MURTY IN FLOP FURY
behind Aberdeen in the battle for second spot.
Mark O’Hara and Kevin Holt fired the goals that earned Dundee a deserved first home win over Gers in almost 25 years despite Joe Garner’s reply for the visitors.
Rangers have now won just one of their last six Premiership games and are five points ahead of fourthplaced Hearts with a trip to Inverness next up on Friday.
And caretaker gaffer Murty – in charge after Mark Warburton’s sudden departure 10 days ago – was left raging at the performance his players turned in against Paul Hartley’s men.
The 42-year-old, who has stepped up from his position as Under-20s boss, refused to use the recent off-field turmoil as an excuse and ordered his senior players to step up.
Murty said: “We have to be better than that, it’s not acceptable. We know that and they know that and we’ll take this on the chin.
“But there’s no doubt, that’s not acceptable.
“The disruption has got nothing to do with players showing the right attitude and commitment. They were fully prepared, they know what it meant, that they would have a battle and more than match that.
“But I’ve been honest and told them they didn’t do that for 45 minutes. The fans have been through the wringer and deserve better than we gave them.
“You saw a team that struggled to turn it around when things went against them. At half-time we addressed certain issues but we need to be better and show commitment.
“When your confidence takes a knock that can be a symptom. But there are more than enough characters in the squad to turn it around. We just need them to come to the fore, grab the game by the scruff of the neck and change the manner of it.
“Dundee were particularly aggressive, organised and tackled hard. We didn’t match that until the second half. If you give them 45 minutes and a two-goal head start it’s hard to get back into it.
“It’s incredibly frustrating. I didn’t think we got any control on the game. We didn’t implement the things we wanted to do and we didn’t control the ball and pass it the way we expect to.
“Dundee had made the game what they wanted it to be. It’s not really easy to put into words the emotions myself and the players went through.”
Rangers could now look to appoint a boss until the end of the season but Murty – who lost Clint Hill in the first half after he suffered a head knock – said: “It’ll come as it comes, neither the players nor I can control that.
“They can only be in control of their attitude and physicality when they walk on to the pitch. There is no other time to go and put it right than on the pitch.
“If we apply ourselves and hit maximum heights anything can happen. Right now I’m just thinking of this game. The far-reaching bits of the league and who will finish where, I’m not concerned with that.”
The win was Dundee’s first of 2017 and moved them into the top six and delighted Hartley said: “It could have been more. We had good opportunities to score more goals.
“But to get a win against Rangers, the first time since 1992 here, it’s been a long time coming. The fans will be happy tonight.”