McCoist can't see why Ibrox chiefs didn't spend money on proven players instead of the former Everton fringe man
14:13, 02 Sep 2025Updated 14:14, 02 Sep 2025
Rangers have signed Youssef Chermiti from Everton.
Ally McCoist sees a big question mark over Youssef Chermiti's head after his big-money move to Rangers.
The Ibrox club splashed £8million on the former Everton fringe man, which could rise to £10m, making it the biggest transfer fee the Gers have paid since smashing the Scottish record back in 2000 with the £12million capture of Tore Andre Flo from Chelsea.
But McCoist, who knows more than most about what it takes to hit the back of the net in Govan, isn't mistaking big money as a big guarantee of success, and is asking why Rangers didn't spend their cash on players they know could produce the goods, having done so before.
"That's where we're shopping [what’s shocking] right now," he told Jeff Stelling on talkSPORT Breakfast. "So straight away, there's nobody hopes more than anyone, Jeff, that Youssef Chermiti goes on and scores a barrel load of goals for Rangers. Nobody hopes more than me that that happens, right?
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Kirk O'Rourke/Rangers FC/Shutterstock (15466810c)
Rangers have signed Youssef Chermiti from Everton.
Rangers Signing - The Rangers Training Centre, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK - 01 Sep 2025
Youssef Chermiti is unveiled by Rangers
"But there would have to be a massive question mark about it, because he hasn't done it anywhere he's been. So why, why would you take a gamble like that?
"Why would you not potentially spend your £8million go and get the lad, Sima? Who you know has been at the club, done very, very well at the club, has just moved in the window there for, I think, £4 million. And Cerny, who I think was a success at Rangers on loan last year, he's just moved for over £4million.
"So why would you not take, in my opinion, a more calculated risk by getting two players you know can do the business for you?
"Now, I'll qualify it again by saying the lad might go on and score all sorts of goals, and we all hope he does. But it's a heck of a gamble, a heck of a gamble."
McCoist doesn't think Scottish football is at its lowest ebb, although accepts that it might appear that way to outsiders looking in.
He's talked up European results and performances in recent years, although reckons Rangers pulled the trigger too quickly on a former boss he feels should still be in the dugout – Gio van Bronckhorst.
"The perception of it is probably as low as I can remember it in a long, long time," he said. "Now, that was one of the worst Old Firm games we've seen in a long time and the standard is not great.
"However, Celtic did fine in Europe last year and had some really good performances. So we can't forget that that was less than 12 months ago.
"Rangers, European performances, one away in Nice, a draw in Greece, one in Malmo, one in Turkey. Some excellent results, Jeff. Right. Excellent. And three or four years earlier, we're in a European final led by a man that probably still should be managing the club.
Ally McCoist(Image: Getty Images)
"He's now sitting on the bench at Liverpool right next to Arne Slot. So that again, to me, is a really, really poor decision. So it's poor decision making, a lack of finance, being able to compete. There's a number of things, Jeff, but it is very, very low."
Last week was a horror-show for Scottish clubs in Europe, Rangers in particular, and McCoist accepts there's no hiding place for the big two, while Hibs can perhaps feel hard done by.
He added: "I think what shocked a lot of people, myself included, was the level of performance from, maybe with the exception of Hibs a little bit. I mean, Hibs had a couple of good results and could probably consider himself a little bit unlucky.
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"But once again, the level of performance, and I include Aberdeen in this as well, but particularly the big two in Europe this year, the level of performance from the two of them has been as poor as I've seen in a long, long time.
"Celtic have not scored 210 minutes against that team from Kazakhstan and Rangers, quite frankly, you know, a good result against Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen, but an embarrassment, two legs against Bruges."