Hill refutes suggestions of fragility in side as ‘nonsense’
CLINT HILL did not like it one bit when it was put to him that there was a fragility to this Rangers team.
He was sitting down at the time but for a moment it looked as if the 37-yearold, who is a big guy, was about to stand up and address the hack who dared question his team-mates.
“I’m not going to answer anything like that, I’m not going to dig out my players who stand next to me on a Saturday night,” said Hill. “You won’t get that from me. Not one bit. I’m with them and they’re with me.
“So I won’t have any of that nonsense said about them. In fact, I’d defend that accusation with my life.”
Okay then. What is the problem? If it’s not that the players can’t handle what it takes to be a Rangers player in any era, and the evidence does rather point to this, then why has this season collapsed?
“It’s fine margins,” said Hill, who is one of the few who have little to apologise for. “The higher you go in football the margins are finer, it’s as simple as that.
“If you make half an error you get punished for it. If you don’t take a chance that you normally would then you get punished at the other end. That’s what’s hurting us at the moment. It’s a big game on Wednesday against St Johnstone and we need to turn it around quickly.”
Hill admitted to feeling for Graeme Murty, who has been asked to somehow steady a ship that’s been heading to the rocks for months
“He is a good guy,” said Hill. “I have played against him and I know his character and personality.
“He will want to do well. Obviously, it’s hard being sprung into that environment but he has acquitted himself very well. He has gone up in my estimation as well as a man.”
Hill might be a veteran but at least he’s shown up this season when so many others have hidden away.
Kenny Miller and he are out of contract and, so far, there is little sign that either of Rangers’ best players will be offered anything by the club.
“For the last six or seven years, it has been this way for me,” said Hill. “I’ve only had year-long contr acts. “Sometimes it has gone through to a couple of weeks before pre-season starts and then something might get sorted.
“It’s not something I am looking for or looking to get sorted anytime soon. I don’t even know if there is a contract there. There has been no contact or anything like that.”