Daddy Cool: How Ally stays sane

Every media outlet has had its say on the Rangers manager in the past seven days, none of it particularly favourable, and defeat against Kilmarnock this afternoon would only heap further layers of scrutiny upon the 52-year-old.

"I am very lucky having five boys, and particularly the younger ones tend to have other things on their mind apart from dad's football," said McCoist. "That is a fantastic bonus. You can be sitting watching the telly and things flash through your mind about free kicks and thoughts like 'how did we lose that?' I'm no different from any other coach or manager, that's what happens. But I'm certainly lucky to have five boys to keep my feet on the ground and realise that work is absolutely important and you do your best, but there are other things as well."

In this brave new era of social media, the only problem is trying to shield your nearest and dearest from vitriol heading your way.

"The younger ones are fine," said McCoist. "But with the older ones it's harder—they're big boys and there's social media and stuff. You try [to shield them from it] but it doesn't work. You do worry about your older ones because they have feelings, but they're big enough and are sensible boys so I'm lucky in that respect. They have a thick skin. I think it's a McCoist trait."

The first glimpse of that legendary imperviousness to criticism was in his playing days. Those same chants of "Ally, Ally, get to f**k" which rang out when Lewis Macleod was replaced by Kris Boyd late on at Tynecastle were first thrown in his direction during a Scottish Cup game against Dundee some 30 years ago, long before he made himself a club legend, but McCoist feels the bulk of the fans remain on his side.

"Our fans have been through the mill and been tested like no other fans I can imagine over the last three years," said McCoist. "Naturally I can understand their frustration, but I think the vast majority are with the team and want the team to do well. That keeps us going."

It isn't just the manager who is in the firing line. The players have had their share of criticism, quite rightly, considering the Hearts match was one where an admittedly agricultural game-plan appeared to be bearing fruit before indiscipline saw Steven Smith sent off. Having watched the match back, Jon Daly feels some of the criticism of the players' behaviour is unwarranted. He felt he played "quite well" and would dearly love the chance to remain in the starting line-up, even if it is at the expense of Kris Boyd.

Today's opponents Kilmarnock might not have beaten Rangers in a Scottish Cup tie since 1938, but another defeat today could make life even more difficult for McCoist and his players. Few people are more acquainted with what is needed in these Premiership versus Championship showdowns than Daly. The Irishman set up a famous Johnny Russell goal after just 11 seconds when Dundee United beat Rangers 3-0 in a fifth-round tie in February 2013, and shot rashly over the bar against United when presented with a great chance to equalise Stuart Armstrong's opening goal in last season's eventual 3-1 Ibrox semi-final defeat. He is still kicking himself about the missed opportunity.

"I'm not surprised by the stick because this is a massive football club and you just have to take it on the chin," said Daly.

"I wouldn't say it's better for us to be playing a Premiership team straight away. You want to get back into the league campaign as quickly as possible and start closing that gap, that's our main focus, getting back in touch with Hearts and trying to overtake Hearts.

"But obviously we'd like a good cup run We managed that last year by getting to the semi-final and felt on the day we probably deserved better against Dundee United.

"We started that game really well and I had a good chance, Deano [Shiels] had one too.

"Then United scored and we got punished for missing those chances, basically. That's what happens when you're playing against better opposition. If we'd taken them that day at key times we'd have ended up winning that game.

"You can't change it, but obviously if the same kind of chance comes about again, you need to make sure that you score."

Rangers are already in the semi-finals of the League Cup, admittedly against Celtic in a match now confirmed for Hampden on Sunday, February 1, But with five Premiership sides sure to exit the competition this weekend, the Ibrox club will be entitled to fancy their chances if they can dispose of Kilmarnock.

"We want to go one better this year and get to the final and if we could go on and win the cup it would be fantastic for everyone involved with the club," said Daly, a winner of this competition with United in 2010. "It's an interesting draw. The top 12 teams are playing each other so straight away there will be six top teams knocked out, so if you manage to get through this round then it opens the draw right up."

John Brown, the veteran Rangers defender, publicly castigated the more experienced Rangers players for their efforts this week, but Daly feels the club can lean on these older heads to dig the club out of their difficulties. "If there are younger lads, and you are going through a sticky situation, they usually look to the older ones, who have run that course before," Daly said. "I feel like we have plenty of experience in the changing-room to help us get back on to winning ways."

Top of those hard-learned traits is that stubborn refusal to listen to the critics McCoist would surely recognise. "People are entitled to their opinion," said Daly. "But unless they are people that are going to help my course I don't generally listen to their opinions. The gaffer and the coaching staff, by all means I will listen to, but people outside the club can say what they want and you just have to brush it off."