Hateley off mark with his claims, says Walter
Walter SMITH has hit back over claims by Mark Hateley that rangers players were unfit under ally McCoist’s management.
Hateley, who partnered McCoist up front at Ibrox in the 1990s, said the squad did not have the required physical conditioning to challenge for the Championship under his old strike partner last season.
this summer, double and triple sessions have been deployed by new boss Mark Warburton and assistant David Weir during their pre- season preparations. Warburton and Weir have also overhauled the backroom staff, with fitness coach Jim Henry among those l eaving f rom the previous regime.
Hateley insisted he has been far more impressed by the fitness of the players under Warburton t han McCoist. But former Ibrox boss Smith countered that it was pressure — both on and off the park amid an ugly takeover saga — that caused rangers to crash and burn last season.
‘I have to say I completely disagree with Mar k Hateley’s assessment of that situation,’ said Smith.
‘ I don’t think f or one minute there has been an issue with fitness at Ibrox. I worked for rangers for years and we’d equalled t he record number of matches played f or one season (reaching the 2008 UeFa Cup Final) and when I left there is no way ally and Kenny McDowall, in any shape or form, would have allowed the levels to drop.
‘the issue last season was not fitness, it was the squad not handling the pressure of playing for rangers. I think what is noticeable now is that everyone at the club has a far brighter view of the future as far as matters off the field go.
‘rangers now have a board that want to see the club go forward and for the right reasons. the manager has to take some of the credit for that brightness moving on to the pitch. But I couldn’t say that fitness was t he cause of rangers’ problems last year — that’s not a fair assessment.
‘When results don’t go well there’s an awful l ot of pressure and that’s what happened last season. Now, with a new manager and a new board in place, a lot of that pressure has been lifted and this has transferred to the pitch and the board and the manager are to be credited.’
S mi t h also wa rn e d Warburton that if he does win promotion, he will be expected to finish in the top t hree in t he Scottish Premiership next season.
Speaking in his role as an ambassador for ladbrokes, Smith said: ‘the expectation is sometimes unrealistically high at rangers but that’s what everyone at the club has to handle.
‘If rangers can get back to the Premiership, like it or not, t here will be an expectation to finish as high as possible and I would say that would mean a top three or four finish.
‘ the Premiership has missed rangers and when they come back the fans will be saying: “We’ve four games against Celtic now and we need to equip ourselves well.”
‘Celtic are always going to be the yardstick. that’s no disrespect to any of the other clubs, but rangers will have to try to match them. a sensible person will say they would need a year to bed in but I’m afraid it doesn’t always work like that.’
Smith fears Warburton is doomed to miss out on Scott allan after Hibs booted out a third bid from the Ibrox club. and Smith believes the easter road side will stick to their vow not to sell to a title rival despite boyhood rangers f an allan handing in a transfer request.
He said: ‘ Scott allan showed last season that he’s a creative player and that’s something that rangers have lacked over the last three seasons.
‘ that’s obviously why Mark wants him but it looks as though Hibs are not willing to sell someone who could cause them problems. they’ll not want to sell to anyone, never mind their closest rivals
‘Scott would be a terrific acquisition but I fear Hibs won’t sell so rangers will have to get on without him and I’m sure they will do.’ Meanwhile, rangers remain in discussions with to tt e n h a m over the possibility of loan deals for some of t heir younger players and have been linked with an interest in winger Nathan Oduwa.