McCoist warns Pedro to beware of the Old Firm goldfish bowl
ALLY McCOIST knows what it’s like to manage Rangers in the most stressful of times.
But the Ibrox legend wonders if Pedro Caixinha knows what he’s letting himself in for
Foreign managers and the Old Firm don’t seem to mix.
Dick Advocaat won the Treble in his first season at Ibrox, but just over two years later he had resigned as Celtic were revived by Martin O’Neill.
Frenchman Paul Le Guen couldn’t complete a full season with the Light Blues.
Wim Jansen won a title across the city, stopping Rangers’ 10- in- a- row in the process. But then the Dutchman quit.
And more recently, despite two league titles, Ronny Deila was hardly a rip-roaring success at Parkhead. .
The Norwegian admitted to suffering sleepless nights during his time in Glasgow, and McCoist knows why he struggled to cope. He said: “It’s a different ball game here. “I’m not saying for a second that it’s better, as there’s better football elsewhere in Spain or Italy or wherever.
“It’s a completely different level of pressure, however, managing a football club like Rangers and Celtic.
“The pressure on the Rangers or Celtic manager will be as great as anywhere in the world. “That focus on you never stops. “Managers who have come in – like Graeme Souness, Gordon Strachan and Martin O’Neill – would have had an awareness of the magnitude of the job. Maybe others haven’t had that.
“There’s a shelf life in this job and not just for someone coming in from outside.
“That’s because of the scrutiny and pressure you are under, particularly if you are a manager who is chasing.”
McCoist found himself doing the job during a time of chaos in the Ibrox Boardroom, and charged with the task of
getting the club back to the Premiership from the fourth tier of Scottish football.
He said: “It was madness. That’s the only way to describe my time as manager.
“I knew about the focus, but I’m not surprised that Mark Warburton was shocked by it.
“The likes of a 1-1 draw at Ross County mi g h t h a ve be e n ac c e p t a b l e at Brentford, but it’s a different animal here.
“And that’s not a criticism of Mark at all. It’s the same with anyone coming in from a different environment.”
Given the financial and footballing gulf between Celtic and Rangers, surely it’s unfair to measure the success of the new Portuguese boss at Ibrox with Brendan Rodgers’ team? Ally McCoist’s answer is clear. “That won’t happen,” he said. “Anybody with any sense will tell you it should happen, but it won’t.
“You’re always judged against Celtic and vice-versa.
“There’s no doubt there’s less pressure at other teams.
“The real pressure is at Rangers and Celtic.
“There are players at Aberdeen and Hearts who couldn’t play with Rangers because of that.
“So I wouldn’t say Rangers should be clear in second place, but I hope that’s where they can finish.”
It pains McCoist to say it, and the Rangers legend hopes he’s wrong.
But this afternoon’s Old Firm game could be a significant step in Celtic’s bid to record an unbeaten league campaign.
He said: “Why not? You have to sit back and say, ‘ Who’s going to beat them?’.
“Losing six Old Firm games in a season wouldn’t be good for Rangers.
“It’s a transitional period, but it still wouldn’t be good. I sincerely hope it won’t happen, but looking at things the way they are now, it’s feasible.”