Manager Ally McCoist has said that Rangers will be treating the Ramsdens Cup Final against Raith Rovers just like every other Cup Final we have experienced in our history.
We will treat it with respect, we will take it seriously and we will be doing our damnedest to win the competition and lift the trophy.
Speaking to the Official Site McCoist said that although the name may be different from the Cups the club has challenged for in the past, it is a trophy he wants to win, and it’s a key piece of silverware that he wants to add to our history.
‘We’re treating it like a major cup final. We got enough stick last year when we didn’t get in it so we’re going to treat it with respect. We did that last year and we were taking it very seriously then as well. We’re still a bit sore from being beaten when a controversial goal took us to penalties and we got knocked out. I’ve always said we want to win every tournament we enter at this club and it’s no different in the Ramsdens.’
McCoist goes on to say that the lads have worked extremely hard to get to the final so it would be ridiculous to think that they won’t give their all to win it having got to this stage, but he again denies that Rangers are the clear favourite, that isn’t a thought that has entered his head and nor is it a thought that the players are bothered with.
We know it’s going to be a fantastically difficult game and if anything, our recent form and performance issues should tell people all they need to know about how hard life is at this level, so despite us being clear at the top, it means nothing on an individual day.
‘It’s a completely different situation to anything we’ve been in before. We’re in the league below the team we are play. The majority of the country might have us down as favourites but we are still very much in a transitional period. We’re regrouping and growing again. The bottom line is it’s a cup final for a Rangers team which is completely different from other Rangers teams that have played in cup finals.’
Because of that, the gaffer has also done another interview where he says he’s adamant that he will in fact be playing the strongest team he can muster because he knows the test that Raith will give us.
We might be giving experience slowly to youngsters again in the league now we have that sown up, but that isn’t something he’s overly going to do in the final but of course we have injury doubts that need to be factored in.
‘The most important game for us is the next one and at the moment that the Final. We do have four or five pretty serious injury doubts and problems and we won’t take any chances with them. But if they’re fit to play and they want to play, they will play.’
McCoist refutes the fact that players shouldn’t be rushed back if things seem right to do that just because of the game next on the list, again saying that this is a final we take seriously and want to win, and what follows that, follows it.
Of course Dundee United in another cup next does slightly complicate things, but one cup at a time…that ethos has served us well in the league and we certainly aren’t going to throw one game with an eye to the next.
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