Mark Warburton’s Ibrox side Glasgow Rangers are fifth in the Scottish Premiership.
Ally McCoist has told The Brechin Advertiser that a second-placed Premiership finish would represent a good season for Rangers – and admits that he is aware it sounds crazy.
It is Rangers’ first season back in the Scottish top flight following some four years slugging it out in the lower divisions after their financial collapse in 2012.
But it is proving anything but a fairytale return to the big time for the Gers as of yet.
Two eye-opening defeats by Celtic – albeit by contrasting scorelines – has brought Mark Warburton’s side back to earth with a bang following a summer transfer window which suggested that they could compete with the Hoops at the top end of the division.
But Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw with St Johnstone has left Rangers nine points adrift of Brendan Rodgers’s side – who have a game in hand – and it certainly seems like a gulf in quality separates both Old Firm giants at the moment.
But only two points separate Rangers and second-placed Aberdeen, and Ibrox legend McCoist says that a runners-up finish would be “more than acceptable” under the circumstances, despite the club’s sky-high standard.
“I’m not surprised at all where they are,” he said to The Brechin Advertiser, at a Ladbrokes event.
“It’s a crazy thing to say for an ex-player and manager who knows exactly what Rangers are all about. It probably sounds crazy for me to say it but I think finishing second would be more than acceptable.”
McCoist is probably right. It might be Rangers, who have 54 top-flight titles, but finishing second in their first season back in the Premiership would not be disgraceful, but at the same time, it is simple to understand fans’ frustrations.
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