Gutted Ally McCoist reckons that Barry Ferguson’s appointment as Rangers boss doesn’t even have Celtic fans mocking them anymore.
The Ibrox icon reckons that their rivals not feel SYMPATHY for the Light Blues as he faced a brutal grilling from Hoops’ diehard Alan Brazil over the appointment. New interim boss Ferguson has been handed 15 games to lift the mood around Ibrox after taking from Philippe Clement – and can extend his interim tenure with a victory over Fenerbahce in the Europa League Rangers’ only realistic shot at silverware this season.
He will start his tenure against Kilmarnock on Wednesday night after facing the media for the first time on Tuesday – and pleading for the fans to judge him on his three month tenure rather than his previous spells in the dugout at Blackpool, Clyde, Kelty Hearts and Alloa. He will be joined by Allan McGregor, Billy Dodds and Neil McCann in the dugout.
And speaking to the talkSPORT Breakfast Show, Brazil wouldn’t let the Rangers hero off without talking about the overhaul. He quizzed: “I have got to say, with the greatest of respect, what the hell is happening at Ibrox?
McCoist quickly clamped: “I don’t want to talk about it.” Undeterred Brazil went on: “You’ve got to! The goalkeeper (Allan McGregor) – what badges has he got to coach?”
McCoist offered some support to the new management team: “I don’t know, I don’t want to talk about it. I’m fully behind the boys and I hope they do well, that’s all I’m saying on it.”
Baffled Brazil said: “When I saw the news on my phone I was like ‘what?’ Has it gone down a sinkhole, Ibrox, or something?”
McCoist confessed: “I was the same, but I am more perplexed by why you extend the manager’s contract then get rid of him. You give a centre-back (Connor Goldson), who has been excellent for us, an extra couple of years and then you have got to pay him up…”
Chat then moved on to the takeover by a US consortium backed by the mega money of the San Francisco 49ers – with Brazil confused as to why Clement would be shown the door before they complete their swoop. The Celtic fan quizzed: “Someone was trying to tell me the San Francisco 49ers, who own a bit of Leeds, are going to buy a bit of Rangers.
“So why would you do what they have done if that is the case? You would sit tight and try and do the deal then, wouldn’t you?”
McCoist said: “100 per cent you would, unless they have told them to do it before they get in. You would hope that; get some of the dirty work done before they come in, maybe, you would hope that is the case.
“But in answer to your question, I don’t know. I am devastated. You lot (Celtic fans) aren’t even laughing at us anymore. My mates are Celtic boys and they are messaging me asking ‘what is going on there?’ – there is nothing worse than getting sympathy from your biggest rivals.”