| Caviar and champagne belong to an optimistic and silver-laden past, and as the credit crunch bites down hard in the global world economy, the Murray Mint is terminally constipated, no longer able to quantitatively ease the suffering of the Rangers support. The tedium and predictability of the team`s performances are winning few plaudits from commentators and supporters, and the outlook for our debt-ridden club is bleak, especially if the title slips away to Parkhead for a fourth successive year. A breath of fresh air is required to banish the staleness of a deficient product, and as speculation grows about the future of manager Walter Smith, it appears to be an open secret that his replacement will be the greatest living Ranger - Alistair Murdoch McCoist. The popularity of McCoist in the Rangers support is undoubted, but the mood of supporters in this fickle age can change quickly, and no-one knows this better than the former striking legend. In a previous life, the Rangers support vociferously opined, quite uncompromisingly, that he should leave the club with immediate effect, but McCoist retained self-belief, cast aside the doubters, and went on to write his name liberally throughout Scottish football`s history books. If it comes to pass, the appointment of McCoist will be a relatively easy task for Sir Dave. The chairman will anticipate a cordial working relationship free of tantrums, huffs and histrionics, and his expectation, for the most part, will probably be close to the mark. A school of thought exists in the Rangers support, however, which will not necessarily welcome McCoist, instead preferring an enlightened and experienced foreign coach to remove bad habits, introduce new methods and generally take the club by the scruff of the neck and read it the riot act. In an ideal world, I`d count myself in its number, although the country of origin of a new manager is not of the utmost importance, but the broad Rangers support isn`t yet ready for revolution, and the club cannot afford the financial cost of wholesale change even if this was the preferred boardroom option. When the wind of beneficial change finally blows, it will have to happen in the midst of a successful spell, not while we`re facing the painful prospect of another league title going east. Despite what some believe, McCoist has not been severely tarnished by his role as part of our current management team. He will not duck his part in our on-field failings, but he should not be marked down when the final decision on every aspect of the management of Rangers was not his to make. It is my belief that Ally McCoist is as ready as he will ever be to take the reins at Rangers. He is reputed to be a joker, which he undoubtedly is, but it is grossly unfair to sum up his talents so simplistically. Many of us have watched Ally McCoist grow from boyhood to manhood in a Rangers jersey; to suffer indignity and frustration, to relish the golden days that deservedly came his way, and to become a nationwide media celebrity, unburdened by his Rangers identity. The man has the desire, the determination, the selfishness and the focus to ensure that he will deliver for Rangers, and I`m ready to see him discard his training gear for a managerial suit and open-necked shirt. Circumstance has almost certainly decreed that he will be the next Rangers manager, and I believe he is ready for the challenge. It is my fervent wish that he succeeds, but equally, I hope for an end to the overtly negative emphasis that has been the hallmark of the Smith era. There can never be any guarantees when a new manager is chosen, but I`m prepared to lend my support to the Rangers chairman if he genuinely believes that Ally McCoist can be transformed from being the Super One into our very own Special One. |