GET BEHIND HIM
Warburton says Murty needs more time and money
MARK Warburton has urged the Rangers board to give Graeme Murty the time and money necessary to bridge the gap with rampant Celtic.
Brought to Ibrox by Warburton, the Under-20s coach took charge of the first team on an interim basis after the Englishman exited in February 2017 and again when his successor, Pedro Caixinha, was axed last October.
After nine wins out of ten, successive home defeats to Celtic and Kilmarnock have put Murty under pressure, with the jury remaining out on his long-term suitability for the permanent post.
This week, Walter Smith warned there can be no margin for error in Rangers’ next managerial appointment if they are to stand any chance of halting Celtic’s bid for ten-in-a-row.
But Warburton believes that if Murty is afforded both patience and finance, he could yet be the man to reel in Celtic.
‘Graeme Murty has come in and earned the respect of the squad and he’s got the crowd onside,’ said the ex-Brentford and Nottingham Forest boss.
‘He’s done a very good job. If you are going to give Graeme that chance, then be patient with him. Expectation is key. If the fans think he’s going to challenge Celtic next year and, if not, sack him by Christmas, then you’ll have the same old problems.
‘Give the man a chance, give him the time, give him the backing, verbally and financially, that he needs to manage a club of that stature.
‘Celtic have been in the Champions League group stage now for the last two years and that comes with financial rewards.
‘All that does is increase the gap between Celtic and Rangers and, every year, you are fighting to close that financial gap.
‘Rangers need investment and they need to dampen some expectation and recognise they
need to build the club back up. ‘It’s an outstanding club. It’s a footballing institution and it was a privilege to manage them.
‘But you have to be patient with it and be honest with the fans and give them clear communication.
‘They are aspiring to get back to the top of Scottish football but it will take time and it will take investment.’
After Warburton led the team back to the top flight in 2016, many Rangers fans boasted that the Ibrox side were going for title No 55.
However, Warburton always insisted he never personally targeted winning the league in the first season back and says Rangers fans need to be more realistic.
‘I don’t think (managing Rangers in the Scottish Premiership) was more difficult than expected. But the key word there is expectation,’ he said.
‘Rangers with their history and tradition are the most successful club in the world with 54 league titles and the fans crave success after being down to the third tier and back.
‘So going back up there, the job in my mind was to consolidate in the Scottish Premiership, keep developing the squad and keep taking it forward.
‘But such is the expectation that you will always be compared to Celtic. That, last season particularly, was a big issue.
‘Celtic had a record year in so many respects and the gap was too much to stomach for many people. Rangers is in their blood and to have that gap with Celtic so wide was a painful time.’
After Warburton was sacked, Rangers went on to finish 39 points behind Brendan Rodgers’ Treble winners and domestic Invincibles.
But the former city trader said he had already predicted that Celtic would prove to be a less powerful force in the Northern Irishman’s second campaign in charge.
‘I was actually mocked by a couple of pundits about referring to clubs regressing to their mean,’ said Warburton. ‘They had an outstanding season last year, Celtic. This season, they’ve dropped many more points.
‘I also think the (current big) gap between Manchester City and the rest (in the English Premier League) will be much narrower next season.
‘Clubs or individuals have outstanding seasons and it’s about how they maintain their standards in the seasons ahead.
‘All Celtic have done is regressed to the mean and the gap with Rangers is tighter. But the key word in Scotland will always be expectation.’
Among the players who remain from Warburton’s spell at Ibrox is Josh Windass and he praised his fellow Englishman for coping with the pressures of the Old Firm cauldron.
Signed to little fanfare from Accrington Stanley in 2016, the 24-year-old attacker has scored 17 goals this season and was recently named Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership Player of the Month for February.
Warburton believes there is more to come from the son of former Hull City and Aberdeen attacker Dean Windass.
‘He’s a talented boy,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘He came to Rangers from Accrington Stanley along with (midfielder) Matt Crooks but it takes time to adjust to the demands of playing for a club like Rangers and the all-round expectation.
‘But Josh has done very well. He’s a goalscorer, he’s got good technique, his confidence is high and his mistakes don’t bother him, which is a good attribute to have.’