Rangers were in a no win situation as soon as Ally McCoist handed in his notice to leave the club at the end of his 12 months rolling contact. Their financial difficulties have been all over the media since they were bought by Craig Whyte. I assume that we have only glimpsed very little of the full picture no matter how many 'sources close to the club' have revealed what they knew. What is obvious is that there was no spare money around to let Ally McCoist be replaced. With the number of staff in the dug out each week it was always going to be a promotion from within to see out the season if the club were to let McCoist move on. The club held a meeting with McCoist last Wednesday where I am sure some straight talking took place. No doubt positions were laid out from both sides without agreement being reached. The second meeting on Sunday will have been the result of several phone calls between board members. McCoist will no longer be required to attend the AGM which, if it wasn't already going to be, will be a rather explosive affair.
The board have grasped the nettle to show that no one man is bigger than the club. A McCoist ticking off the days of his notice period would have been yet another dark cloud over Ibrox. It would have been hard for the players to be motivated each week to play for a man who has shown his intentions to leave the club. Most of the current players will not understand how much Rangers means to McCoist or vice versa. Whatever you think of him as a manager, McCoist has been a loyal servant to the club he played for at home and abroad. He has been loyal to whoever owns the club week on week and kept his true thoughts to himself. Just what sort of secrets he will divulge in the chapters of the inevitable book detailing his tenure over the turbulent last few years it is hard to speculate. I would guess it will be a best seller and could well be hotly anticipated for next Christmas when his 12 months notice period will be up. Will there be some sort of gagging incentive involved if Rangers manage to agree a deal to shorten the gardening leave? Will we ever hear the full story of how things have been so mis-managed at the famous club? Only time will tell.