HAD Ally McCoist been able to ignore the call to return to Rangers two-and-a-half years ago, he would be spending this afternoon in a television studio at Wembley as part of ITV's FA Cup final team rather than prowling the technical area at Hampden.
If his successful broadcasting career had persuaded him that it was simply too good to swap for a pressurised job in coaching, he would have spent the last few weeks finishing off another series of A Question of Sport instead of helping Rangers th
rough a fraught climax to the SPL title race.
Sir David Murray observed in January 2007 that McCoist was making a significant sacrifice to come back to the Ibrox club as assistant to Walter Smith, a view shared and often expressed by the manager himself.
But as he prepares for today's Homecoming Scottish Cup final against Falkirk, McCoist insists he has never held any reservations about the path he chose. "Dare I say it, I would actually argue with the chairman and manager on that one," he smiled. "I didn't think it was that big a decision to make, although I know a lot of people looked at it another way.
"The only decision I had to make was whether to come into a far riskier business, that goes without saying. You look at what happens to managers like Jimmy Calderwood, for example, and you think football isn't fair.
"But it wasn't a big decision for me at all to come back to Rangers. The last two-and-a-half years have been an unbelievable helter-skelter ride, I'm sure anyone would agree. There has been a bit of everything along the way.
"I just hope I can sample it for a few more years to come. It's been a bumpy ride, but I have loved every minute of it so far. There is no doubt in my mind I made the right decision."
While Rangers chairman Murray has made it clear he sees McCoist as Smith's ultimate successor as manager of the club, the 46-year-old remains reluctant to consider himself in those terms.
"Do I see myself as the manager in waiting? Not at all," he added. "I'm not just toeing the party line. I absolutely love what I am doing just now and I would never be presumptuous enough to think the next step is being Rangers manager.
"There are massive amounts of work to be done first and foremost as assistant manager. I'm very biased when it comes to the man in charge at the moment, but there is no-one I would wish to learn the trade from more than Walter Smith."
Part of that apprenticeship has seen Smith hand McCoist control of many aspects of his job for Scottish Cup ties, including team preparation and media duties.
It has been a successful arrangement so far with Rangers yet to lose a Scottish Cup tie under McCoist's nominal guidance, although he revealed he has proved less popular than might be expected with the tournament sponsors in their efforts to promote today's final.
"I refuse to have my picture taken with the cup during the build-up," said McCoist. "It is 100 per cent superstition on my part. I think I might be breaking a contract with the sponsors, but it's just one of those things I won't do. I see a lot of players and managers doing it, but I just hope to have my picture taken with it after the match."
Rangers are bidding to win the domestic championship and Scottish Cup double for the 18th time in their history and McCoist feels that would be an achievement to savour for a group of players who have spent much of the season subjected to derision of their general quality.
"I don't think there is any such thing as a bad team winning the double," he reasoned. "They have been criticised throughout the season from various areas and I'm really delighted at the way they have responded to that criticism and the questions asked of them.
"They handled that fantastically well in the league campaign and now they have an opportunity to put themselves down in history as one of the very good Rangers teams. I think that will have to be said. You have to have a special team to win a double.
"After such a disappointing start to the season with the Champions League defeat to Kaunas, for the lads to come back and win the league was terrific. But they have also given themselves a chance to be remembered as a very good Rangers team. The only way they can do that is by earning it on Saturday.
"John Hughes will be telling his players exactly the same thing, that they have the opportunity to be remembered for one of the greatest seasons in Falkirk's history if they win.
"We couldn't play any team who will be buzzing more than Falkirk are at the moment. It is a game between two teams who are flying after last weekend's results, so we are hopeful it will be a very good final.
"To be brutally honest, I could think of a few teams I'd rather be playing right now than Falkirk. I just feel their manager and players will be flying right now.
"On their day, Falkirk pass the ball as well as anyone in the country. They certainly have a good blend of experienced guys like Jackie McNamara and Steven Pressley, along with young lads who can pass the ball like Scott Arfield.
"We have calmed down after the title celebrations, we are absolutely focused on the job we have to do which is retaining the cup. It would cap off a terrific season if the boys win the double. To do so, they will have to maintain the work ethic they have shown in the past dozen games or so."
In McCoist's mind, no-one has typified that attitude more than captain David Weir and he is hopeful the 39-year-old defender will extend his remarkable top flight career for one more season.
