He does not do walking away, but
an increasing number of fans would like him to. Ally McCoist, after being
nigh-on God-worshipped in the weeks and months following administration, a man
who offered to work for free in one of the club’s darkest hours is now
increasingly being invited to vacate his tenure.
A clamour is now starting to
build in favour of his P45 after a truly hideous display in Dundee saw a
justified 3-0 reverse for the Ibrox men who found themselves out of their depth
after just 17 seconds at Tannadice.
Is this bandwagon justified? Has
McCoist bitten off more than he can chew?
The one big problem that, even in
February, remains massively on the horizon is the defence. In attack the side
is not too bad if not infallible and midfield is average but the defence is
arguably every bit as poor as any other in the league. Only 4 less goals
conceded than nearest rivals Queens
Park is a damning indictment
of how feeble the back four is. Yes, it is ‘adequate’ for the third division
but only because of how many goals are scored at the other end.
Saturday was not the third
division and the two times SPL sides have tested Rangers’ defence this season
have conceded 6 goals to the higher-tier outfits. The folly at the first on
Saturday was truly hopeless and the fears many fans had about what might happen
when this fragile back line was tested by far superior opposition bore the kind
of fruit which was decidedly undesired.
So, was the final scoreline the
responsibility of manager Ally McCoist, and likewise the recent home draws in
the league to late goals?
Many would argue it is. There is
a growing criticism of McCoist’s ‘football philosophies’ as some label them,
citing a lack of tactical incision and organisation. The argument seems to be
that the system is too retrospective, and lacks balance in the modern day; that
it is backward and not progressive.
There is certainly clout to this
position; his tutor Walter Smith certainly never produced the most expansive
footballing machines, always favouring results over free-flowing creative play.
The fact that the first thing Smith did when returning in 2007 was freezing out
‘trequartista’ Thomas Buffel highlights the style he used – and the style
McCoist has learned.
However, for all the criticism
this concept draws, McCoist is not Cribari or Perry’s father – he cannot hold
grown men’s hands and spoonfeed them defensive duties when they are out there
on league business. Basic errors players make while on call cannot be due to
the manager.
Few blamed Neil Alexander when he
made a horrible error against Elgin,
quite rightly – it was one of those things. Yet in the weeks following, someone
has had to be the target of ire when things go wrong, and that someone is Ally
McCoist.
This article is not a defence or
condemnation of McCoist – it is just trying to highlight the way many supporters
think, rightly or wrongly.
There is also another problem
Rangers are suffering, and it has nothing to do with the players, manager or
tactics. It is the level of opponents. If Barcelona
were put in the Scottish third division, their standards would go down too.
They would win the league by a landslide, of course, but psychologically
speaking when you are reduced to a lower level of competition by default, your
own standards will degrade uncontrollably as a result.
It is a ridiculous example but
the classic movie Trading Places is an illustration of what I mean. Put 2
metaphorical fish out of water and slowly the air becomes familiar. And their
own attributes will change to adapt to it, willingly or otherwise. The Stanford
Experiment by Zimbardo is another example – when an individual or group find
themselves in a particular environment, they will adapt to it and become it.
This is all a bit highbrow for a
football blog, I concede, but Rangers are
now a third division outfit, whether we like it or not. The club is the
best in the division, but against genuine SPL clubs, despite having a number of SPL players in the ranks, the club
still plays like a third division side.
McCoist’s sole fault? No. He has
certainly made errors, no denying that – but I find it very hard to hold him exclusively
responsible for the current football quality emanating from Ibrox.
This season has not been a fair
one to judge him on. Fans always suggested writing off last year, and judging
him on the following one, but it was on the basis that McCoist would at least
get a fresh untainted SPL season to wrestle with. This third division
‘adventure’ has been a skewed reality by comparison and McCoist has had his
hands tied not only with the division but the ridiculous and illegal embargo
preventing him from strengthening the side.
He has not been perfect, but
Rangers’ football problems do not end at Ally McCoist.