Ally McCoist joked he will watch Rangers’ trip to Old Trafford from behind the couch early next year after witnessing new Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim’s Sporting side dish out a 4-1 hammering of Manchester City in the Champions League.
The Ibrox strike legend was on duty as a pundit for TNT Sports in the Portuguese capital earlier in the week for Amorim’s penultimate game in charge of Sporting before moving to the English Premier League giants where he will succeed Erik ten Hag.
McCoist will switch to Europa League duty for the broadcaster as he covers the Light Blues clash with Olympiacos in Greece but, as he heaped praise on old rivals Celtic for their victory over RB Leipzig at Parkhead, he discussed games further down the line with Hoops-daft talkSPORT radio sidekick Alan Brazil.
Brazil said: “It’s a few weeks away but Rangers go to Old Trafford and Celtic go to Villa. That’ll be a big few days.”
McCoist said: “I’ll be watching that one behind the couch – you can watch it on the couch with a glass of red! Some of the games coming up are fantastic. Credit to you boys as you’ve given yourself a real chance of qualification. I’ve to say Al, it doesn’t break my heart to say it but I don’t particularly enjoy saying it, what about your mob on Tuesday night?
“The tempo Celtic are playing at right now a lot of teams just can’t live with them. They’ve got pace and power. They got a doing in Dortmund so to bounce back with a couple of great results is great.”
Brazil said: “The urgency and the electricity generated at Celtic just now is incredible – it shocked me. It was an amazing game. We’re talking about a side in the Bundesliga doing really well and I thought it would be a tough game but Celtic were fantastic.”
But Arsenal legend Ray Parlour chimed in: “Rangers seem all right at the moment, six points in the Europa League. Only three points off the top. They need to not lose the game. If they get a draw it’s a fantastic result.”
McCoist responded: “I’d bite your hand off right now for a draw. The level of inconsistency of Rangers has been remarkable but they played really well in Malmo, picked up the victory, and were excellent in the home game against Steaua Bucharest.
“They got a little bit of a going over against Lyon so it’s been a little bit up and down but if they can put together any kind of level of performance as they have in Europe and get a draw then it would be a great point.”
And Parlour ended by saying: “I just want to ask who you are commentating with tonight – is it Gordon Ramsay? You had Noel Gallagher at Manchester City. Is it only celebrities who commentate with you now.”
McCoist said: “I think that’s Noel’s first and last. He was looking forward to it and then his team got battered 4-1.” Brazil said: “Mind you, you got four tickets to every Oasis concert,” and McCoist said: “Don’t worry about that – that was in the contract!”