"David's appetite for the game is incredible," said McCoist. "He was arguably as strong as any one of our squad during the final weeks of the league campaign. My advice to him would be to continue playing for as long as he can.
"There has been nothing in the last few weeks to suggest he is not capable of doing both himself and his team-mates justice for another year. David will make that decision after he sits down with the manager and chairman."
Injuries and suspensions mean some tough decisions for both managers WALTER Smith and John Hughes must contend with injuries and suspension respectively as they decide upon the personnel and formations for today's Homecoming Scottish Cup final at Hampden.
Rangers manager Smith looks set to be without the injured midfield duo of Pedro Mendes and Maurice Edu, while his Falkirk counterpart Hughes is deprived of the services of banned Spanish midfielder Arnau Riera.RANGERS
• DEFENCE
The meanest defence in the SPL this season have also been at their resolute best in the Scottish Cup, conceding just one goal in Rangers' four ties on the way to the final. So this will certainly be the most uncomplicated part of Smith's selection process.
Neil Alexander, who has been almost faultless since replacing international miscreant Allan McGregor last month, will continue in goal behind a familiar back four. Steven Whittaker has finally made the right-back position his own, while Sasa Papac has been arguably Rangers' most consistent performer this season at left-back. The ageless David Weir and athletic Madjid Bougherra will provide a formidable central defensive barrier to Falkirk.
• MIDFIELD
Injuries to Pedro Mendes and Maurice Edu look set to mean a recall to the starting line-up for the first time in more than two months for deposed captain Barry Ferguson. The 31-year-old has appeared as a substitute in Rangers' last two league games and will relish the chance to have a central role and the opportunity to win his fifth Scottish Cup winner's medal.
With Portuguese playmaker Mendes and American international Edu both struggling to make it, Ferguson may be joined in central midfield by Lee McCulloch. Unless he is switched to a central position, Steven Davis will continue on the right flank with his Northern Ireland international team-mate Kyle Lafferty likely to keep his place on the left. Nacho Novo provides another option for the wide positions.
• ATTACK
Smith appears certain to stick with the 44-goal strike partnership of Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller at Hampden. Boyd has earned the right to start the showpiece occasion of the season and will look to add to the three goals he netted against Falkirk in the league fixtures between the sides.
Miller has been playing through a troublesome hamstring injury which may require surgery during the summer and if he is unable to start, there may be an opportunity for Nacho Novo who can bring a similar level of energy and running power to complement Boyd's predatory instincts.FALKIRK
• DEFENCE
With nine clean sheets from his 19 appearances since joining the club in January, Spanish goalkeeper Dani Mallo played a significant role in Falkirk retaining their SPL status and he is a certain starter this afternoon. It is not so easy to predict who will line up immediately in front of him.
Hughes deployed a 5-4-1 formation against Rangers at Ibrox in January, but may stick with a more familiar back four today. Jackie McNamara, a three-time Scottish Cup winner with Celtic, should be at right-back with Tam Scobbie in the left-back role. A major decision for Hughes is who will partner captain Darren Barr in central defence. Steven Pressley is available after suspension and his experience may persuade the manager to recall him at the expense of Gerard Aafjes. Lee Bullen provides another option if Hughes does plump for a five-man rearguard.
• MIDFIELD
Arnau Riera's suspension had reduced the choices available to Hughes. Combative Irishman Patrick Cregg is likely to be joined by the hugely promising Scotland under-21 international Scott Arfield in central midfield as Falkirk look to subdue Rangers as a creative force and earn as much possession as they can. Burton O'Brien and Kevin McBride are the candidates to be deployed on the right, although both men could play if Hughes decides to go with a five-man midfield. Veteran former Rangers winger Neil McCann is likely to be recalled to the starting line-up on the left.
• ATTACK
Hughes has a triumvirate of English strikers to consider in assessing who is most likely to find a way beyond the miserly Rangers defence. Should he decide to deploy a lone front man, Steve Lovell may be the favoured candidate ahead of Michael Higdon and Carl Finnigan.
While that trio have generally been charged with goalscoring duties this season, Hughes does have a wild card in 20-year-old Mark Stewart. The highly promising young Scot is already a favourite of the Falkirk support and may have a role to play from the bench.
The full article contains 1893 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
