MATCH OF THE DAY FOR MURTY
Docherty and Goss prove to be the perfect midfield partners at Rangers
THE rapidly acquired harmony between Greg Docherty and Sean Goss is helping Rangers hit the right note. Pitched together for little more than a month, this youthful midfield pairing is proving increasingly influential for Graeme Murty’s resurgent side.
Goss was first through the door at Ibrox in January after agreeing a loan move from QPR until the end of the season.
When Docherty followed four weeks later in a £650,000 transfer from Hamilton, the two struck up an instant rapport away from the training field.
That friendship is obviously beneficial for team spirit. Yet it is the synergy now being seen on the pitch that has led followers of the Ibrox club to sing their praises.
Just as they did when seeing off Hearts three days previously, Docherty and Goss controlled proceedings in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over St Johnstone — a result that raised Rangers to within six points of Celtic. The Scotland Under-21 international supplied a sublime assist for a finely-crafted second goal that was finished by Josh Windass. Not bad at all, but his English counterpart still managed to go one better.
It was Goss who delivered the raking pass that led to James Tavernier’s penalty opener. The former Manchester United youngster then further showcased the craft of his left foot by neatly clipping home a free-kick.
It was the second such set-piece that he has planted in the net since switching to Scotland.
Maintaining that complementary form of this promising partnership now seems vital to Ibrox hopes of translating their improvement into silverware success.
With a Scottish Cup quarter-final against Falkirk next up on Sunday, Docherty feels there is more to come.
‘I am loving it,’ said the 21-yearold. ‘Sean is a naturally great footballer and very technically gifted. I am learning from him as well and I think we work off each other. I will maybe do a bit more of the work and then give him the ball.
‘You see some of his passes, like the one for the penalty against St Johnstone, and they are sensational. He cut them right open.
‘I am loving playing with him and he is a great guy as well. He is a similar age to me, so we are enjoying it at the moment and just want to keep on winning.
‘We clicked straight away on a personal level and off the park he is one of the guys I am closest to in the dressing room.
‘He asked me where to go to eat and things like that. But he has got a few friends up here with some of the boys on loan at other clubs from Manchester United, so he has settled in well.
‘Overall, the dressing room is very close knit. It has been very welcoming for me.’
Docherty appears a quick learner. After an uncertain first league start against former club Hamilton a fortnight ago, Murty claimed the boyhood Rangers fan was almost trying too hard to impress.
The response has been impressive, but Docherty recognises a need to maintain that level to keep his place. Jason Holt, who captained Rangers prior to incurring a suspension, was among the unused substitutes in Perth.
‘Can I become a mainstay? I hope so but I will take each game as it comes,’ said Docherty. ‘You see the bench is so strong and the squad is so strong. There are guys not even on the bench who are experienced players. I am learning from these guys every single day and it is brilliant for me, it is priceless.
‘I am going to treat every day like it is my last and treat every game like it is a cup final.
‘I want to do my best for this club. Consistency is massive for me and I am looking to get that.
‘The gaffer has been excellent with me. His advice was just to be more disciplined.
‘I have two assists in two games and that is what I like to do, make assists and get in the box and hit shots.
‘Goals are something I want to add to my game but first I am looking for consistency in my performances.
‘If I am getting assists, then that is the same as a goal for me. I get a real buzz from it. If I am contributing, that is fine.’
Docherty played for Hamilton when Accies recorded a 2-0 win at Ibrox in mid-November. There is an obvious difference in self-belief between the Rangers he faced back then and the one he has now helped to a fifth successive win.
‘You could see on Saturday and the first half on Tuesday how comfortable we were,’ argued Docherty. ‘No disrespect, but we didn’t feel under pressure.
‘St Johnstone had a few freekicks but every attack we go on I feel we are going to score — and that is big.
‘I think everybody feels the same — that every shot is going to go in for us. I think the crowd anticipate it as well and that spurs us on. We just love scoring goals.’
Murty this week tipped Docherty as a potential long-term successor to Scott Brown in Scotland’s midfield after the Celtic captain announced his international retirement. For now, though, the player’s focus is primarily on club matters.
‘I am not thinking about that at the moment, to be honest,’ added Docherty. ‘If it comes it comes.
‘My aim is to get in the Under-21s team. I didn’t play the last couple of games there, so I would like to be involved more.
‘It has always been a dream to get to the A squad but I am taking each game as it comes with Rangers. I want consistency playing for Rangers first and then I will look further on.’