Ally McCoist has voiced his fears that Rangers could drop out of European competition entirely, describing the prospect as “unthinkable” and a significant financial setback for the club.
The Ibrox side host Jablonec in the first leg of their Conference League play-off on Thursday, having dropped into UEFA’s third-tier competition after a Europa League qualifying defeat to Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok. McCoist, speaking to talkSPORT Bet, expressed his concern about the team’s decline since reaching the Europa League final just over four years ago, where they lost on penalties.
McCoist’s fears for Rangers
“I’m concerned about Rangers. Rangers not in Europe is unthinkable. No European football would be absolutely unthinkable. Looking at the team the last couple of years, it breaks my heart to say it. For a team that was a penalty kick probably away from winning the Europa League,” he said.
“Rangers have slipped, there's no doubt about it. Rangers have slipped. I use the word slipped, they've probably cascaded off a mountain to be honest with you, to where we are now. Being brutally honest with you, the last two or three years and this isn't down to Derek McInnes, I think the last two or three years we've looked like a Conference League side.”
McCoist also noted the slow start to the season, with a draw and a loss to Hibs in the league, followed by the European defeat. “Not a good start. They will improve, but they have to do it quickly. The Conference League playoff is huge now.”
Support for Tavernier return
McCoist backed fellow former Rangers hero Andy Halliday’s suggestion that the club should consider bringing back former captain James Tavernier, who remains without a club after leaving Ibrox last summer following 11 years at the club.
“I’d agree with Andy Halliday on bringing James Tavernier back. We're struggling in full back positions. We're definitely struggling in full back positions. The right-back IS out for about eight weeks, nine weeks. He played a three at the back. Ross McCrorie has come in,” McCoist said.
“It wouldn't be the daftest thing in the world. It would not be the daftest thing in the world. Tavernier has been a fabulous servant to the club. Fabulous servant in the club. I don't think he's got a club at this moment in time. Why would you not bring him in? I don't know, a six-month contract, just have a look, see because as I say, the start of the season has been poor and it's a struggle at this moment in time. Maybe, just maybe some of the new lads need older faces around them that know the drill, that know the club, that know what it's about, know the pressure. I see where Andy's coming from, I really do.”
Shankland backed despite slow start
Lawrence Shankland, named captain by McInnes, has struggled to replicate his prolific goalscoring form from Hearts. McCoist, however, remains confident in the striker.
“Lawrence Shankland will come good. You saw that he tucked his penalty away fine for his first goal. It's one of those situations where I could give you seven or eight strikers who, when they first came to Rangers, took a little bit of time to settle in, myself included, and Mark Hateley would be another one,” he said.
“I don't have any doubts about him from a Rangers point of view, I think the move should have happened at least eighteen months or maybe two years earlier. Now that it's done, he will score goals. The concerning thing is they haven't created an awful lot. It has to change, and it will change. They will get goals and start scoring more. I must admit, the lack of goals is a worry.”
Shankland faces added pressure following a season-ending injury to Youssef Chermiti in the opening Premiership game against Hibs. McCoist described the injury as “a disaster.”
“Youssef Chermiti’s injury is a disaster. An absolute disaster. The rumours were that they’d been offered twenty-three or twenty-four million for him. I don’t even want to talk about it, and it just dismays me. It's a massive blow for the boy, and I'm gutted for him, of course. But in terms of the club itself, there’s no other word for it than a disaster. That’s all you can say.”
