Scottish Football: 5 Bold Predictions for Rangers' Season 2011/2012

Ally McCoist hasn't endured the best of starts as manager of Rangers Football Club.

Crashing out of the Champions League qualifiers to minnows Malmo after an opening-day home draw with Hearts has hardly endeared the former Scotland striker to the fans.

Added to that the frustration of missing out on several transfer targets, such as David Goodwillie, Tomer Hemed and Wesley Verhoek, and you have one set of rather disgruntled supporters.

The real tests are still to come for Ally, and he may yet turn out to be a successful manager of the Glasgow side - but here are five predictions for Rangers' season ahead.

5. Rangers Will Have an Extended Run in the Europa League

Rangers dropped into the Europa League after their embarassing exit at the hands of Swedish side Malmo in the Champions League qualifiers.

However, despite the huge financial loss, this may be a blessing in disguise for the Ibrox men.

After being drawn against NK Maribor in the final qualifying round, Rangers should be able to seal their progression to the group stages of the competition and could well stay in Europe beyond Christmas.

Not only would this boost the club coffers, but it would gain some much needed co-efficient points for Scotland.

With arch-rivals Celtic also in the competition, the Glasgow clubs could go far this season. 

4. Rangers Will Sign at Least Another Two Players

Having already missed out on strikers David Goodwillie and Tomer Hemed, it seems unlikely that McCoist will leave his striker search empty-handed.

Although the trail has gone cold lately, expect Super Ally to dip into the transfer market once again before the window slams shut on August 31st.

But the attack is not the only area that needs strengthening.

Rangers are in desperate need of a creative player to bring some spark to the team after several below-par performances.

Australian midfielder Matt McKay is apparently in talks with the Scottish club over a move from his homeland, but Dutch winger Wesley Verhoek looks likely to reject a move to Rangers in favour of a move to Nottingham Forest.

And McCoist is also looking to shore up the defence, with bids tabled for Aston Villa's Spanish defender Carlos Cuellar and Anderlecht's Hungarian centre-back Roland Juhasz.

With over 3 weeks to go until the transfer deadline, expect plenty more activity at Ibrox.

3. McCoist Will Lose His First Old Firm Game

Now, bear with me on this one.

McCoist is a rookie manager. He hasn't had the best of starts, the fans are frustrated, the team isn't playing well and they're already out of the Champions League.

Meanwhile, over at Celtic, things are looking slightly rosier.

Neil Lennon, now into his second season, has a largely settled squad, has recruited the majority of his transfer targets and his team have started the season well.

The first encounter between the two sides is on Sunday September 18th.

This is still some weeks away, and a lot can change in that time, but at the moment the Bhoys seem to have the upper hand.

Rangers, however, will have home advantage for the first derby of the year, and this could be crucial.

But at the end of the day, Lennon's greater experience of Old Firm matches will mean his side prevails.

2. Nikica Jelavic Will Leave in the Next 12 Months

For anyone who watches the SPL regularly, it's clear to see that Croatian striker Nikica Jelavic is a cut above the rest.

The 25 year-old striker, signed from Austrian side Rapid Vienna last August for £4m, scored 19 goals last season despite being out injured for three months of the campaign.

Jelavic has already netted twice this season, bringing his total to an impressive 21 goals in 31 games.

And the fans aren't the only ones who've noticed.

Earlier in the summer, Jelavic's agent claimed that Manchester United were interested in bringing the in-form hitman to Old Trafford.

Blackburn Rovers were previously linked with the lanky forward, but with Jelavic's obvious talent, it might not be long before his goalscoring exploits see him leave for greener pastures. 

1. Rangers Will Not Win the SPL Title

There, I said it.

Rangers will not win the league this season.

Walter Smith, Ally McCoist's predecessor, triumphed over Celtic in the past three seasons, winning last year's title by a single point.

However, McCoist is no Smith.

Smith had decades of experience in the game whilst McCoist, despite being under the tutelage of Smith for the past few seasons, is relatively new at this level.

McCoist's inexperience, coupled with a strong-looking and more cohesive Celtic side, could spell the end of a potential 4-in-a-row for the Ibrox men.

Conclusion

So there you have it–five bold predictions for the season ahead.

Do you agree? Disagree? Both? Feel free to share your views below.

And as always, follow me on Twitter for football-related transfer news/gossip/banter: @colinmurdo91.