Nicholl urges players to ditch social media and blank trolls

Jimmy Nicholl reckons social media will wreck his players if they take heed of the trolls.

The Rangers caretaker serves the final game of his stint against Hibs at Easter Road today.

And Nicholl has revealed he got an early warning about the ills of social media in the form of the fanzines while Raith boss.

He said: “Players get low on confidence and you need to pick them up. Some of it might be to do with reading social media.

“I just stay away from it. If we get beat and I’m low and I read all that, I’m going to get lower. “So my message is don’t do it. “The first time I ever saw stuff like that was the fanzines.

“I picked one up at Raith and it was really amateur stuff. It said things like ‘Ally Graham is a donkey’ – the same Ally Graham who Terry Butcher and Richard Gough hated playing against. Yet everyone was having a laugh at his expense. It got to the stage where he was booed in the warm up. It was an early lesson.” Nicholl can do incoming gaffer Steven Gerrard a favour with a win over Hibees. If Rangers pip Aberdeen to runners-up spot they will avoid an extra Europa League qualifier. Jimmy (left) said: “It is a big thing as it gives the manager extra time to get players in and train a bit longer with them. “If he gets a run in Europe then he is off to a flyer right away. When I arrived at Rangers as a player the place was rocking. I hope the same things happen with the new manager. But you need to have the players on the park who can do a job for you.”

Nicholl also reckons Leith is the perfect place for him to bow out in his caretaker spell due to his connections with the Hibees.

He was assistant boss there under Pat Fenlon and said: “I’ve worked at Hibs and I’ve been sent off twice against them.

“And when Raith couldn’t play in Europe at home because of the ground capacity, it was Easter Road I picked.

“I’ve had a wee connection with Hibs but if win there I’ll leave on a happy note.”