Dundee United manager Peter Houston has said that he believes Rangers players will work even harder for Ally McCoist when the sides meet in the Scottish Cup this weekend.

Rangers sold their top scorer, Nikica Jelavic, on Tuesday and manager McCoist was unable to bring in a replacement.

Several players left the Ibrox club on loan deals and though McCoist will be operating with a reduced squad, Houston said that he felt the players in place would give even more for the team.

“I think it'll bond them together even more,” the United boss said. “I'm not sure it's done us any favours.

“One thing is for sure and that's Alistair McCoist has got a great bunch of players there. They rally round him and they work very hard for him.

“People forget that the last couple of times they've played they've won 4-0 against Hibs and they've scored three or four against other teams as well.

“They're scoring goals and they're playing well so we have to be ready for them. I think that with all the things that went on this week it will bond them together and they'll work even harder for the manager.”


Houston said that he still felt that Rangers were still a dangerous proposition and pointed out some of the key threats.

“Look at the fact that they played Hibs last week and Jelavic didn't play,” he explained.

“David Healy, who's been a goalscorer all through his career, is starting to score goals.

“I look at Sone Aluko who's maturing well. He was a talent when he was at Aberdeen and he's getting better as he matures.

“Steven Davis is one of the best midfielders in the country as far as I am concerned and he's starting to play well and score goals.

“There's lots of threats in the Rangers team and just because Jelavic is away it doesn't make them any weaker in my opinion because they have players in the team who can create and score goals.”

Houston expressed some sympathy for McCoist after seeing Jelavic depart but was keen to stress that many clubs found themselves in a position where they have to let players leave that they would rather keep. Having seen David Goodwillie leave Tannadice last year, he said he fully understood the situation.

“I would say 'Welcome aboard, Alistair',” Houston added.

“Clubs like us and Hibs and St Mirren have been fighting things like this for years. Budgets get cut and it's part of football. We have to come in line and make the football club run properly.

“The one thing that Coisty has got is that he's a great manager and he's going to prove himself to be a great manager. It's testing times for him just now but he's got a great bunch of players.”