ALLY McCoist last night refused to throw in the towel as Rangers manager, but hit out at his players for the indiscipline which allowed Hearts to stretch their advantage in the Championship table to nine points.
The Rangers manager remains as "focused, determined and full of belief as ever" in the wake of the 2-0 defeat at Tynecastle yesterday, a result which is sure to see his job come under increased scrutiny in the next few days.
His side's chances weren't helped by the red card shown to Stevie Smith after just 21 minutes for a rash lunge on Hearts' Callum Paterson, while Kenny Miller was replaced amid fears he was heading for the same fate. While this match had widely been pencilled in as D-Day for the club's beleaguered manager, the only signs of mutiny among the 1,300-strong visiting support was when a small group made their displeasure known by chanting 'Ally, Ally, Get to f**k' when he replaced Lewis Macleod with Kris Boyd late on. It was the same chant he heard some 30 years ago as a player.
"I don't think about myself, and that's the truth, my only concern is the club and the team getting back to where we want to be," McCoist said. "Today is another reminder that it is going to be difficult, but I am still as focused, determined and full of belief as I ever have been. I have had it [stick from the fans] before, probably more than most. It ain't nice, I would be lying if I told you otherwise. But I have been in the game long enough to know that it is part and parcel, particularly at this club.
"The gap is going to be difficult to overturn, but it's not insurmountable," he added. "Hearts are playing well, but we showed, particularly in the first half, that we are more than capable of closing that gap. It's not going to be easy but we still believe we can be champions come May."
Rangers could have had up to four players dismissed on the day and McCoist was not for making excuses. "I thought we were the better team in the first half by some considerable way, but I was very disappointed in the sending-off," he said. "Steven has let his team-mates down. The players' frustration was understandable, but I am not sure it is excusable."
Robbie Neilson, the Hearts head coach, said there was no triumphalism in the home dressing room. "It's only nine points," he said. "There's a long, long way to go and we'll hit dips at some point in the season, it's a certainty we will. It would have been a different outcome if they'd kept 11 men on the pitch."
Jon Daly, in for his first league start of the season, spoke in support of his manager, but insisted the players must take more responsibility. "The manager can only do so much," the Irishman said. "Once you cross the white line it's down to the players to put in the performances and get the results. It's theirs to lose now - it is out of our hands."
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