How would McCoist fare playing as a lone striker within modern tactical set-ups?

How would our greatest ever striker fare? The guy who scored 355 times for us?

The only Scotsman to get win the Golden Shoe, 1 of only 4 people to have ever won it back to back, the others being Thierry Henry, Ronaldo and Messi.

The guy who after breaking his leg, came off the bench in his first game back which happened to be a cup final and scored an overhead kick.

The guy nicknamed SUPER? How would he fare? Aye he'd probably have struggled.

I mean ffs.
 
Super Ally had that wee bit more composure about him.I mean he could dink one over the keepers legs etc without hammering the ball. All of Alfredos' attempts were hit with force tnd unluckily for him all seemed to go straight to fosters arms,legs or whatever. The ball doesn't need to be banged into the net and that;s why Ally scored so many. And in todays team he would score for fun
 
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Some of it before my time but I’ve watched a lot of McCoist on old video and he in my opinion is very underrated for his work outside the box.

He had the knack of drifting to the left wing and often starting, or being integral to the start, of moves that he then ended up on the end of later down the line.

If you watch him and MoJo together the football he played is brilliant and intelligent. I’d love to see his overall career assist stats. I’d say it would for some be surprisingly high.

Don’t forget also that under Jock Wallace he was often played in midfield. He was a very handy footballer.
 
McCoist could pretty much do it all, I think he could've.

He could hold it up well, play with his back to goal, use his arse Morelos style and also could rattle the ball in from 20 yards plus regularly.

Ally's heading ability consisted mainly of headed goals in the 6 yard box, a few within 10 yards.

Never a target man type to flick headers on though from memory.
Remember his, out of the blue, header at Elland Road? One of the greatest goals I’ve seen.
 
There's a myth that Super Ally was similar to Boyd amongst some. Maybe by the time his career was winding down but very underrated as a actual player as opposed to just being a goalscorer. I think he'd have thrived in the role. Had the intelligence and finishing to easily succeed.
 
When I think of Ally playing the lone striker I always remember the 92 Cup semi final win over Celtic.

Hateley out injured then we go down to 10 men after just 7 minutes. Forced to play 4-4-1.

We won 1-0. Guess who scored.
 
If Super was in today's market he could play for any top team he was that good.

Would he leave? Doubt it he loved his team as much as we all do.

Could he do it in a 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 or 4-4-1-1 situation? Yes easily. He was that good.

The best striker I have ever saw.
And you set up a fair few of his goals yourself Mark, he should be thanking you big man! ;)
 
McCoist was a better all round player than people give him credit for. Held the ball up really well and could score any type of goal. Also thought he was really brave, willing to put his head into with the boots to score a goal.

Obviously he played up front with a partner the majority of his career but that doesn't mean he couldn't have managed without.
Lost much of my love and respect for McCoist after he backed all the rats and almost bankrupted the club with his obscene salary but there was no doubting his quality as a striker for Rangers
 
Super would have been absolutely fine as a lone striker, it’s the supply he would get from Tav or Borna, he would be scoring and his robot dance every week. He knew where to be in the box whereever the ball dropped.
"Robot dance" lol, love it! :D
 
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We scored 49 goals in 25 games with Ally as the loan striker. That includes 5 games with no goals - Celtic at New Year, Aberdeen late on the in the league, Raith Rovers in the cup (went to a replay), the 2-0 Cup defeat to Dunfermline & Steaua away.

McCoist, certainly pre injury, was an excellent forward - he could play in a 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 easily and did so in 1986-87 for a period after Colin West was injured (e.g. 31 August 1986 Rangers 1 Celtic 0 or October 1986 Rangers 2 Celtic 1).

1987-88 for 6 months. And then another example would be when Hateley wasn't available in 1992-93 - especially in Europe.
Those are impressive stats if you're pulling them from memory mate!!
 
Looking back I think a lot of people think he was some sort of Kris Boyd type poacher because of the sheer amount of goals.

He had just about everything as you say and he could score every type of goal you can imagine. Inside the box, outside, tap in's, runs from deep, headers, overhead kicks. Did a lot of running for the team as well.

Boyd was fantastic for us first time round I don't see why posters try to slate him he scored some screamers as well.
He was more than a poacher another player who had that natural strikers ability.
 
People can say what they like about McCoist but he was a prolific striker and would have been a great player for us just now. He had a bit about him as well and could strike a ball and a pen.

You'd be hard pushed to find anyone who would suggest McCoist wasn't a prolific striker for us.
 
I would like to have seen him in a 4231 formation, with the CAM getting close to him and good delivery from the wide areas. Fantasy forward line -

---------------------McCoist

McCann------------de Boer -------------Laudrup
I can see your reasoning for putting McCann in for his delivery, but how about.....

--------------------McCoist
Laudrup-----------Gascoigne------------De Boer ?? That would have been something!
 
McCoist scored plenty of goals for us when we were finishing 4th/5th in leagues pre Souness . Considering he was rarely injured and took the pens if he was playing lone striker with say a pre injury Ian Durrant to link up with he would have scored 30 in a bad year IMO .
 
