Rangers manager Ally McCoist has officially vacated his position with the Scottish club to go on gardening leave.
This month, the former striker had agreed to resign as boss, with a 12-month contract expect to pay off the rest of his salary.
At that point, McCoist supposedly was distressed over the staff firings that had been made at Murray Park, and it may have aided in his decision to submit his own resignation.
“He’s had enough of seeing decent, honest people with Rangers in their heart losing their jobs,” a BBC Sport source stated.
The Glasgow-based team, not in a financial state to pay McCoist over time, will have to still dish out his £400,000 per year, hence the 52-year-old’s “gardening leave” title.
“We would like to thank Ally for all his hard work and dedication over the last few years, but we feel it is now in the best interests of all parties to move on,” said a Rangers’ statement. “Assistant manager Kenny McDowall will take over his duties until the end of the season.”
McCoist had been assistant manger under Walter Smith prior to his appointment as head man in 2011, and although decline of Rangers from the Scottish Premier League to second-tier Scottish Championship was noticeable at the time, amid the club’s financial issues and exits of multiple key footballers, McCoist managed to win two straight league titles.
This year, the Gers were favorites to capture the Championship title, and now, they stand nine points behind first-place Hearts. Regardless, criticism of Rangers’ performances has existed among fans, and this general feeling is due to the fact that the squad has lost three of its last four contests, the first defeat against bottom-dwellers Alloa Athletic in early December.
