Scottish Championship: Rangers manager Ally McCoist has denied he is under pressure after opening day defeat

Rangers manager Ally McCoist has denied he is under pressure from fans after losing the opening game of the season at home to Hearts last week.

A goal in the final minute from former Crystal Palace striker Osman Sow earned Robbie Neilson's side a 2-1 victory at Ibrox.

The result followed a less than convincing extra-time victory over Hibernian in the Petrofac Training Cup prompting supporters to take to local radio and social media calling for an improvement on the pitch, starting on Friday against Peter Houston's Falkirk.

But McCoist, who led Rangers to the League Two and League One titles following their liquidation in the summer of 2012, has warned his side face a massive fight to make it three in a row against full-time opposition.

“We have always said it’s going to be a tough league," he said. "There is nobody I have spoken to within these walls or certainly outside that thinks it is going to be a stroll in the park because evidently it’s not.

“That’s not going to be the case. This is going to be a really tough and interesting league."

Asked if the unrest among the club's supporters was putting him under pressure, the former Rangers striker said: "The fans are entitled to their opinion.

“Our fans have been fantastic so it would be completely wrong of me to ask them not to have an opinion and long may they continue to voice that opinion.

“Far greater Rangers managers than me have received stick after a poor result and I'm certainly no different."