Jim Jefferies, the Dunfermline Athletic manager, is adamant that the criticism being directed at Ally McCoist will all be forgotten about by the time Rangers begin their campaign in the SPFL Championship next season.

Jefferies, right, takes his side to Ibrox tomorrow hoping to make further progress in their own bid for promotion this term. They face a Rangers side who were confirmed as League 1 champions following a win over Airdrieonians on Wednesday night.

With Rangers already among those guaranteed a place in the Championship next season and Hearts expected to follow, a place in the division will prove lucrative for the other clubs involved. Dunfermline - a team who sit comfortably in second place in League 1 - intend to be one of them and Jefferies is convinced that Rangers will not find life quite so easy once they step up this summer.

"Ally McCoist has won the league with eight games to go and he got them out of the third division last year," he said. "It's a long road back and he's hoping the club can get themselves sorted out so he can prepare for what will be a tough division next year.

"I think [the criticism of McCoist] is a little bit over the top. They've got a good squad compared to other teams, they've got resources better than anyone else and they get compared with the teams of the past - the Paul Gascoignes, the Brian Laudrups that were top notch there.

"They have maybe not got that kind of quality now, but they've had enough to win the league comfortably. What would have it been like if they were playing great football? That's been their biggest bone of contention, but they are winning football matches."