Hearts v Rangers: Ally McCoist urges his men to stay cool in cauldron

ALLY McCoist has urged his players to maintain discipline at Tynecastle this afternoon after watching Celtic throw away the chance to earn something from their clash against Hearts earlier this month.

The Rangers manager knows how difficult it will be with 11 men at a ground where a fizzing atmosphere is guaranteed. Celtic had Kris Commons sent off midway through the second half and then lost another goal in a 2-0 defeat.

“There’s always drama, always action there [at Tynecastle], McCoist said. “Discipline is massive. You can’t get carried away in the atmosphere. The atmosphere is brilliant but you have to control yourself. Hearts played particularly well against Celtic. I was not surprised, they have that in them. We have to be disciplined and focused, and take our chances.”

Kyle Lafferty is one who has been red-carded in Edinburgh before for Rangers, against Hibernian last season, but has slowly become an ever more vital component of the Ibrox side. He has already scored two winning goals this season, in 1-0 victories over Dundee United and Hibs. Given the current financial situation at the Ibrox club it would be no surprise if negotiations to extend players’ deals are put on the back burner. However, McCoist admitted he would like to see the £4 million acquisition, whose contract expires at the end of next season, tied up on an extended deal.

“Over the period he’s been here, he’s had his fans and critics,” McCoist reflected. “He is what he is. I believe there has been a steady improvement. I still believe there is a lot of improvement to come.

“You obviously want to keep your best players. His goalscoring record is good. He has had two fantastic ends to seasons. And I still believe there is improvement to come.

“I want him to stay. He is telling me that he would like to stay. That’s a great start. We’ll sit down with his representatives and take it to the next step.”

Such talk, though, is difficult as financial concerns continue to dog Rangers. “We are totally focused on football. 100 per cent,” said McCoist, when asked about another week of off-field controversy, with owner Craig Whyte forced to battle accusations from BBC Scotland about his business background.

Rangers are yet to concede a goal on their travels in the league this season and that owes much to the central defensive partnership struck up by new signings Carlos Bocanegra and Gorin Doian.

“It’s not been easy,” said Bocanegra, when asked how quickly they felt comfortable playing with one another. “But the transition has been pretty good. The first few games, when we were getting to know each other, were in Europe, unfortunately.”

Rangers have bounced back from those blips and Bocanegra and Doian have flourished.

“I have never played a full season with just one player,” added Bocanegra. “Sometimes I have been shifted to left back. Aaron Hughes was fantastic at Fulham, and I really enjoyed playing with him.”

The American, who is set to make his 100th international appearance next month, has been told all about Tynecastle by his team-mates. “It sounds a lot like Craven Cottage,” he said. “They have said it’s a really cool atmosphere. The fans are right on top of you so that’s something I am looking forward to.”