Old Firm defeat could yet pay dividends
Graeme Murty believes his Rangers players are better equipped to face Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final than they were in last month’s league match.
The Ibrox manager maintains his men will be fuelled by the anguish of defeat when the teams meet at Hampden Park in seven days’ time.
He said: “We had loads of messages of support and pats on the back, but we didn’t come away with anything.
“That has to hurt. If they use that hurt to fuel themselves to get a better performance and a better result, then fantastic.
“When you walk out on the pitch you have to believe that you can do something about it.
“I think the players took belief from the game. But they also took a measure of pain and I’m hoping they’re looking to put that right.
“A clean sheet this time would be fantastic.
“We have to be tighter. We have to be more compact without the ball, while still posing them the threat that we did.”
Murty continues to maintain reports of players cheering the semi-final draw w as no t disrespectful.
He said: “I fully believe that to win the Cup, or anything in this country, you are going to have to beat Celtic at some point.
“Players celebrating getting them? It is just another big game for Rangers, and that’s why players come here.
“I believe on our day we can beat anyone in this country.”
The Rangers fans are desperate for their favourites to stop Celtic landing a double Treble.
Murty said: “I understand Celtic getting any success is unpalatable to our fans.
“But we have to make sure we look at the process, instead of the end goal.
“If we worry about stopping Celtic doing this and that, then we lose focus on taking care of the game.”
Murty admits that never appearing at Hampden Park was one of the biggest disappointments of his playing career.
Time moves on and now the 43-year-old finds himself leading a Rangers side out at the national stadium.
He continued: “I pinch myself when people say that.
“My first experience of an Old Firm game was at Hampden with the intensity and the fervour.
“It’s my job to make sure that the players get on to the football pitch, in as perfect a state as they can be, to perform.
“As a player, I knew how to get myself to that state. I performed best about 3 or 4% short of panic.
“I am developing different skills all the time, and I am in a ridiculously privileged position to be able to take the club into this game.
“I realised this week that this pressure to perform and the expectation at this club is a privilege.
“Not everyone gets to experience it, and we should all go out and do our best to represent our fans.”