Moment Murty considered walking away
Graeme Murty has revealed he wanted to quit as Rangers manager five minutes after watching his side crash 4-0 to Celtic.
Appointed until the end of the season — with the possibility of staying on in the role — he found the stark contrast between his dreams and the reality of a wounding Hampden defeat just too hard to take.
However, while doubtless aware the result has ensured he has no long-term future in the role, for the short term he decided instead to stand by the old Ally McCoist maxim: “We don’t do walking away.”
“Was there a moment I felt like chucking it? About five minutes after the game finishing,” Murty admitted.
“The way the game had gone was not what I foresaw.
“It was supposed to play out as a riproaring semi-final and we were going to come out on top.
“But you have to take the emotion out of it and not make a knee-jerk reaction.
“Candidly, jacking it in would have been the easy way out for me.
“I was asked to take the club forward to the end of the season.
“I will continue to do that until I am removed because I don’t want to take the easy way out.”
And with Celtic to be faced in the league at Celtic Park next weekend – as well as the small matter of this afternoon’s Ibrox clash with Hearts – Murty acknowledges that means the potential for more pain ahead.
“Standing on the sideline going through that semi-final, followed by the week we’ve had and the fallout from it, has been possibly the most-difficult week I’ve had since I’ve come to the football club.
“Possibly the most difficult week I’ve had in football, though getting relegated from the Premier League with Reading was rough too,” he said.
“And I had days at Reading where they had a ‘pants day’ when fans came with loads of pants and threw them on the pitch because we were pants.”
“My confidence has taken a helluva dent,” said the Rangers boss.
“But there have been bigger managers than me, more experienced managers than me, who’ve gone through similar situations and come out the other side.
“So you’ve got to look at those guys and their examples, and learn that they’ve made improvement from these circumstances.
“It’s hard, it’s difficult. I won’t shy away from that fact.”
“I’m here and I’m still going to do the very, very best that I can.”