Murty implores all his men to believe and leave nothing on the pitch
Graeme Murty hopes his Rangers players will use the hurt of last month’s league defeat by Celtic to inspire them to victory in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
The Ibrox men were full of hope going into the match at Ibrox against their greatest rivals.
But they were brought down to earth with a bump when defensive errors – and a horrendous miss by Alfredo Morelos – saw them lose 3-2 to 10-man Celtic.
Murty doesn’t want his players to forget Brendan Rodgers’ men celebrating on the pitch. He urges them to have the image uppermost in their mind.
The Rangers boss said: “We should remember how much it hurt, remember we had good opportunities to get something from the game and I want them to use that as fuel to drive them to a more positive day.
“I want them to walk off the pitch with a smile on their face, rather than having that hurt they had the last time.
“‘Don’t walk off the pitch with that same feeling’ is the message.
“If we get to that smiling sensation, we’ll have done our jobs really well.
“I see a team of players that are focused and concentrated, who are desperate to go and get a really good result.
“It’s about making sure they get the
right information and the right tactical stuff to emphasise what we’re really good at.
“There was lots of belief going into the last game, and I believe they know how close they came.
“This group is ready to take the next step, and the next step is to win the game. “That would set us up for a good end to the season.
“I would love to think that when they walk on to the pitch, every single member of our team believes they can win.”
Murty is delighted to have Ross Mccrorie back in his side.
The 20-year-old defender was outstanding in the draw at Celtic Park on December 30, and has been missed during a spell on sidelines because of injury. Rangers’ manager said: “Ross is a very balanced young man.
“He doesn’t get too high or too low. And he has been a positive influence in the changing room, albeit he’s a young guy.
“He is a positive person to have around, and I believe he made a difference when he came back last week.
“He’s a good one to have in the group. But he’s not the only one.
“There are lots of guys who have had a positive influence on the psyche of the group this week.
“I have decisions to make all over the pitch.
“Apart from David Bates and Ryan Jack, I have a fully-fit squad.”
Murty makes his first appearance at Hampden as a manager and knows it’s an occasion where cool heads are needed, including his own.
He went on: “I was at Hampden for the Betfred Cup semi-final when Pedro Caixinha was sent to the stand.
“It’s OK saying you need to control yourself, but it’s easier said than done.
“I had an incident last week where everything in me wanted to throw a proper strop, and walk on to the pitch and tell the referee how wrong he was.
“But I believe you have to conduct yourself in a certain way to work for this football club. I really do.
“You have to act in a certain manner that is becoming of the station. But it’s hard – let’s make no bones about it.
“It’s difficult, but you just have to make sure you ultimately come back to what is best for the team.”