Coisty would have been a perfect modern striker.
He led the line very well and was strong as an ox.
And he was properly prolific.
So many times he found a way to goal when it didn’t look possible.
He would have loved the 433 formation.
 
Slightly off topic, but have you ever heard of anyone else with the name McCoist (apart from his relatives).
Usually you hear Mac or Mc names at different times, but I have never heard if another McCoist.
 
Slightly off topic, but have you ever heard of anyone else with the name McCoist (apart from his relatives).
Usually you hear Mac or Mc names at different times, but I have never heard if another McCoist.
No mate, I've never heard that name anywhere else either! Maybe it is a shortened version of an older and longer name?
 
Sometimes I forget just how good he was! I have this false memory of him only being a poacher but when you watch old extended footage you can clearly see that he was both intelligent and strong, and could bring others into the game. Maybe his one weakness was having the pace to run the channels.

I was 13 years old when McCoist joined the club so I was a perfect age to idolise him, but even then, as much as I was often in awe at just how incredibly prolific a striker he was, I never fully appreciated just how good a footballer he was until after he’d retired.

His hold up play was exceptional at times as were his lay offs and even on occasion his dribbling. Add in the god given positional sixth sense all really great strikers have and an ability to hit the target with both feet and he really was a player that probably deserved a lot more adulation than he actually got.

And on top of all of that he was a born winner.

As phenomenal as Morelos has been for us, he still has some way to go before he’s even remotely spoken of in the same breath as McCoist.
 
I was 13 years old when McCoist joined the club so I was a perfect age to idolise him, but even then, as much as I was often in awe at just how incredibly prolific a striker he was, I never fully appreciated just how good a footballer he was until after he’d retired.

His hold up play was exceptional at times as were his lay offs and even on occasion his dribbling. Add in the god given positional sixth sense all really great strikers have and an ability to hit the target with both feet and he really was a player that probably deserved a lot more adulation than he actually got.

And on top of all of that he was a born winner.

As phenomenal as Morelos has been for us, he still has some way to go before he’s even remotely spoken of in the same breath as McCoist.
Great response mate, thanks!
 
Does anyone know if he’s involved with Rangers at all these days? He would be a very good mentor for Alfredo. In fact a mentor network all round would be a good thing and extend to youth.
 
Some of it before my time but I’ve watched a lot of McCoist on old video and he in my opinion is very underrated for his work outside the box.

He had the knack of drifting to the left wing and often starting, or being integral to the start, of moves that he then ended up on the end of later down the line.

If you watch him and MoJo together the football he played is brilliant and intelligent. I’d love to see his overall career assist stats. I’d say it would for some be surprisingly high.

Don’t forget also that under Jock Wallace he was often played in midfield. He was a very handy footballer.
Wasn't aware he played in midfield! If his all round game was good enough to play in midfield then I guess that answers my question about him playing upfront himself.
 
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Does anyone know if he’s involved with Rangers at all these days? He would be a very good mentor for Alfredo. In fact a mentor network all round would be a good thing and extend to youth.
I don't believe so mate, but could be wrong. Think his coaching days are behind him now given his previous experiences.
 
Wasn't aware he played in midfield! If his all round game was good enough to play in midfield then I guess that answers my question about him playing upfront himself.
He started in midfield the day of the LC final where he scored a hat trick against them then he got moved up front later on in the game. He states it on the Old Firm Classics video.
 
How would our greatest ever striker fare? The guy who scored 355 times for us?

The only Scotsman to get win the Golden Shoe, 1 of only 4 people to have ever won it back to back, the others being Thierry Henry, Ronaldo and Messi.

The guy who after breaking his leg, came off the bench in his first game back which happened to be a cup final and scored an overhead kick.

The guy nicknamed SUPER? How would he fare? Aye he'd probably have struggled.

I mean ffs.
You're probably right mate, I think I've fallen prey to the common fallacy of memory that Ally was only a "poacher". He was clearly more talented than that! Would be interesing to see how many of those 355 goals were scored while playing upront by himself though.
 
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How would our greatest ever striker fare? The guy who scored 355 times for us?

The only Scotsman to get win the Golden Shoe, 1 of only 4 people to have ever won it back to back, the others being Thierry Henry, Ronaldo and Messi.

The guy who after breaking his leg, came off the bench in his first game back which happened to be a cup final and scored an overhead kick.

The guy nicknamed SUPER? How would he fare? Aye he'd probably have struggled.

I mean ffs.
I remember when he was breaking scoring records almost weekly, and my uncle said to me “you’re a lucky boy getting to watch Super Ally. He will go down as the legend, and you can say that you seen him play.” I thought he was a bit dramatic at the time, but he was spot on.
 
The idea that if you have a team that creates chances, your lone striker - regardless of how technically lacking he is - will stand there and prod the ball home each time is so daft.

It's so overly simplistic. I still remember watching Boyd in the lone striker role where he'd continually get caught offside or dispossessed by the center backs. He didn't have the brains for it either. McCoist was 10x the player and would probably have got by, but let's not say it's some kind of easy role that anyone can do if the service is good.
 
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