Ally McCoist reveals the first thing he wrote down after ‘massive’ Rangers miss vs Hearts
Ally McCoist was astonished to see no Scottish players in Rangers‘ starting lineup to face Hearts on Monday.
The Bears were beaten 2-1 by the Jambos, who staged a second-half comeback at Tynecastle Park to come away with three huge points.
In the context of the Scottish Premiership, it all but pushes Danny Rohl‘s side completely out of the title race, with the two remaining teams being Celtic and Hearts, who will battle it out for glory in the coming weeks.
Many Gers fans were happy to see Rohl go with a three-man midfield, and though it worked a treat in the first half, everything came crashing down in the second 45.
Rangers have many international players who represent their respective countries on the highest stage, but McCoist suggests that’s not always the most important thing.
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Ally McCoist says Rangers had no one who knew what it meant
Rangers had many players who underperformed at Tynecastle, with some supporters now turning their attention to Rohl.
The German head coach will have questions to answer about his lineup, with one talking point being Connor Barron not starting.
| Area of game | Hearts | Rangers |
| Possession | 42% | 58% |
| Duels won | 68 | 56 |
| Pass accuracy | 72% | 76% |
| xG created | 0.75 | 0.82 |
For all of the good that some of Rangers’ international stars bring, people will still question their desire and understanding of the importance of what was at stake.
While speaking live on talkSPORT this Tuesday, McCoist pinpointed why the lack of Scottish players for Gers could have been how things went wrong.
McCoist said: “I’ve got it written down, it was the first thing I wrote down, no Scotsman incredible. It’s a big, big thing. It’s a massive thing.
“You’ve got to have some form of Scotsman in your team, who knows what it’s all about. Hearts, a different class, a spirit to go and play.”
Rangers were one point behind Hearts during the game, but now find themselves with a seven-point gap from top spot.
Connor Barron needed to be Rangers’ third midfielder
Whatever Derek McInnes’ half-time team talk was, it worked, but that’s not to say that Rangers didn’t get their game plan spot on in the first 45.
Having a three-man midfield always seemed key to success, but one thing Gers missed was an extra bit of bite from someone who could also control their compsoure.
Barron would have been that player, and had he started in front of the defence, acting as the anchor, the mood in Glasgow would feel different right now.
If Rohl is to stay at Ibrox for the long-term, then these are the small details that he will need to learn, but the 49ers may still pull the trigger if things get worse.
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