Mccoist’s window of opportunity can halt Blues’ growing pains
TALKING RANGERS Bairns are brushed aside and astute
ALLY McCoist will spend until the final moments of the last day of the transfer window desperately trying to strengthen his Rangers squad.
He will, of course, be unable to sign any players until January, 2014, due to the mismanagement of the previous owners of the ibrox club.
so, bringing in more new additions – and quality ones at that today – will have a huge bearing on how his team fares both this season and next.
Yet, if McCoist can achieve his objective of landing six players there is evidence the Gers can survive the 12-month transfer embargo imposed on them.
Heck, there are even indications they can thrive in the two senior cup competitions they will contest in the coming months – the scottish Communities Cup and the William Hill scottish Cup – despite the sanction.
For the individuals the manager has brought in during the summer were all heavily involved in the 3-0 League Cup win over Falkirk last night.
in defence, full-back Anestis Argyriou and centre-half Emilson Cribari ensured their new club kept a clean sheet against their bright young rivals.
Yes, there were some nervous moments. Cribari will need to ensure his distribution improves. other teams are sure to punish slack passes more ruthlessly.
Yet, considering this was the first time the back four has played together in a competitive match it was a hugely encouraging display defensively.
Argyriou looked far more comfortable in his favoured role at right-back than he had on the left in the 1-1 draw with Berwick Rangers on sunday.
the Greek exhibited pace and an admirable willingness to get forward and influence his team’s play in the final third.
in midfield, ian Black and sebastien Faure, who was making his debut for Rangers, looked assured against their First Division opponents. indeed, Black set up Lee McCulloch, playing in attack, for the opening goal with a penetrating corner in the 18th minute.
Faure, a former France Under-20 international who has had spells at Lyon and Nantes in his homeland, looked, at first glance, to be a decent athlete.
the 21-year-old certainly showed great tenacity when he misplaced a pass in the first half. He tracked back and repaired the damage he had done by regaining possession.
Up front, Dean shiels, fit again after injury, showed why he was shortlisted for the 2012 PFA scotland Player of the Year award.
THE Northern ireland international was industrious – given a free role by his manager, he popped up absolutely everywhere – and technically excellent.
His through ball to Andrew Little on 32 minutes was inchperfect and his countryman duly drilled the ball beyond Michael McGovern and into the visitors’ beckoning net. the former Hibs, Doncaster Rovers and Kilmarnock player was, too, involved in the buildup to McCulloch’s second goal early in the second half.
the rapturous round of applause he received from the home support in the 26,450 crowd when he was replaced by youngster Barrie McKay told its own story.
shiels’ invention, his ability to unlock an opposition side’s backline with a moment of magic, will prove crucial to Rangers. it is highly doubtful his side would have laboured so badly against Berwick at the weekend if the 27-year-old had been involved in the starting line-up or from the bench.
Early days, but all five men look like being worthwhile acquisitions for the Glasgow giants. Unearthing decent signings at short notice cannot have been easy for McCoist and the scouting network given all they have had to endure behind the scenes since February. somehow, they appear to have landed a few gems.
it would be foolish to bet against them doing so again in whatever business the club carries out today. Experienced campaigners – Neil Alexander in goal, Carlos Bocanegra and Lee Wallace in defence, and McCulloch and Little in attack – must take enormous credit for last night’s victory as well.
McCoistthisweekrevealed that choice words had been spoken in angry exchanges in the dressing room at shielfield at the weekend. No names were given.
But it would have fallen to the scottish contingent, those who know all about the levels of performance demanded at a club like Rangers, to point out a few unpalatable home truths.
Whoever was involved, there was none of the listlessness or aimlessness that had been witnessed in Northumberland five days earlier.
the real test for this newlook Rangers team, the new boys especially, will come in their next away game against Annan at Galabank a fortnight on saturday. Having won just one away game in regulation time this season – they beat Falkirk at Westfield in the Ramsdens Cup last week – the issue is clearly on the road.
still, having another home game against Elgin City on sunday and another two weeks to familiarise themselves with each other and their new surroundings should produce further improvement.
if they can reproduce the display they treated their fans to in the scottish Communities Cup second round tie against Falkirk last night their away performances should soon improve drastically.