Source: Team_Talk
Smith backs McCoist to take charge
Walter Smith has declared Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall ready to take over Rangers as he ruled out staying on as manager for another season.[LNB] The Rangers manager, 62, signed a one-year contract in May after budget talks with representatives of Lloyds Banking Group.[LNB]The reassurances over the finances available to bring in players helped persuade Smith to stay despite his intention to quit after winning a second successive Scottish Premier League title.[LNB]The change of heart means assistant McCoist must wait another year before he has the opportunity to take over as expected.[LNB]McCoist has shadowed Smith since they returned to Ibrox in January 2007, and beforehand when the pair led Scotland.[LNB]McCoist has taken a more hands-on role during domestic cup competitions with his team winning four out of six of the knockout tournaments.[LNB]And Smith is confident the former Rangers striker, and first-team coach McDowall, will be ready to step up when he retires.[LNB]Smith told rangersfc.co.uk: "To be honest I thought last season was going to be my last but different circumstances meant that I had a change of mind. However, this will definitely be my last one.[LNB]"Hopefully it will be as successful as the previous seasons have been but we know we have a lot of work to do to retain the title.[LNB]"I'm hopeful that come the time the boys will get the opportunity to take over.[LNB]"This is the case at the moment but it's obviously not a decision that I will make.[LNB]"I sincerely hope that when this decision is made then they get the chance because I think everyone will agree that they deserve it.[LNB]"I think the learning part of it all gets exaggerated. We have all been here now for a number of seasons.[LNB]"Alastair is an intelligent boy and he learned quickly about what makes a football team tick and the background.[LNB]"He has simply been waiting to take over and he is more than ready to do so now - never mind in a year's time."[LNB]Rangers players face another week of training at Murray Park before their first pre-season friendly, against Queen of the South in Dumfries on July 18.[LNB]Rangers fly out to Australia two days later for a tour that takes in games against Sydney FC, Blackburn and AEK Athens and Smith is confident his squad will be in good shape after their longest summer break for several years.[LNB]He said: "A lot of teams go away but we will have two good weeks at Murray Park with some hard work which I think will be of benefit to everyone.[LNB]"This year is a little bit of a departure for us because we are going to Australia when we normally travel to Europe but increasingly a number of teams have been going there and it hasn't affected them.[LNB]"There is a lot of travelling involved getting there but we will play the matches and work there and then come back and make our final preparations."[LNB]
