‘12 months of growth’ for Gers boss Murty
Graeme Murty was last night pinching himself on learning 12 months have passed since he first took charge of Rangers.
Mark Warburton’s departure led to the club’s U-20 coach getting the call to step up and take chargeforthescottish Cup tie at home to Morton.
“Wow. What a year it has been. It seems like longer somehow.
“That was the start of a year that has been different and interesting, challenging, but rewarding as well.”
What sticks in his mind is his initial nerves.
“I didn’t get much sleep before the Morton match,” said Murty.
“Someone said, ‘Don’t worry, there will only be 40,000 or so there.’
“Forty thousand! What was I letting myself in for? I came from Norwich where it was full at 27,000.
“And then, of course, Morton took the lead.
“I thought, ‘Just breathe. Breathe in and breathe out, you are alright, you are alright.’
“Guys who have coached know there is a certain part of managementwhereyou have to hold on to the team to get them to do what you want, but if you hold on too much, too tight, then you crush the life out of them.
“I kept reminding myself, ‘If you start telling these boys what to do every single second you are going to lose them. You need to trust them’.
“That was difficult but Iamgladidid.iamglad I parked myself a little bit andlettheboysfindtheir way out of it because that helped me calm down.
“Then from there you build up in the games, and it starts to be a bigger crowd, and you culminate in the game at Celtic.
“I’m not saying 40,000 was a gentle introduction, but it built towards a climax for me in that period.”
A year and one eventful, unsuccessful spell of Pedro Caixinha on, he finds himself back in the same position only thistimewitharemitto stay until the end of the season.
“It has been interesting,” he said.
“Perhaps the best person to talk to about it would be Neil Lennon because, as a young manager, his first job was togoandtakechargeof those guys (Celtic).
“And he had to do all of his developing, learning and growth in the public eye at a massive club and look where he is now.
“But the growth I’m going to have from this experience is going to help me evolve.
“I’m first-team manager at Rangers, where else in the British Isles am I going to be in chargeofaclubofthis stature? This is a singular learning curve.”