Interim gaffer insists his underachievers fill the jersey in training
TALKING RANGERS
IT is one thing pulling on the jersey, it is quite another being fit to wear it. Whatever the reality, public perception is hard to change.
The allegation that the Rangers squad is ill-equipped and unable to handle life in Light Blue has been made on several occasions.
As the evidence continues to stack up, it becomes increasingly damning against a group of players that repeatedly underperform and underachieve.
Defeats to the likes of Hamilton and Dundee do little to help the cause and supporters left Graeme Murty’s side in no doubt about what they thought of their efforts at Dens Park on Friday night.
It was a game Rangers should have won, but didn’t. It was a challenge that had to rise to, but couldn’t.
Now the Gers have points to prove, doubters to win over and critics to silence as attentions turn to the crucial Premiership double-header with Aberdeen.
“I don’t see that on a daily basis, but you represent yourself how you want to be perceived,” Murty said on the accusations that his players are mentally weak.
“No-one else sees what I see on a training day, no-one else sees behind the scenes, all they see is that performance on a Saturday.
“So when that performance comes, it’s up to the players to stand up.
“If people are going to level that at them, then fine. That is their opinion. So go and change that opinion.
“What are you going to do on the pitch to change that opinion? Because talk is very, very cheap in my eyes.
“Go and perform. Go and change opinion with what you do. If you do that, they’ll have no cause to come for you.
“I am encouraged they have an opportunity to do it and I’m encouraged they want to do it. Whether they go and do it will be down to them. I’ve said before, success is a matter of opportunity and preparation. You get those two together.
“The prep is there, so if you want to be successful, you have to go and take the opportunity.”
MURTY had issued a rallying call to his players in the aftermath of the defeat to Hamilton at Ibrox but the response on Friday night wasn’t the one that he had hoped for.
The performance was as embarrassing as the result and the reaction from the stands said it all as far as the fans were concerned.
Worse will surely follow tonight if those that Murty entrusts with a shirt can’t deliver against the Dons at Ibrox.
“I think more than anything else I was disappointed by the result because of the way we had got ourselves back into it and then threw it away again,” Murty said.
“As for the stuff coming from the fans, you have to be big enough to take it. We all love getting plaudits, we got nice stuff at Celtic Park, nice stuff at Murrayfield, loads of pats on the back.
“So if you are going to take those, you have to be big enough to take some stick when it comes your way. If you can’t take it on the chin, you might not be here for very long.
“I don’t blame anyone. It’s human nature. It’s just raw emotion and you can’t judge anyone for their emotional state because you can’t control your emotions generally.
“All it was was them venting their emotions, you have to understand that.
“We were feeling the same, but we have to make sure we move past that, stop it being destructive and translate that into a performance.
“I said to the players we need to come together as a team and lift the team. Give them something to cheer about rather than shout about.”
Home comforts have been in short supply for Rangers this term and they host Derek McInnes’ side this evening having won just two of their seven league matches at Ibrox.
Murty has led by example since being asked to step in following the sacking of Pedro Caixinha last month. Now, he needs the squad he inherited to stand up and be counted.
“I said to the players you have an opportunity on Wednesday and Sunday to go and stake your claim to play in this team and go and win points for this football club,” he said. “That would change people’s perception of you.
“How do you want to be perceived? Do you want to be perceives as winners? Then they have to go out and do it and grasp that opportunity because that opportunity won’t stay there for very long.
“Teams in this league aren’t going to give you anything, it’s up to us to be man enough to go out and grasp it.
“If they do that I have no doubt the quality in the squad should be more than enough to take points from Hamilton, Dundee, Aberdeen. I truly believe that. But they have to prove they can do it.”
IN the face of adversity, Murty and his players have an opportunity at Ibrox. It is one both the interim boss and his side must make the most of.
The disappointment and anger was clear to see on the 43-year-old’s face on Friday night but the turmoil in Tayside has been put behind him.
He said: “I will miss it because it is a brilliant learning curve for me personally. It’s a great learning curve for the players too about the expectations of this football club.
“I recognise opportunities rather than problems and we had an opportunity at Dens Park to push ourselves up the league and we didn’t take it.
“We have another opportunity on Wednesday if we turn up. The thing that made me angry was that it wasn’t indicative of the way the players have trained, the way they approached things.
“But it is about performance now. They need to go and perform.
“It’s no good having a fantastic week’s training if on a Wednesday or Saturday you can’t step on the pitch and go and translate that into a performance and getting points.”