Rangers takeover: Charles Green gives Ally McCoist hope for future

• Green’s group has an “irrevocable” contract and, unlike former preferred bidder Bill Miller, cannot now back out

• Ally McCoist met Green on Saturday night and said he was “relieved” about the latest developments in the sale

• The deal for the Ibrox club is expected to be finalised on June 6

• Green briefly introduced himself to players before match with St Johnstone

The win was an afterthought in terms of what else had occurred on a frantic Sunday, with McCoist welcoming the news that Charles Green’s consortium had agreed a deal to buy the club on the morning of Rangers’ last league game of the campaign.

McCoist believes he can now look forward to being the one to lead Rangers into next season.

“I am told the press conference went OK this morning, which is great,” McCoist said, having already had a meeting with Green on the eve of yesterday’s match, won 4-0 by Rangers in Perth. During the conversation with Green the manager gathered enough information to form the view that the consortium wants him to lead the club next season.

Asked if he had been assured of his own position, McCoist answered: “Yes, I hope I was reading that conversation right anyway! Again, I will probably find out more in the next 48 hours.”

McCoist said that he could understand if the supporters were being “guarded” in their response to the news of the new consortium striking a deal with Duff & Phelps. He qualified this by stressing he was not passing comment on Green himself, but was simply aware the fans had endured many false dawns in this long drawn-out administration process.

There were no songs in praise of Green at McDiarmid Park yesterday, with the new owner-elect taking his place in the directors’ box just prior to kick-off. Lee McCulloch later revealed that Green popped his head around the door of the away dressing-room prior to yesterday’s match.

The player, who scored Rangers’ opening goal, said that the former Sheffield United chief executive had quickly introduced himself before leaving McCoist to get on with his pre-match preparations.

“Charles Green came into the dressing room for two minutes before the game and introduced himself but that was about it,” said McCulloch. “He left and let the gaffer do his talk, but he seems really positive.

“He didn’t say much more about his plans. He literally came in for a minute and said we’ll see what happens over the next couple of days and weeks. Maybe the manager will give us a phone with any updates.”

It is believed Green also met with some fans’ representatives after the game in Perth, having already held discussions with McCoist on Saturday evening.

“I met Charles last night and we had a couple of hours for a brief chat, as you would imagine, because of the game today,” said McCoist. “I had to come up to the hotel to meet the rest of the lads. But I remain as positive as ever. I had a good discussion with Charles and he’s certainly very positive. He knows what he wants for the club. He aims to take the club forward, which is what we all want.

“I can understand the support being a little bit wary, a little bit guarded, not of the individual but just of the situation and because of what has happened in the past. But we have to all take stock, all support and get behind Charles. Hopefully, in the future, he’ll be the man to take the club forward. That’s what we want.”

McCoist acknowledged that the club were not “out of the woods yet”, with the hard-talking having to begin again today as attention turns to the future of the players, and also the club’s pre-season activities. “I will have discussions with Charles in the next 48 hours but this should certainly help me, I would hope,

in terms of being able to plan pre-season games, maybe a trip.

“But definitely the most important thing is finding out who will be here next season and if we’ll be able to add to that squad. The next 48 hours will go a long way to answering some of those questions.”

Rangers must also await the judgment from their appeal against sanctions imposed by the Scottish Football Association after being guilty of five charges concerning the club’s financial affairs. Included among these punishments is a 12-month transfer embargo, with the hearing due to be held at Hampden on Wednesday. The retention of current players could therefore be of the utmost importance.

Sone Aluko, who scored a second half hat-trick yesterday, is one of those players now out of contract, although the club have offered him a new two-year deal. It remains to be seen whether they can now finance this offer – and whether Aluko wishes to sign on again for a club where much uncertainty still reigns.

“We don’t want to lose any of our players,” stressed McCoist. “The players have been fantastic in the sacrifice they have made, and they have stayed together.

“I just felt that again today you could actually feel the passion coming from the support. One of the major positives out of this season, if there have been any at all, is that I believe the bond between the supporters, the players and the staff has been really evident, in its strength and togetherness. Never underestimate that.”

McCoist reflected on a season where he has been bounced from pillar to post and endured setback after setback. It was a campaign which started with a 1-1 draw with Hearts at home quickly started to go downwill, with European exits from both the Champions and then Europa Leagues at the first hurdle. Although Rangers managed to maintain some form in the league up until the end of the year, they have finished 20 points adrift of champions Celtic, a margin which of course includes the ten point penalty imposed following administration in February.

“I would have to say it’s probably been the darkest season in the club’s history because of the administration,” said McCoist. “We have obviously had greater disasters which have affected people. But, in terms of overall and the club going into administration, it’s been the blackest season.

“It would be great just to get back to answering questions about football. That’s what we all love. The whole season has been absolutely bizarre,” he added. “Nobody could have predicted or forecast what has happened this season. Hopefully it is now past us and we can start building for the future.”