Ally McCoist pleads lack of resources for Rangers

ALLY MCCOIST last night defended the poor performance against Stirling Albion by pointing out that no other Rangers manager in the club’s history has had to work with such depleted resources.

After a scoreless draw at Ibrox, where the club’s lowest league crowd of the season voiced their frustration, McCoist said that his lengthy list of absentees went some way to explaining the display.

“I told you at the start of the season that we needed players,” said McCoist, pictured right. “I’m not going to change my tune on that. We had seven or eight players out. I’ll probably go down in history as the only Rangers manager who has struggled to fill a bench. That’s where the club is at the moment.

“We spent Friday morning looking at our youth players – not because they deserved an opportunity, but because we needed to fill a jersey. I’m not sure too many Rangers managers have had that problem, but that’s where we are. We just have to get over that line. We have to win the title and get a team that will win the next title.” 
The coronation will come soon enough, with Rangers now 21 points ahead of second-placed Queen’s Park, but this latest performance was not befitting of champions elect. “It was a disappointing 90 minutes for everybody,” said McCoist. “It wasn’t a good game at all. From our own point of view, the best chances to score came early on in the first half. Lee Wallace and Kane Hemmings had chances but after that it was just a frustrating match.

“There was the option of putting Lee McCulloch on attack but he has made the defence a lot more solid in recent weeks. If I can take a positive, we’ve had a couple of clean sheets in the last two weeks, but in terms of making chances and taking them we are miles short.”

McCoist also responded to the banner that was unfurled by some Rangers fans near the end. “Less time tweeting more time training” it said in reference to the tweet by Kyle Hutton after the recent defeat by Annan Athletic.

“I’m not a fan of tweeting,” said McCoist. “I am a fan of training. I would reassure the fans there is no problem in terms of the amount of training and the level of training. That hasn’t changed in 20 years. The important thing is getting players ready for a game. As for tweeting, it baffles me.”