Rangers underdog status will sit well - MacDonald

FORMER Rangers midfielder Alex MacDonald believes the very fact his old team will be facing opponents expected to take charge against them tomorrow might work in their favour in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Dundee United.
Alex MacDonald: Optimistic. Picture: SNSAlex MacDonald: Optimistic. Picture: SNS
Alex MacDonald: Optimistic. Picture: SNS

MacDonald, an ambassador for the Ibrox club, was at the Ramsdens Cup final last weekend where Rangers’ weakness against sides that sit in was once more all-too-painfully exposed. The Tannadice men, with the Premiership status according them odds-on status to reach the Scottish Cup final against the League 1 winners, won’t be another of those sides.

“The team have found it difficult all season with teams defending in numbers,” he said. “It will probably be different against a team from a higher league, they will maybe want to go and attack, which the team haven’t experienced probably. The Rangers supporters will be here and fill the place and [to many] they have already lost it [the semi-final], right now. It is about turning that around and winning it.”

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Ally McCoist has a monumental task to turn around the perception of him as struggling to justify his position – and both recruitment and spend on players. MacDonald, homing in on the fielding of young players that, in fact, have been scantly represented in the senior Ibrox set-up this season, considers the flak attracted by the Rangers manager as “a bit unfair”.

“When you play with Rangers, you expect to win every game, it doesn’t matter the opposition. You are there to win. He has been getting stick for a while, not just after Sunday. The pressure is more on them. You have got to give the kids time, they are learning with the big crowd and big games. That is what it is all about, you have got to handle it.”

Asked if his status as one of the club’s all-time legendary players has bought McCoist time and prevent any serious doubts being raised over his position, MacDonald said: “It could be. But that is not Ally’s decision. It is in the hands of other people. The supporters have been with him and I hope they stay.

“If we get one goal on Saturday they will be singing and dancing again.”

£18m LOSSES

The Rangers Football Club Ltd, the company set up by Charles Green as Sevco Scotland when his consortium bought the assets of the liquidation-bound Ibrox club, has announced losses of £18.1million in the 13 months up to June 30, 2013.

Rangers International Football Club plc, the parent company of the club, had previously announced losses of £14.4million for the same period.

The accounts, which were lodged at Companies House, show the club owes the parent company £16.1million.

But that sum will not be recalled for the foreseeable future.

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Much of the information in the document was previously known through the plc accounts.

Turnover was £17.7million and staff costs were £17.6million, about ten per cent of which was paid to directors.

The accounts also reveal that severance pay totalling £468,000 had been paid to directors who had left the club since June 30, namely Craig Mather and Brian Stockbridge.

The plc last month announced a loss of £3.7million in the second half of 2013.