McCoist can only wonder what latest twist will bring

Chief football writer

Saturday 12 May 2012

NO-ONE from the English consortium interested in buying Rangers has made contact with Ally McCoist or given any indication that he would be kept on as manager if they were able to take over the club.

Lee McCulloch leads the way at training. Picture: SNS

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Michael Grant

McCoist revealed yesterday that he had heard nothing from Charles Green or the group of businessmen he has assembled, despite the fact administrators Duff & Phelps have told the manager they are "very, very close" to appointing a new preferred bidder.

That contrasted with the frequent discussions the manager held with Brian Kennedy and Paul Murray – both of whom he has known for years – on behalf of the Blue Knights and even the long and frequent telephone conversations he had on football issues with Bill Miller, the American who had preferred bidder status until pulling out of the race on Tuesday.McCoist claimed to be untroubled by the fact neither Green nor anyone else remaining in the bidding process had asked for his views as he discussed the latest developments yesterday."I have spoken to Brian Kennedy, Paul Murray and Bill Miller," he said. " As it stands, they are the only three people I have spoken to in terms of bidders. It doesn't bother me that I don't know their identity [the other bidders]. They will ask to speak to me in their own time. In terms of new bids I have about the same info as you guys. The administrators told me one is British-based, which I took to mean down south. They didn't tell me where the other potential purchaser was from. And although they didn't tell me, I read that the Singaporean guy [Bill Ng] had come back in."I spoke to the administrators briefly this morning and they told me they are very, very close to appointing a new preferred bidder. I don't know if I am more optimistic or not, I am just trying to get on with it. I am as optimistic as I was last week. You have to be positive and optimistic. If you don't, others will feed off your doom and gloom. There has to be a realism."The reality is bleak for McCoist. His players will complete their season against St Johnstone in Perth tomorrow lunchtime and then scatter on their summer holidays. Indeed, Carlos Bocanegra and Dorin Goian have already been allowed to leave because international commitments will interrupt their summer break.McCoist gave his players an end-of-season talk like no other yesterday morning. Despite the enormous uncertainty over the club's ownership and the players' individual and collective status – some may have to be sold to raise money to meet day-to-day running costs if no takeover is completed – McCoist attempted to give an impression of relative normality.All the players will receive a letter giving them the date on which they are due to return for pre-season training. "They have all taken their personal fitness programmes away with them. If there are any other developments then we will be in touch with them," McCoist said. "It's arguably a worse situation for the boys who are out of contract. Make no mistake about it, it's not a good situation at all."Having to sell a valuable player or two, just to keep the wolves from the door, may be forced upon the club if it remains in administration through June. "If it does go on longer and they have to get money in from somewhere, then I understand that the sale of a player would be an obvious way to get finance in," McCoist added."If someone comes in with the amount in a player's contract, I can throw a tantrum and it still won't matter. It is depressing to think we may have to sell just to meet running costs. The situation is dreadful, really dreadful."The worst scenario is you lose your appeal [against the SFA's year-long transfer embargo], and you lose players. That is the worst scenario in terms of football for next season. So if you're trying to be optimistic at all, losing one player might be the lesser of some evils down the road. It would be a concern of mine that some of them will not be back but there's not a lot I can do. It's something that will be taken out of my hands and I can't have a bearing on it."Of course I can talk to individuals and advise in whatever way possible to stay at the club, but they will have to make their own minds up. There are clauses in some players' contracts letting them go for a fixed amount so I wouldn't have an input. That decision has been taken out of my hands."

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McCoist can only wonder what latest twist will bring

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