McCoist defends Rangers owner

Rangers boss Ally McCoist has defended the club’s owner Craig Whyte and insists he has a good working relationship with the tycoon.

Whyte has said he has instructed his lawyers to begin legal action against the BBC over a documentary that alleged criminality in some of his past business dealings.

Rangers have stopped co-operating with the BBC, while the organisation has denied allegations of bias against the Scottish champions.

McCoist, meanwhile, was keen to move on from the turmoil surrounding the Ibrox club and said his relationship with Whyte was strong.

“He’s been great, absolutely smashing. I spoke to him this morning as I always do,” McCoist said.

“We’ve got a good working relationship.”

“We are both in total agreement that the most important thing that we have to focus on is Sunday’s game.”

Rangers lead the Scottish Premier League by seven points over second-placed Motherwell, and McCoist said his players will be keen to preserve that advantage when they journey to Tynecastle to play Hearts on Sunday.

“You can only influence things that you can influence and we can’t have an influence on other things,” he said.

“My players are really focused and everybody should know that.”

“Over the last four or five years there has been ups and downs as there are at any club.”

“Our players to a man have remained wonderfully focused and they are still focused.”