Coisty Tells Gers Not To Believe Hype

Mar 30 2008 By Scott Mcdermott

CAUTIOUS coach Ally McCoist has warned his Rangers stars to bin the bravado and keep their feet on the ground or they'll fall flat on their faces in the UEFA Cup.

The Gers No.2 admits he is trying to keep a lid on expectations at Ibrox after hearing fans talking about WINNING the trophy in Manchester on May 14 and revealed he's already had ticket requests for the final.

But with a crunch quarter-final clash against Sporting Lisbon and a possible semi with PSVor Fiorentina to come - McCoist has called for calm in the ranks.

He's amazed Walter Smith's men are favourites to beat Lisbon, considering the club were 14 months ago, and is convinced that if his squad start believing the hype they are certain to come a cropper.

Coisty said: "There is expectation because we have avoided Bayern Munich while Sporting Lisbon just got past Bolton in the last round. But I fancy us when we are the underdogs, it suits us better.

"People have us as favourites to go through but many a favourite never got over the finishing line and that is extra responsibility our players have to handle.

"It says a lot for everyone at the club that after 14 months we've reached this stage and are regarded as favourites.

"When we looked at us a year ago we'd have bitten your hand off to be where we are now.

"But the most important thing is not to tell ourselves we're favourites - that's where you start tripping up.

"Of course we believe we can beat Sporting but it's about getting a balance.

"I've already had punters coming up to me asking about tickets for the final in Manchester.

"But that's the beauty of football and the fans. No matter who they support they're thinking five games down the line.

"I have to say to them 'we're not there yet'. We are miles away from Manchester. The fans can get carried away but our jobs is to keep our feet and the players' feet on the ground."

McCoist's old Rangers sidekick Ian Durrant (right) has already been in Portugal to see Sporting and scout Ewan Chester will watch them in action against Neval tonight. Ally insists that unlike most Portuguese teams Lisbon are more of a collective unit not just a group of individual stars.

He said: "Durranty saw them in their League Cup Final which they lost on penalties.

"He said they weren't great in the game. But I told him if Sporting had watched our final against Dundee United they wouldn't have thought we were outstanding either.

"They have individual flair but overall they are solid as a team.

"Normally Portuguese sides have one or two flair players but Ian says their ability collectively is their biggest strength."

McCoist has unhappy memories of Lisbon after breaking his leg there 15 years ago in Scotland's devastating 5-0 defeat to Portugal that killed off our World Cup hopes.

He would love a happier ending this time around - with Gers in the last four of the UEFA Cup.

Ally, 45, said: "It would be nice to get some payback in Lisbon. It was April 30 1993, not that it's stuck in my mind, and it was bloody sore.

"It was a short ball from Paul McStay but hey, I'm over it, honest!

"So it's a city that doesn't hold good memories for me and it would be nice to have a happier ending to a game in Lisbon this time.

"I was with Professor Stewart Hillis that night and he had no painkillers. So I tanned his duty free red wine while waiting for the plane. It certainly took some of my pain away and I ended up convinced we'd won 2-1 and I had got the winner!"