Rangers and Celtic deserve credit for Europa League performances, says Ally McCoist
Rangers and Celtic deserve great credit for their performances in the Europa League this season, according to Ally McCoist.
Neil Lennon’s Celtic side secured progression to the last 32 with two group games to spare thanks to remarkable back-to-back wins over Lazio, while Rangers could join them in the
knockout stages with just a point away to former manager Dick Advocaat’s Feyenoord on Thursday, depending on results elsewhere.
Impressive European results come against the backdrop of a thrilling domestic title race, with a huge month of action in December, which will also see the two sides contest the League Cup final.
McCoist believes both deserve great praise for the way they have played in Europe this season, with results ensuring a welcome improvement to Scotland’s UEFA coefficient rating which has suffered in recent years.
„It’s a very important part of the season and it has been a breath of fresh air watching both clubs in Europe,“ McCoist told Sky Sports. „In terms of the coefficient for Scotland moving forward, both clubs’ performances have been a breath of fresh air and it has genuinely been great to see.
„Who would have thought Rangers versus Porto and Celtic versus Lazio, home and away, would have seen three victories and a draw. It’s great. Scottish football at this moment in time absolutely needs a boost and I think Rangers and Celtic on the European scene have been doing their bit.
„Rangers and Celtic deserve enormous credit for their European performances, but, again, you just cannot take your foot off the pedal. I’m looking at Rangers’ fixtures, they have to go up to Aberdeen, play a cup final, a European tie and Celtic will be the exact same.
„Big, big games but looking back on my time as a player you just loved it. You didn’t think about it, you didn’t think about Wednesday-Saturday or Thursday-Sunday, whatever it may be, you just wanted to play in all these big games and if you are playing in big games then you are clearly doing well and both sides are doing well.“
McCoist was assistant to Walter Smith when Rangers got to the UEFA Cup final in Manchester in 2008 where they were beaten 2-0 by Zenit St Petersburg, while Celtic’s most recent European final came in the same competition when they lost to Jose Mourinho’s Porto in 2003.
However, the former Rangers striker and manager is not sure if either side can progress that far again this time around.
„You never know. I think when some of the bigger boys come down from the Champions League you would have to say the chances of Rangers and Celtic reaching another European final wouldn’t be great,“ he added.
„Celtic did it with Martin O’Neill against Porto and Rangers did it with Walter Smith against Zenit. Great days and it was a fantastic achievement. Will it happen again? Possibly, but it will be very, very difficult – more difficult.“
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