Stephen Halliday: Ally McCoist deserves time at Ibrox to prove worth

THE growing disgruntlement among a section of the Rangers support towards manager Ally McCoist is unlikely to faze a man who is, perhaps, better equipped than anyone to cope with the capricious nature of those currently raising doubts over his position.

McCoist’s experience as a player for the Ibrox club, which saw visceral chants of “Ally, Ally, get to ****” replaced by the adulatory chorus of “Super Ally” within the space of a few months, will ensure he is not adversely affected by any expression of discontent directed at him.

A highly intelligent individual, whose strength of character should not be underestimated, McCoist does not need to be told that his stewardship of Rangers is in a crucial period.

Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Aberdeen at Ibrox, in which McCoist’s team were undone by a glaring lack of guile and conviction in the attacking third of the pitch, means the defending SPL champions have dropped 13 points in their last ten league fixtures.

In tandem with Celtic’s run of 12 consecutive victories, it has seen Rangers fall four points behind their great rivals at the top of the table.

Having held a 15-point lead at one stage, albeit when Celtic had two games in hand, Rangers have been reduced to the status of clear outsiders for the title as far as the bookmakers are concerned. Those odds may lengthen further if they lose the services of leading goalscorer Nikica Jelavic in the remaining nine days of a January transfer window which McCoist will not be sorry to see closed.

But regardless of how the rest of the season pans out for Rangers on the field, it is surely premature for any of their supporters to be calling for a managerial change.

Having served a lengthy and valuable apprenticeship, McCoist deserves more than just one campaign to prove himself capable of being a successful Rangers manager.

With 14 games remaining in the championship race, including two Old Firm showdowns, McCoist may yet achieve that status at the first attempt.

The financial uncertainty surrounding Rangers as they await the outcome of the First Tier Tribunal on HMRC’s case has cast a long shadow over McCoist’s maiden season in charge and would have represented a severe challenge for even the most experienced of managers.

McCoist, of course, has to accept some responsibility for the fiscal restrictions being tightened further by Rangers’ failure to make the group stage of either the Champions League or Europa League this season.

The first hurdle exits against Malmo and Maribor, along with the League Cup elimination at First Division Falkirk, represent black marks in the opening page of his managerial CV.

McCoist’s critics also point to his transfer market dealings and the failure, so far, of Juan Manuel Ortiz, Alejandro Bedoya, and Matt McKay to make an impact in the first team. Yet that is surely counter-balanced by the signings of Lee Wallace, Dorin Goian, Carlos Bocanegra and Sone Aluko, who have all made a positive impression.

No manager gets it 100 per cent right in the acquisition of players.

Neil Lennon has rightly been praised for the recruitment of Emilio Izaguirre, Beram Kayal, Joe Ledley, Kris Commons and Gary Hooper, but the Celtic boss has also overseen the less impressive arrival of players such as Daryl Murphy, Efrain Juarez, Freddie Ljungberg, Badr El Kaddouri and the still unproven Mohamed Bangura.

Just as the Celtic board kept faith with Lennon through a first full season as manager which failed to deliver the level of success demanded of him, so, too, does McCoist deserve the full backing of Rangers owner Craig Whyte beyond the remaining four months of this campaign, no matter how the Ibrox club’s support reacts towards him.