Neil McCann has played for both Rangers and Hearts and is convinced that the former can still win the Scottish Championship this season. However, this all depends if their senior players are willing 'step up to the plate'. Rangers are currently nine points behind leaders Hearts following their 2-0 defeat at Tynecastle last weekend but McCann is convinced the Jambos can be reeled in.
McCann, currently a coach at League One Dunfermline, said: "Yes, I do believe they (Rangers) can catch them (Hearts). Rangers are the stronger squad and Hearts will dip. It's an interesting one. We are only 14 games into the campaign but nine points ahead, even at this early stage, is still a lot of points to try and grab back. Even this morning Hearts owner Ann Budge has come out and said they don't have to win the league, it's not critical to them. But I think it's critical to Rangers. They are still in a lot of trouble financially and they had to get Mike Ashley to bail them out recently. Rangers have to go up. Ally McCoist so far has won Leagues One and Two and I still believe that that squad is equipped well enough to win this league. But they need to start stepping up and getting results. It's ok having a strong squad, an experienced squad, but that's not enough. They need to match the energy, enthusiasm and application of the teams around them. The Championship may not be the most glamorous league but it is a tough league and there are boys in there who are trying to make a name for themselves in the game."
McCann, who scored 19 goals in 113 games for Rangers between 1998-2003, following a three-year period at Hearts, admits Rangers manager McCoist is under pressure and is calling for his backroom staff to help get their league campaign back on track. He went on: "As a player, his legendary status will never go away, but football is such that he is now in a different role as manager and he has to step up. He has won the two divisions easily but now this is a more difficult one. He is still playing the same type of brand of football and at the minute they are nine points off and I think Ally needs a lot more help from behind him. I'm looking at Ian Durrant and Kenny McDowell who are good coaches there and I wonder what influences they have on the side. What work is being done on the training ground? Is Ally shaping them and doing tactical work with them? If that is happening on the training ground then why is it going wrong on the pitch? If that is the case these big guys have to step up. Kris Boyd, Kenny Miller, Lee McCulloch, Ian Black. All these guys have to step up to the plate and match the young kids of Hearts."