Ally McCoist has admitted live on TalkSport that Rangers are now facing a tough task to secure European football post-Christmas.
Rangers have thus far lost all three of their Champions League games this season, leaving them rock bottom of their group and facing a tall order to secure any sort of European football at Ibrox after Christmas, either in the Champions League or Europa League.
The Gers must finish 3rd in their group to ensure they stay in Europe this season but even a place in the Europa League knockout stages looks difficult as they will now likely have to take a positive result against Liverpool in Glasgow next week.
McCoist now worries for Rangers and their European hopes after a shocking Champions League campaign thus far.
He said: “I’ll be brutally honest, I don’t think we’ve got any chance of qualification from the group – and I’m more half-full than any guy you’ll meet, but I’m realistic. If you have got any hopes of finishing third and [getting into] the Europa League, I think you have to take something from the Liverpool game at home.
“Because let’s be brutally honest, guys, going to Napoli – look at them, I mean, that’s going to be a big [ask], they battered Liverpool at home 4-1 or whatever it was, so that in itself is going to be a big ask.
Will Rangers play European football in February?
Yes!
No!
“And Because of the result and the poor performance in Amsterdam, I think it means you’re obviously going to have to beat Ajax at home – which would be extremely difficult, but I think it’s a possibility – but you’re going to have to pick a point up from somewhere else, and I think your best [chance of] doing that, crazy as it may seem, is Liverpool at home.”
TIF Thoughts on Rangers’ European hopes…
As things stand, Rangers sit on zero points and a goal difference of -9, with just three games to keep their European adventure alive beyond Christmas, but being in a very tough group, that looks very difficult.
Last season, the Gers enjoyed a magical run to the Europa League final and would have been hoping for similar this time around in either European competition, but it’s just been a disappointment so far.
The only good thing for Rangers in terms of keeping their European dream alive is that two of their last three games are to be played under the lights at Ibrox, and that atmosphere, which can be raucous, could potentially help push them over the line and pick up the results required to at least finish third.