ALLY McCOIST insists Rangers' title dreams won't be over if they lose at Tynecastle this afternoon.

The Light Blues are six points adrift of Hearts ahead of their crunch lunchtime showdown and under huge pressure to emerge victorious in the capital.

Robbie Neilson's side are unbeaten on league duty and claimed a 2-1 victory at Ibrox on the opening day of the campaign. But McCoist won't push the panic button if the champions fall to a third defeat of the season today.

He said: "It's certainly the biggest game we've played in a long, long time, probably the biggest league game since we started the road back, to be honest.

"The first two seasons, a lot of people felt we were going to win the league, even if there was the odd hiccup along the way.

"Now we are in a vastly improved league with better teams and we are facing challenges every week.

"The main thing is we want to win the game to get the deficit back to three points, so it's as big a league game as we've played in the last two or three years.

"I wouldn't say [we can't afford to lose] but I'm not thinking about losing it. We are 100 per cent focused on being positive. If we lose, the league's not over, but defeat is not something we are contemplating.

"We are not even nearly halfway through the campaign, so there are miles of football still to go. I've been involved in football long enough to know that is what will happen. Win, lose or draw, there will be a massive reaction.

"But we don't go crazy when we win eight in a row and keep seven clean sheets. And we don't put our heads in the oven when we lose a goal against Alloa with 10 minutes left. We have to find a balance and will do that regardless of the result tomorrow. But we are not thinking about anything other at than victory."

All eyes will be on Tynecastle come kick-off, but it has been another tumultuous week on and off the park at Ibrox.

Ten staff have been sacked as part of cost-cutting measures at the club and McCoist said: "We are all really sorry that we've lost people who have worked here for a long, long time and given the club tremendous and loyal service.

"We are sorry to see them go, but there's nothing we can do to alter that. The only thing we can have an effect on are the games that we play. That has to be our focus."