Scottish Premier League News January 2013: Ally McCoist Would Have Done It Differently
Lisa Dillon
Celtic
Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster has firmly established himself as one of Britain's rising goalkeeping talents - but he believes there is still more to come from him.
The keeper is not content with winning the SPL crown with Celtic, helping his club to the last 16 of the Champions League and being called up to the England squad.
It's been the most impressive 12 months of his career but he is sure there is more to come - and Forster will get an idea pretty quickly how his destiny is shaping up.
Celtic have a forthcoming League Cup semi-final at Hampden, a Champions League double header against Juventus and Forster has the potential to could cap it off with his England debut in a friendly against Brazil at Wembley in February.
The 24-year-old said: "Yes, it has been a decent year. I am pleased with how it has gone personally and it's been a fantastic year for the club, which is more important.
"Everyone can look back and be pleased - but our focus is taking things to another level in 2013.
"This has been a great year but it would be meaningless if we don't try to build on it.
"Our performances in Europe have been a real boost. Playing in the Europa League last season has made everyone raise their game.
"It has been something we have taken to the next level now we are competing in the Champions League. I have gained experience. It is all about progression and making sure everything stays on an upward trend.
"It's my ambition to play for England - I am an ambitious guy and it's something I have dreamed of since I was a kid.
"It would be a nice to get some game time in the friendly with Brazil but I will have to wait and see.
"I've got to think of my club first and we have our League Cup semi at the end of January and huge games coming up against Juventus.
"You have to play well in these matches before you can take the next step. The matches with Juve are eye catching and I am fairly happy with the draw although it will be tough.
"It's a new place to go and will be a challenge again. We have proved we can beat anyone so we are looking forward to it."
Neil Lennon's side need to find a way past Italy's legendary keeper Gigi Buffon if they are to reach the quarter finals.
Forster is a huge fan and said: "Buffon has won so many medals in his career, seeing him will be a great part of the experience.
"Maybe I will swap shirts with him. He's been great for years, has won the World Cup and done so much in his career."
If Forster produces more top-drawer performances against the Serie A champs it will only increase the interest in him from clubs down south and abroad. But he insisted he is no rush to leave Parkhead.
Forster said: "There has been interest from England in what we're doing at Celtic.
"It is good for everyone to have more coverage as individuals and as a team.
"People are fully aware of what Celtic are all about.
"It has made signing on here in the summer worthwhile. It was a big decision to sign but it has proved the right one.
"The stadium and the fans would sell the club to anyone. I spoke to a few people whose opinions I take seriously and they all said to come back.
"So I'm delighted with the way it's turned out. I signed for four years in the summer so I've a bit of time left."
Rangers
Rangers manager Ally McCoist has insisted that he would never have left the Ibrox club in the lurch the way that some former players did over the summer.
Steven Naismith, Kyle Lafferty did in the summer, Sone Aluko, Jamie Ness and Steven Whittaker, objected to their contracts being transferred from the oldco to the newco under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations) legislation and quit Scotland.
But manager McCoist is adamant he would never have walked out on the club. "I'd have done things differently," he insisted.
Rangers' chief executive Charles Green is adamant the five acted outwith their rights and hopes to take the first step towards winning compensation by being allowed arbitration by the SFA next month. If that fails, he has vowed to pursue the matter through the courts.
Having seen their club deprived of a transfer fee for the players, a number of Rangers fans have voiced their displeasure at what's transpired - prompting both Lafferty and Naismith - boyhood Rangers fans - to state that they don't know if they'll ever set foot inside Ibrox again.
And asked if he could have done what they did, McCoist said: "If I wasn't welcome at Rangers, it would be heartbreaking.
"It's the easiest thing in the world for me to sit here and tell you I would have done it differently or Ian Durrant would have done it differently. But we would have done it differently."
McCoist admits he has limited sympathy with the plight of players who opted to walk out of the door for nothing as opposed to earning the club a transfer fee.
"The boys made a decision," he said. "There's no use moaning about it now.
"They had plenty of time to make the decision and the fans have made their decision. It's not as if the fans are doing anything wrong or it's the fans' fault.
"I think the fans probably look at somebody like Maurice Edu, for example, who didn't claim to be a Rangers fan or wanted to come and watch Rangers play until he was 110, but what he did do was TUPE over and we got money for him.
"And I think that's how the vast majority of the Rangers support are looking at it. I see where they are coming from."
Meanwhile, McCoist is still trying to earmark targets whom he believes will improve his squad.
Rangers current have a signing embargo but can sign players without playing them until September this year.
"There will be a lot of players looking for clubs," he noted. "That said, the more I can look at the better because the way we're looking at it at the moment, I think we're allowed to register players on 1 September as long as they are out of contract - I'm hoping that's the right situation, I'm led to believe it is, so that being the case, we have to do our jobs and that would be looking to strengthen again."
McCoist and chief scout Neil Murray will be casting their net far and wide. "Everywhere, absolutely everywhere. We'll look abroad, we'll look at the SPL, and I'm not going to confine it just by saying only players from the SPL," said McCoist. "We want to get the best players we can and continue building."
Some names have already been considered and rejected. "We have already sat and put a line through 30 or 40, and we put a question mark or a tick and that's how we do it," added McCoist. "If we want to go and look at players, then we go. Neil is always very thorough and good."
And he is insistent that Charles Green will make money available to bring in new faces.
"We will discuss it, in terms of what wage bracket and budget I'm allowed because that's obviously very important," he said. "But I'm obviously quite excited about getting to spend some money now as well."
Aberdeen
Former Celtic squad player Niall McGinn has found a new lease of life since swapping the Hoops for Aberdeen.
The 25-year-old has netted 14 goals so far this season and believes that the move to regular first-team football has done wonders for his career.
"I'm really enjoying my football this season and it was great to end the year with my first ever hat-trick," he said.
"I'm playing with a smile on my face again and I feel as a team we are all working hard and enjoying our football."
This season the Northern Ireland international has moved into a centre-forward position but he hasn't tweaked his game too much.
"I spoke to the manager (Craig Brown) and really liked what he was saying and his plans for the future and it's so far so good, we are doing well and the crowds are starting to come back, which is pleasing.
"I knew when Aberdeen came in for me that it was a great opportunity for me to get my career back on track. Aberdeen is a massive club with a big tradition and with me knowing all about the SPL having played with Celtic, I felt it was the right move for me.
"I haven't really adjusted my game too much, the manager decided to play me through the middle and for me to try and use my pace and get in behind defenders, that has happened and thankfully for me I have managed to score a few goals.
"The manager also brought in Jocky Scott who has worked with myself and all the other strikers about making certain runs and shooting and that work behind the scenes has helped us.
"But the whole team is doing well, we have quality players and I know when Jonny Hayes gets the ball that I need to get myself in the box."
Scotland
Ex-Celtic and Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan has been appointed as the new manager of the Scotland national team, replacing Craig Levein who was fired in November. Strachan won 50 caps for his country and participated in two World Cup finals in 1982 and 1986.
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