New boys will not be fazed - McCoist
Rangers manager Ally McCoist has backed his Old Firm debutants to handle Sunday's clash with Celtic.
The Scottish champions recruited several new players over the summer and a number of them could be handed their first taste of the famous fixture this weekend.
But, with some of his new recruits - such as United States captain Carlos Bocanegra and Romania international Dorin Goian - boasting plenty of experience, McCoist does not expect them to be fazed by the occasion.
He said: "The game is big enough that they know about it.
"I will have a wee chat with them but I'm not daft enough to think that Carlos Bocanegra has played 90-odd times for the USA and hasn't played in big games.
"Indeed, Dorin Goian's last international was against France. These boys play in big games and they can handle big games.
"The one thing that might be a little bit different for them is the atmosphere that the crowd creates and, possibly, the tempo of the game in the first 15 or 20 minutes.
"But that's why we've got these guys. We want them to play in these games and we feel they can handle it. So we will have a chat but nothing out of the ordinary."
McCoist himself has plenty of experience of Old Firm derbies as both a player and assistant boss to Walter Smith but will be facing Celtic for the first time as Rangers manager.
He said: "I've really been looking forward to it since the Dundee United game last week, which was a great result for us [1-0 away win]. I've just been planning ahead and I'm very, very excited.
"I was certainly very lucky as a player against Celtic and hopefully I've kept some of that luck.
"I don't care how good anybody is. You need a bit of luck to go along with it and it's always welcome.
"I can't see it being a lot different [as manager] to be honest with you.
"As a player, you have different pressures. The pressure as assistant manager was very intense.
"I realise the responsibilities are certainly greater but in terms of how I'll feel, I'm not sure I'll be any different.
"The desire to win and do well will be massive as it always has been and always will be."
McCoist has promised fans a positive approach to the game.
He said: "I don't want to give too much away and divulge too much but we will be picking a team that will be attack-minded.
"I feel that we've got too many attack-minded players in our team not to go and win games.
"You look at Nikica Jelavic and Kyle Lafferty and Steven Naismith and Steven Davis - even Steven Whittaker gets forward, and Gregg Wylde.
"They are all forward-thinking players and want to get into the opponents' half and create and cause damage.
"It would be wrong of us not to let them go and express themselves and do that."
Neil Lennon wants bygones to be bygones when he meets up again with McCoist.
Celtic's Scottish Cup replay win over Rangers last season saw three Light Blues players sent off and there was an ugly after-match confrontation between the Irishman and then Gers assistant McCoist, which led to the infamous Old Firm summit chaired by First Minister Alex Salmond.
All eyes will be on the Ibrox technical areas before, during and after the Clydesdale Bank Premier League encounter, but the Celtic manager was not for raking over the coals of the incident, believing that far too much was made of his altercation with McCoist in the first place.
"I don't want to even talk about that," he told Press Association Sport.
"It's history as far as I'm concerned and I'm sure it is for Ally.
"Yes, we have seen each other since then and we try not to make too much out of it.
"It's a new season. We had seven Old Firm games last season and only one of them spilled over and caused some controversy. That's not too bad."
Lennon is giving skipper Scott Brown and striker Anthony Stokes every chance to prove their fitness for the trip to Govan.
Brown is battling against an ankle problem while Stokes has a thigh complaint, and both missed the 2-0 Europa League Group I defeat by Atletico Madrid in Spain on Thursday night.
Rangers V Celtic - view commentary, squad, and statictics of the game live.
Source: DSG
