Rangers manager Walter Smith summoned his squad to a meeting the day after a one-sided 3-0 defeat at Celtic Park, which left them eight points behind in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

The players were given guidelines on looking after themselves off the park and not getting involved in disputes with their Old Firm rivals on social network websites.

The reaction has been instant with a morale-boosting Europa League success against Sporting Lisbon followed by a 4-0 win over St Johnstone, which cut the gap on Celtic back to five points following their defeat at Motherwell.

And the redemption will be complete if Rangers turn the tables at Celtic Park tomorrow night in their Scottish Cup fifth-round replay.

Assistant manager McCoist said: "We just had a chat. It was a little bit worrying the way we performed and passed the ball.

"Everybody had an opinion. I have been in a lot more hostile meetings, let me tell you.

"Sometimes it's nice to have a reminder before it's too late. They are an intelligent group of players and know what's expected of them both on and off the park.

"I think you have got to allow the players a little bit of freedom to express themselves and be their own people. Hopefully that will continue.

"They have certainly played a lot better than we did on that Sunday, I don't think there's any doubt about that.

"There are still bits and pieces in both games where we could do better but in terms of the reaction and the results it couldn't have gone any better."

McCoist rejected suggestions that he and his former Ibrox team-mates indulged in regular drinking sessions during their 1990s glory days.

"There was a bit of a myth about that, I have spoken about it before," he said.

"The one thing we did as a team, we knew when to play football and we knew how to prepare and we did that.

"These boys do the same, I don't have any doubt about that, but sometimes in the modern day there are outside influences."

McCoist added: "The most important thing, if the club is successful, they will have plenty of time to enjoy themselves."

One issue McCoist the player did not have to deal with is the way some of the current squad communicate with the Rangers fans.

"I'm not a Twitter man myself or a Facebook man, maybe that's an age thing," he said.

"Why wind people up when you don't need to? That's my opinion, there is certainly enough coverage in the media.

"It's just something you have to adapt to, it's modern times, it's supposedly progress."

Rangers player Steven Whittaker feels the summit, coupled with the nature of their 3-0 Old Firm loss, will help them rediscover their early-season form.

"It's important everyone's minds are on the job," the versatile Scotland international said.

"That was all the manager put to us. We have got a lot to play for this season and we want to be successful again.

"It was just a little reminder that there is a lot to play for.

"Everyone needs a little reminder now and again. It's a long season, there are highs and lows in a season.

"It's just about being professional. We all need to look after ourselves.

"We have got a lot of games so it's important we do the right things away from the football pitch."

The cup tie is the fifth of seven Old Firm games this season but McCoist believes there is always something unexpected in each of the occasions.

Both sides have secured ultimately comfortable away wins before 10-man Celtic fought back strongly for a 2-2 cup draw at Ibrox weeks before the Parkhead side's emphatic win.

"You have always got to be ready and prepared for something out of the ordinary," McCoist said.

"You do get to know the opposition, not just by playing against them, but having people watching them and from video tapes.

"But it's the small things that might matter the most, a free-kick here or there. There is always the potential for surprise in an Old Firm game.

"In terms of football, you very rarely get two the same. They have all been very, very different (this season).

"We obviously hope this one is different to the last one in terms of the way we play.

"We didn't pass the ball nearly well enough in the last Old Firm game."

The Rangers manager-in-waiting added: "We have players who are very comfortable on the ball, we didn't show that at all.

"All we can do is instil a bit of confidence in them and encourage them to express themselves and pass the ball as well as we know they can."