ALLY McCOIST hopes he will get the backing of the Ibrox crowd tomorrow afternoon just a week after being the target of abuse from the stands.

The Light Blue legions bombarded their boss as Rangers crashed to a 2-0 defeat to Hearts seven days ago to fall nine points adrift at the top of the Championship standings.

McCoist's side return to action against Kilmarnock as they bid to book a place in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.

The manager and his players have come under fire in recent days as fans, pundits and former players have had their say but McCoist is eager to get backing from the terraces once again.

He said: "I hope we do, that goes without saying. The old saying goes you can please some of the people some of the time.

"The supporters have been, over the piece, fantastic with the team, and indeed myself.

"I would hope that would continue.

"Everybody has an opinion on us, which is understandable and totally acceptable.

"All I can attempt to do, myself Kenny and Ian, is get a team on the park that will win games and then people will have their own judgements.

"With the greatest of respect, there is nothing we can do to influence that other than put a team on the park that hopefully wins games."

Rangers head into the Killie clash on the back of two abject Championship results, with defeat in the capital coming just a week after a home draw with lowly Alloa.

The Light Blues have already claimed two Premiership scalps this season after seeing off Inverness Caley Thistle and St Johnstone to progress to the League Cup semi-finals.

And McCoist reckons those results show his side have what it takes to mix it with the best.

He said: "I think they have proved it already this season against Inverness and St Johnstone.

"They were both very difficult games and hard-fought games but we deserved to win both games.

"I think they prove we can compete at that level no problem.

"Kilmarnock are not on a great run right now but I think, on their day, they are capable of giving anyone a game.

"They have got good experience throughout the team; Craig Samson, Manuel Pascali and boys like that.

"So it is going to be an extremely difficult game, as the St Johnstone and Inverness games were.

"They look strong, they have got a bit of physicality about them. They are not in the best of runs at the moment but we are coming off a defeat at the weekend.

"We have had Kilmarnock watched in the last couple of games against Dundee United and Ross County so we know what to expect."