Even months after the Rangers FC calamity has been noted and documented, it is still surreal to be at Ibrox on a Tuesday night to take in the big one – quarter-finals night in the Ramsdens Cup.
I’ve spent years at Ibrox on such midweeks covering big European ties against Manchester United, Barcelona, Valencia and Inter Milan.
But not this: a grim Rangers struggle against Queen of the South which ended 2-2 after 90 minutes and a 4-3 win on penalties for the visitors, leaving mutterings again about the ability of Ally McCoist as Rangers manager.
These are times of severe humble pie at Rangers – causing great mirth for some and pain for others – and there is plenty more of it to come over the next three years.
But this game caused some to ask once more: can McCoist prevail as manager?
McCoist is adored at Ibrox, and has been a sheet-anchor in this self-inflicted fiasco at Rangers, but even he cannot remain immune from the critics you hear around this club.
On this night one voice from the main stand shouted down: “Ally, yer coat’s on a shaky nail, son!”
With Rangers stumbling in their new environment, and failing to beat such teams as Peterhead, Berwick Rangers, Annan Athletic and Queen of the South, a fresh focus has been brought to bear on McCoist’s ability.
There are many things in his favour but, right now, statistics cannot be cited among them.
McCoist’s record as Rangers manager in competitive games now reads: Played 55, Won 33, Drawn 10, Lost 12.
The Rangers boss is one of the most popular figures in the history of the club but some fans are not overly enamoured at these statistics, especially as they include 10 recent matches among the lower divisions.
Indeed, since losing to Kilmarnock in the SPL at Ibrox in February, the record of McCoist and Rangers reads: Played 22, Won 13, Drawn 4, Lost 5.
How good is all this? Not good enough for Rangers, and McCoist knows it. Having already witnessed his team being ditched from four cup competitions over 14 months – the Champions League and Europa League qualifiers, the League Cup and the Scottish Cup – McCoist’s players have shown a fragility which has continued, even now in the Ramsdens Cup.
Against Queen of the South that brittleness was evident to all. The visitors looked superior to McCoist’s team for an hour, and, even having gone 2-1 behind, they hounded and harassed Rangers and caused the home fans to become flustered at 2-2.
This was another bad moment for McCoist. For some reason Rangers, even with their batch of SPL players, are toiling in the lower regions of Scottish football. At the very least it must gnaw at the Ibrox manager.
It is absurd just now to think of Charles Green removing McCoist, just as it seems inconceivable that at some stage Rangers will not advance to the top of the Third Division and win it in comfort.
But just imagine if this laboured football continues….what then? McCoist has been central to Green’s rejuvenation at Rangers, in converting the fans’ hearts and minds to the Yorkshireman, but the manager cannot be viewed as immovable.
Green needs Rangers to be a success if he is to make money – his stated aim – from his Ibrox intervention. For that to happen, a successful Rangers manager will be the key. In this context, McCoist somehow needs to hoist himself and his team away from these months of on-field stumbling.
On the plus side, the Rangers support seem to be grinning and bearing all this through gritted teeth. The truth is, being out of Europe for four years and ploughing through the Third Division is the last place any of them want to be, yet the club’s faithful are doggedly sticking at it.
The attendance against Queen of the South was 23,932: not stellar, but it was the Ramsdens Cup. And Champions League football involving Manchester City and Real Madrid was live on television.
Not so long ago these illustrious teams might have been here at Ibrox on the European stage. But a scandal has robbed Rangers of such status and prestige.
McCoist hopes to be the man to lead Rangers back to the summit in three years’ time. Right now, though, that looks anything but certain.
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