Ally McCoist is a huge fan of the way Hearts have defied the odds this season. But he insists their approach wouldn’t work for Rangers.
The Tynecastle club have already knocked off some of their 15-point penalty, despite manager Gary Locke being forced to field what is effectively a youth team.
That’s prompted some fans to wonder whether the Ibrox club, too, might have been better off putting their faith in kids rather than hiring free agents on big wages.
However, the Ibrox manager said last night: “We’re in a different position from Hearts.
“They have done fantastically well and I’m delighted for Gary. I know better than anyone what he’s going through.
“But the bottom line is this Rangers are expected to win every game in this division.
“I don’t think we will, but we’re expected to. And we’re expected to do it with a certain degree of style.
“That’s not the case with Hearts.”
Quite the opposite, in fact, with the Edinburgh club bookies’ favourites for relegation from the SPFL and Rangers runaway leaders of League One.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Hearts, though, because they are competing very well,” McCoist continued.
“But there is a different pressure on their youngsters.
“It’s harder playing for the Old Firm than other teams in Scotland, and it’s easier breaking into any other team as a youngster than it is at Rangers or Celtic.
“Our boys are under a pressure that no-one has ever had before, and no-one knows what’s right or wrong.
“Our youngsters had to win the League last season, and they had that pressure on them.
“We won it by 24 points yet no-one knows if that’s good or bad.
“People say we may have won it but performances weren’t great. So we have to get to that level of performance, simple as.”
With Rangers rattling in the goals every week in their League One matches, fans are left to ponder just how good they are.
“I think we’d handle the Premier League now,” said McCoist. “I wouldn’t say we’d finish top six. I just think we’d be comfortable in the League.
“These boys are now learning what it’s like and what it means to play for Rangers.
“By the time we get there, I would hope this experience will have stood them in good stead.
“We have miles to go, though, and we will have to buy players sooner rather than later.”
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