McCoist finds an ally in a man who's seen it all before

Some years later, by which point McCoist had established himself as the darling of the Rangers support, he commented on the sheer numbers of fans who would keenly seek his autograph on the front steps of Ibrox.

"And you know what, sometimes I'd look at them and think, 'were you one of those guys who were telling me where to go a few years back?" McCoist said.

Last week at Tynecastle, as his Rangers team sank to their 2-0 defeat to Hearts, McCoist heard that same ugly chant once more. He stood impassive in his technical area, a man who has endured every glory and torment in his 30-plus years association with Rangers, gripped by yet another crisis.

Right now, few people would want to be in McCoist's shoes. There is mounting doubt about his ability as a manager, and McCoist is having to live with everyone expressing an opinion about his work. For those Rangers fans who deem him to be a poor leader, and are urging him to walk, it is a painful conclusion to reach, given their adoration of this legend at their club.

Tomorrow lunchtime another gauntlet arrives for McCoist. Kilmarnock come to Glasgow for a Scottish Cup fourth-round tie which Rangers dare not lose. In previous years, such a fixture would almost be a foregone Rangers win, but no longer. Arguably, the home team might be more nervous than their visitors.

"We need to take advantage of the situation Rangers are in - we need to start well and try to frustrate Rangers and frustrate their crowd," said Allan Johnston, the Kilmarnock manager, yesterday. "This is a cup tie and our aim is to go there to try to win the game."

Johnston admitted to having a small taste of what McCoist is currently going through, having endured and survived his own brickbats from a spiky Kilmarnock crowd at times last season. He is not of a mind to ease the heat on McCoist tomorrow, but knows perfectly well what the Rangers manager is putting up with.

"That's a difficult one," said Johnston. "I think Ally has done a great job, but he's at a massive club, and with that comes massive pressure. It's always difficult when you're under pressure. At the end of the day, you've got to have confidence in your own ability, and confidence in the players you have brought to the club.

"It's all about results and performances on the park. I can only speak from my own point of view. At Kilmarnock we improved, and I think that's what the supporters wanted to see. As a club we had to keep progressing and improving.

"I'm sure their fans will turn out in their numbers on Sunday. Rangers will also say they are playing against Premiership opposition, and will feel they have a point to prove. They have quality players throughout their squad but, as I said, we've got to try to get the crowd against them."

It was interesting yesterday that Alexei Eremenko, the Kilmarnock midfielder, was keen to remove himself from some of the chatter about imminent doom facing McCoist and Rangers. And this from a player who knows full well what it is like to enter the Ibrox gladiatorial arena.

"We should not fool ourselves that we are playing a different Rangers," said Eremenko. "Just the name says everything. Every player that goes to play there feels a little bit nervous. It will still feel like a big game.

"Yes, they are in a lower division, but you know what they say about wounded animals. It is a very dangerous situation. The last thing we should do is go there and think, 'yeah, this is not the same Rangers, or they have been doing badly' or whatever. If any players think like that then they shouldn't go and play. They will be the favourites."

The other intrigue about this cup tie is found in Kris Boyd, the former Kilmarnock striker, who was dropped by McCoist last week at Tynecastle. At Rugby Park, where Boyd scored 22 goals last season for Kilmarnock, they know him especially well.

"He is a top player, and we tried hard to keep him, he was a massive loss to us," said Johnston. "I saw him play a number of weeks ago and he was unfortunate not to score. Given his qualities, I think more goals will come."

Johnston was keen to defend his old player. "It's not easy in the championship. Teams sit in and there is not so much space. I think last year with us, maybe he had more space in which to take his chances. I think we know how dangerous an opponent Boyd is."

Eremenko, when also asked about Boyd, was more pointed in his response. The Kilmarnock midfielder obviously believes that Boyd is affected by the type of environment he finds himself in at Rangers.

"For me, a player can't change in five months," said Eremenko. "Five months ago Kris Boyd was a top scorer, virtually scoring in every game for us. He is the same player, so maybe it is not to do with him, maybe it is something around him. Maybe it is not his fault that he is not scoring, I don't know."

Whether McCoist restores Boyd to his staring XI or not tomorrow, Rangers' Ayrshire visitors believe they have a chance of adding further bruises upon their beleaguered hosts.

"I don't think there are any favourites in this game - we will be at Ibrox and facing a lot of quality players," said Johnston. "But I've got complete confidence in the players I've got here, and we can cause Rangers a lot of problems.

"As a player, you've got to have that belief that you can get a result. To do that at Ibrox, your whole team will have to play to its maximum. That's what we will have to do on Sunday."

It is almost 19 years now since Johnston went to Ibrox as a young player with Hearts and struck a hat trick in his team's 3-0 win. Even given Rangers' current woes, it is inconceivable, surely, that such a result could recur tomorrow?

There is dispute and incompetence reigning off the park at Ibrox. On it, Rangers are desperately trying to hold their nerve.