Gary McAllister, having played at Cowdenbeath, won’t be taking the game lightly

THE old place won’t have changed much in the years since Gary McAllister last heard the whistle blow whilst the engines revved outside. The requirements and characteristics of what it takes to win at Central Park remain the same, though.

A trip to Cowdenbeath is about as far from life in the Premier League as Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis could get as they prepare to make their Rangers debuts on Friday night. Even for those who haven’t come from such salubrious surroundings, it will be a shock to the system.

It is about attitude as much as talent, application as much as ability, for Steven Gerrard’s side as they kick off their Scottish Cup campaign against the Blue Brazil.

If Rangers go all the way and have their day in the sun at Hampden, the January night where the journey began will matter little. Nobody at Ibrox is thinking that far ahead, however.

Defoe and Davis joined up with the Gers squad for the first time at their training base in Costa Adeje, Tenerife, last week. Now, Central Park awaits.

“As far as s t ock cars g o, Cowdenbeath is one of the best in the world! It’s been a while since I played there to be fair, but I was there as a teenager with Motherwell,” McAllister, the Rangers assistant manager, said. “I can just remember the stock cars. It will certainly be different for Jermain. I don’t think he’ll have played in anything quite like it.

“I remember as manager at Leeds United we lost at Histon. Leeds were in the Third Division so it was only a division above Histon at the time. But in all honesty my record wasn’t very good in the FA Cup when I first went to England. These ties are about having the right mentality and treating the opponent with the ultimate respect. We will prepare in the same way as we would any other game.

“With the demands in the schedule we’ve had, it’s been difficult to spend a lot of time working on the opposition but we’ve got a bit of time and will look at the strengths and weaknesses the same as even a European tie.

“It’s all geared towards trying to get to Hampden on May 25 because the fans expect that. We won’t go with a lightweight team to Cowdenbeath.”

The challenge for Rangers is to pick up where they left off. It won’t take the same level of performance as their Old Firm win over Celtic, but the outcome must match as they set their sights on a spot in the next round.

The week abroad has given Gerrard, his staff and his players a chance to regroup and reflect. The first half of the campaign was positive, but it is in the second where the medals are handed out and the memories are made.

That day against Celtic – the 1-0 victory taking them level on points at the top of the table – was undoubtedly the highlight so far but the run to the group stages of the Europa League was also an achievement . McAllister knows it could have been even better. But he has to be