ALLY McCoist is understandably keen for Rangers to avoid the woeful away form that caused the Ibrox club so much anguish last season.
Yet he will not be content with his team simply avoiding the sort of results they suffered on their travels in Annan, Peterhead, Berwick and Stirling in the months ahead.
Having strengthened his squad with eight new players, McCoist is determined that the third division champions win in style on the road in the 2013/14 campaign. Rangers lost to Forfar Athletic in the League Cup a fortnight ago and the SPFL League 1 match with Stranraer at Stair Park this afternoon is an awkward fixture. However, with the likes of Nicky Law - who has been outstanding in his early appearances - now at his disposal McCoist believes more attractive football is an achievable goal.
"No doubt about it, Nicky Law and Jon Daly have made a big difference to us," he agreed. "Law brings a calmness to the side. He is very comfortable on the ball in the middle of the park. But I think his biggest thing so far is that he is making people round about him play. He's making Lewis Macleod play and is certainly making Ian Black play.
"Without tempting fate, they all look comfortable and have a good thing going with their movement in the middle of the park. It's still very early, but they are doing well together. Nicky has certainly brought both a calmness and an attacking edge to that area."
McCoist added: "We have had Stranraer watched a couple of times and I would expect the same as we got in games against the likes of Montrose, Brechin and Elgin. I don't see it being a lot different to what we hopefully got used to away from home last season. I don't think there is any doubt that Nicky will be involved again."
Law has scored three goals - a double in the 4-0 win over Albion Rovers and one in the 4-1 win against Brechin City - in the two competitive outings he has made this season. McCoist is optimistic the English midfielder will get his name on the scoresheet regularly in the future. "We watched Nicky half-a-dozen times over the last year and he was impressive in the Motherwell side," he recalled. "I did think there could be more goals in him, because he has a great balance of composure and cutting edge. All of his three goals so far have been different. We'll keep working on his finishing skills and hopefully that will rub off on Blackie and Lewis as well.
"I don't want to put pressure on him, but we always felt there was room for improvement in him. That has changed in the short spell that we've had him at the club. We can continue to see an improvement and I just hope that he'll flourish in the rebirth of our team. We've brought in lads who all have the potential to have great rapport with the support."
McCoist, who will be without defenders Emilson Cribari and Chris Hegarty for the meeting with Stranraer, is also confident Daly will perform. "Big Jon will definitely do well because our fans like nothing more than a totally committed player," he explained. "And he is totally committed; there's no doubt he'll chip in with goals."
The last time Rangers played Stranraer in a competitive match in the League Cup way back in 1992; McCoist plundered a hat trick in a 5-0 triumph. The Ibrox club's all-time record goalscorer has a hazy recollection of the match. "I thought it was 5-0," he admitted. "I thought Mark Hateley got two and I got two. But I've been told it was Hateley two and me three. Imagine me, of all people, forgetting a goal."
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