 4 years to show his worth and failed in almost every big game. From Malmo and Maribor to Raith Rovers and Dundee Utd, he’s been found wanting.
In terms of change, I would not bring in a Butcher, McCall, McLeish or any other ‘Rangers man’. We need to rid the club of the pals act culture we have created at the club. Rangers (even under current circumstances) are a big club. Paying upto £400k p / a plus bonus just now and more in the Premier league. I would honestly go for Gary Megson. Offer him the role, see what he says. However, although it saddens me to say, I don’t think it would take much of a manager to get more from our current squad.
James
WATP
I agree with alot u say ,i cant remember a manager who’s had to deal with ,but things need to improve,would like to see de boer,Michael laudrup,or even bronchurst given a chance ,either way going to be a long hard season
Ally on £16500 a week. McCulloch on £23500 a week. Heroes. Yeh right. Only an idiot would walk away from that money fgs
I am very reluctant to admit that Ally should go.Mheart says no, my head says yes. Iwatched in amazement when Black went down and Hutton came on.The match was still to be won and could have been won by letting McLeod attack Hearts full on and bringing Aird in on the wing. There was a fear there where no fear should have existed It was bloody Hearts for Gods sake not Barcelona.It this same fear that does not allow him to play the youngsters and i feel it is transferring itself to all the players