Ally McCoist triggered by Neil Warnock comment on Rangers live on air – ‘Disgrace’
Ally McCoist let the world know what he thought about Robin Propper’s red card for Rangers in his latest rant.
Propper was sent off in the 13th minute of Rangers’ Europa League quarter-final first leg tie against Athletic Bilbao, which made it tricky for them to make the most of the home advantage.
The Spanish outfit went on to dominate the game with 72 per cent of the possession, but Barry Ferguson’s team managed to showcase a lot of resilience.
Rangers defended against the onslaught of attacks brilliantly to ensure they remain in the tie as they held onto a goalless draw, giving themselves plenty to play for in the second leg.
However, the red card itself was a contentious one in the moment due to how early it was in the game and the manner of the tackle, which left everyone associated with Rangers angry.
Rangers felt harshly done by against Athletic Bilbao
The red card completely changed the game for Rangers as they were forced to drop back and soak up the pressure due to the numerical disadvantage that they had on the pitch.
Whilst they didn’t suffer in terms of losing the game, it did stunt their ability to cause problems at the other end of the pitch, and it’s something that McCoist didn’t enjoy.
| Match Stats | Rangers | Athletic Bilbao |
| Possession | 28% | 72% |
| Shots | 4 | 19 |
| Passes | 223 | 532 |
| Fouls | 6 | 12 |
He was furious with the situation on the night, and he needed no introduction to go off on a fresh rant the following morning live on talkSPORT (11 April, 07:10am).
Warnock, while discussing a completely different topic, raised the red card issued in the Rangers match, to which McCoist interjected: “Aw, Neil. I’m telling you right now, mate. That sending off is a disgrace.
“Anyone that knows the game… The lawmakers will say ‘oh, the referee’s doing his this and that’, it is never a sending off mate.”
Warnock himself agreed with his sentiment by saying: “They’ve taken common sense out of the game. If you talk to referees, there’s no such thing any more.
“He would not have had a word said about it if he’d have left him on the pitch, and that’s the difference, they’re all frightened of the people upstairs.”
Barry Ferguson will look to win over the new owners with a trophy
For Barry Ferguson, the Europa League provides him with the perfect opportunity to try and prove he deserves the full-time management position at Rangers.
He is currently in charge of the Light Blues on a temporary basis until the end of this season, when the new owners are expected to make an official decision.
Huge names such as Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez have been linked with taking on the job, while former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is the current favourite to land the role.
However, Ferguson has made it clear he’d be happy to be the permanent manager, and winning the Europa League might be one way of him making that happen.