Ally McCoist reveals how he has ‘learned to love’ CEO Charles Green

THE Rangers manager, Ally McCoist, has revealed how he learned how to stop worrying and love the bombscare that is Charles Green, the club’s CEO.

Hardly a day goes by without the Yorkshireman firing off an ill-judged salvo at enemies real or perceived, usually accompanied by some populist tub-thumping in order to appeal to the lowest common denominator of the support.

McCoist admits to having been wary of the man and his methods at first but, as he prepares his team for tonight’s Ramsdens Cup second round tie at Falkirk, he claims that he now enjoys a closer relationship to Green than he ever did to his discredited predecessor, Craig Whyte.

“Charles has never hidden the fact that he wants the club to do well so that he can make money,” he said. “The one thing our fans deserve is honesty and they’re certainly getting that.

“They’re also getting someone who’s not frightened to speak his mind, who says what he thinks and who’ll speak up for the club.

“He’s doing his very, very best to endear himself to The Rangers support and that can only be a good thing, dishing out cups of tea to the queues [of season-ticket buyers] last week and meeting supporters at Saturday’s game.

“I think there’s a feeling among the support that Charles is trying to push the club forward.

“Let’s be honest: we didn’t really know each other before and I’m of the opinion that the relationship between the manager and the chief executive is far and away the most important one at any football club.

“We’re getting on fine, chatting every other day and in constant contact about players and other things to do with the club.

“Like any relationship, it has to be given time to flourish and blossom but I don’t anticipate any problems. With Charles, what you see is what you get.

“He has his own opinions and he’s going to be forthright about them, but I don’t have a problem with that and it’s healthy that I don’t see us agreeing on everything.

“I was asked at a fans’ forum whether I trusted Charles and I was very honest. I said that trust and respect are both things which have to be earned – you don’t just give them. But in Charles’ defence, if Princess Di or Mother Teresa had taken over the club I’d have been sceptical about them as well.

“It wasn’t about the individual, it was just the figurehead I had my doubts about after the previous one and I think that was completely natural: there was nothing sinister in that at all.

“As time goes on we’re learning more about each other and we have the same interests and the same target, which is to take the club forward. As long as we share that, we have a chance.”

McCoist certainly seems more relaxed nowadays. There were times towards the end of last season when he looked older than his 49 years.

Too often he appeared a picture of exhaustion, drained of the quick wit which had made him one of the game’s most popular figures. Now, though, he appears to have come through the fire.

“It was probably a unique situation,” he said. “I don’t remember too many other clubs where everyone has just jumped ship.

“You just handle it: you just get on with it because you don’t have an option. You just do what you have to do. The gallows humour keeps you going but there was nobody – not a chairman, a director, a chief executive officer – to turn to.

“I feel much happier and less stressed now. It’s just back playing football – it’s as simple as that.

“Coming in, training, picking teams, working on set plays and all that kind of stuff that managers and coaches do – that’s the biggest relief of the lot.

“The situation is better than it’s been in the past six months. It was horrendous for a while there. We now need to make the best of what we’ve got.

“It’s incredible to think you’re getting more than every other game in Scotland put together. It’s just ridiculous. There’s something not right about it, actually…but it’s great.”

French defender Sebastien Faure, a free agent after leaving Lyon, will hold signing talks after impressing during a trial period, while USA midfielder Maurice Edu could be jettisoned from the wage bill if he agrees terms with Ipswich Town.

Dorin Goian impressed by SFL opponents

DORIN GOIAN has revealed he thought he’d be playing against “fat amateurs” in the Third Division. But the Rangers defender admitted he’s been pleasantly surprised at the standard of player in Scottish football’s bottom tier.

Despite doubts about his future, the Romanian has featured in all four of Rangers’ games so far this season, and he’ll play in the Ramsdens Cup tie at Falkirk tonight. The 31-year-old said: “The teams we have been playing against are modest, but they have shown great ambition when they have played us. Frankly, before we started in this league, I thought we would be playing against fat amateur players, but they are not. So far, I’ve encountered many good, young players. Even if they don’t quite have the qualities to make it, they are all very hard working.

“And the stadiums, albeit small, have very good playing surfaces with plenty of grass and no big slopes or anything. The response to playing in this league from Rangers fans has been great. We get 50,000 at a fourth division match. The fans have stayed with us even though we were demoted, but I expected that.”