Ally glad to avoid Old Firm circus ... for now
By BRIAN MARJORIBANKS
RANGERS boss Ally McCoist has welcomed the absence of an Old Firm clash from the League Cup quarter-finals — because he reckons the hype would have disrupted his team’s focus in their quest for Championship points.
The stage was set for what would have been the first Celtic-Rangers game in two-and-a-half years at this week’s last- eight draw, but instead Rangers were paired with St Johnstone at Ibrox next month while Ronny Deila’s men were handed a Glasgow derby with Partick Thistle at Parkhead.
McCoist, for his part, declared himself somewhat relieved that The Big One didn’t come to pass, fearing that a month of frenzied anticipation in the build-up to the match would have distracted his players from the challenge of overhauling Hearts at the top of the league.
‘We certainly weren’t pining for an Old Firm game, although we would have taken whoever the cup draw gave us,’ said McCoist.
‘It’s going to be a tough game against St Johnstone. But, it’s one which can, hopefully, be put on the back burner a little bit.
‘We’ll certainly be doing that because we’ve got some tough league games to focus on before we concentrate our thoughts on the League Cup again.
‘We said if we could get a home tie, we would take it and we’ve got that against a side which, on its day, is capable of giving anybody a game.
‘St Johnstone are a really solid, hard-working team, who ended up winning the Scottish Cup quite comfortably last season.
‘As much as we’re pleased with the draw, we’re certainly not underestimating the task ahead of us.’
Ibrox defender Bilel Mohsni, meanwhil e , insisted that St Johnstone are t he i deal opponents for Rangers in their bid to make the last four as he expects them to play a more open game than the teams he’s encountered on the way up the divisions.
Last weekend’s 1-1 league draw on the plastic pitch at part-timers Alloa was a classic example of the Ibrox men being bustled and hustled out of their stride.
Now Mohsni says he can’t wait for a more free- flowing game against Saints — who Rangers last met in their final game in the old SPL in May 2012 — and believes it will bring out the best in his team as they seek their first major trophy in a knockout compeition since the 2011 League Cup final victory over Celtic.
‘Last season, we were beaten in the first round but now we are in the quarter-finals and it would be good to go further if we can,’ the Tunisian i nternational t ol d Rangers.co.uk
‘We have shown we can beat anyone, so we will feel confident we can do well against St Johnstone — but they are a good team. They will play football and we are at home, so I think those factors combined are good for us.
‘When we play sides who try to play properly, we can show we can do exactly the same and I think it will suit us to play St Johnstone.
‘It will be a good game to watch and, hopefully, we can do well. Everyone wants to win trophies. Last season, we nearly got there and, hopefully, we can do it this season.
‘It’s most important to win the league and to get promoted but we are still in all three cups, so it would be good to win one of them.
‘This is a massive club. We know how many trophies it has won and people expect us to keep delivering. It would be fantastic to do that.’
Despite his side being a league above Rangers, St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright believes all the expectation will be on McCoist’s men.
‘It’s a great draw for us because there is no pressure on us,’ said Wright. ‘It’s a massive club against a little club.
‘Rangers are doing really well at the moment and have already beaten Inverness and Falkirk in the competition.
‘They have regained their form in the league after the early setback against Hearts, so they are a team that’s used to winning.
‘I have seen them a couple of times and I think that their improvement is down to the fact they are challenged more in the Championship and their players are responding to that. If you look at the squad they have, it is one that could probably compete in the top league.
‘ It will also be good for our players to go to Ibrox because players want to go and play huge clubs in front of big crowds and stadia that are world-class.
‘We look at the draw and think we can beat anybody on our day. There is a lot of time between now and the quarter-final but we look forward to it.’