ALLY McCOIST has told Craig Whyte he should consider himself fortunate if he does indeed sleep "soundly" every night.

The man who took Rangers into administration a year ago gave an interview this week in which he claimed he was innocent of a catalogue of claims made against him regarding his tenure at Ibrox.

McCoist refused to get involved in a tit-for-tat slanging match via the media, although he did, inevitably, bristle at times at some of Whyte's comments.

It was the Rangers manager who was left to carry the can last year and he will continue to feel the after-effects of Whyte's reign for years to come.

"He's very, very fortunate if he's been sleeping very, very easily in his bed at night," said McCoist, "because that is not a pleasure that the vast majority of people at this club have enjoyed over the last year."

Whyte had also claimed that he was looking forward to his day in court, insisting that he welcomed "any fair investigation" into his handling of the affair that ultimately dragged the Ibrox giants into liquidation.

He has denied any wrongdoing when he was in charge of the Ibrox side but a day of reckoning would be welcomed by McCoist – and a few others.

"It was interesting to hear him say he's looking forward to his day in court," said McCoist. "That is, of course, something he's not unaccustomed to.

"If and when that happens, we'll all look forward to questions being asked and the results that will come out.

"Like the vast majority of Rangers supporters, I would like to ask one or two questions. But I've got far bigger issues right now in dealing with the future than dealing with the past."

McCoist, though, did admit that he would still like his chance to have a few questions answered.

"What was the long- term aim for the football club when he bought it? What was the motivation? What was he thinking?

"But I'm not holding my breath for it. I've got bigger issues in dealing with what happened, rather than asking why it happened.

"In the fullness of time that will come out and there are people in the right places asking those questions."

Meanwhile, McCoist is optimistic that keeper Neil Alexander will stay at the club. He also has Kilmarnock's Cammy Bell on his radar, but he would still like Alexander to remain.

The keeper has been talking over a contract for months but McCoist has not given up on him staying.

"I know there has been an offer put to Neil and I'm obviously very, very hopeful that Neil will sign the contract because in an ideal world, as I have said before, I would like two goalkeepers and to get big Scott Gallacher out on loan to get some experience," he said.

McCoist has also acknowledged that trying to prepare for the season ahead while still restricted by a transfer embargo is a headache.

"My hands and feet are tied, but I have got a couple of armbands on that are keeping me afloat at the moment!" he said.

"Obviously, it is far from an ideal situation and the players that we are looking at are completely different and special.

"It's only a certain group of players that we can look at because it's only players who are out of contract that we can attempt to bring in and register them on September 1."