KENNY McDOWALL had seen the punchline coming early and so was able to move out of its way.
The announcement that Rangers manager Ally McCoist was leaving yesterday's media duties to his assistant as a result of a "family issue" had invited the pert query about whether McDowall was still employed at Ibrox, following claims this week that Charles Green was keen to force both him and coach Ian Durrant out the door.
"Looks like I'm still here, so can we just talk about the football?" he said dismissively.
That pertains to a league match at home to Clyde this afternoon, although the focus at Ibrox will instead rest on the outcome of a meeting of the club's board, in which they will discuss racist remarks made by Green and claims from former owner Craig Whyte that he retains a stake in the club.
McDowall might well consider that he got off lightly. He did his best to ignore the elephant in the room yesterday, but it was not long before he was putting the thing down.
"I was delighted with the game against Linfield . . . I'm not really going to get into [the comments attributed to Green], football is what I'm here to talk about," he said. "Whatever happens outwith that, I can't control."
It has been a common theme at Ibrox this season. Rangers will be without nine players through injury and another due to a suspension against Clyde, but that such statistics were afforded little follow-up was indicative of how little football matters matter. The league title is now secure, so little attention is being paid to those who share the Ibrox side's last four fixtures of the season.
A 24-point lead at the top of the Irn-Bru Third Division means that Rangers can afford to give their opposition only a passing glance, too – on their way into the next division – even if that gap is more august than some of the performances it took to attain it. McDowall bristled at the perceived lack of credit which has been given to his side as a result, as well as some of the criticism levelled at the more experienced members of the squad this season.
"We had a mixture of young kids – who are just out of youth football, remember – and a group of guys signed from other Premier League clubs," he said. "This is a hard enough place for them to come and find their feet. The senior players had to do it and show the kids how to do it as well.
"I've seen good players come here and not handle it, I've seen it at Celtic too; good players come, don't handle it and they move on. This place takes a bit of handling. Being 24 points ahead in the league, whether it's the third division or not, tells us they have done it. They might not have played to their max every week but they've helped a young group of players in a very difficult situation."
McDowall dropped names such as Dean Shiels, Lee Wallace and Neil Alexander into that conversation, but it is Lee McCulloch who has left the greatest impression on the younger players in this Rangers squad. "I just moan – half of them probably don't even like me," said the midfielder, wryly.
"When it comes to being on the pitch, you have to let them know whether it is good or bad. If it is something good, then they have to do it again next time. It's about setting standards."
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