Rangers: Captain Lee McCulloch backs coaching team

McCoist and McDowall have been in charge since Walter Smith's departure

Rangers captain Lee McCulloch insists the club's coaching staff have the backing of the players.

A newspaper report this week suggested that manager Ally McCoist was asked to consider the removal of assistant Kenny McDowall and coach Ian Durrant.

"As players, we are behind the coaching staff," said McCulloch. "We have come a long way with them. We work hard with them every day.

"We go out to win on a Saturday for them, for ourselves and for the fans."

McCoist is believed to have insisted on a meeting with chief executive Charles Green in midweek to clarify the position of his back-room team.

McCulloch admits winning the title was harder than expected

Relations between the two men are believed to be strained after Green criticised the quality of the side despite its runaway title win in Rangers' first season in Division Three following a year of financial turmoil.

McCulloch voiced his backing for McCoist and his two coaches ahead of Saturday's match against Clyde.

"Of course they are an integral part of going forward," he said.

"From where the club was just over a year ago to today, we are much better off and that's the main thing."

McCulloch admitted that winning the title had been harder than expected considering Rangers were in the Scottish Premier League last season, but he put that down to the club being left with a lot of young players after administration.

"As players and management, and as a club, we've had a really good season," he said.

"It's definitely been harder than we thought it would be.

"Not being disrespectful to teams, but I think the expectation levels were that we were going to win 4-0, 5-0, 6-0 in every game.

"We knew that wasn't going to be the case, but we thought we would have played a little bit better in some individual games."

McDowall stepped in for McCoist at the pre-match briefing but refused to be drawn on whether he had any doubts over his own role at Rangers.

The Ibrox number two was also tight-lipped when quizzed on recent headlines relating to off-field controversy involving Green.

Rangers' chief executive has been charged by the Scottish FA of bringing the game into disrepute over an alleged racist remark.

Asked if Rangers' reputation had been dented over the last couple of weeks, McDowall replied: "It's not really my position to comment on that.

"I'm here to comment on the football side of things.

"We're delighted we've got to this stage of the season and we're 24 points ahead."