CRUNCH TIME

Ibrox board must find a boss to halt ten in a row, says Smith

WALTER SMITH has warned the Rangers board there is no room for error over their next managerial appointment if they are to stand any chance of halting Celtic’s march to ten-in-a-row.

Branding the coming weeks as the most important in the club’s recent history, Ibrox icon Smith insists Rangers are the only club who can halt the Parkhead men in their tracks. And, if they are to do so, the nine-in-a-row legend believes chairman Dave King has to first get the right man — and then find him the cash to spend.

Admitting the prospect of ten-in-a-row for Celtic should be all the motivation directors need to avoid a risky appointment, Smith (right) said: ‘After having experienced a bit of that myself, it becomes important the closer you get to it.

‘Rangers are the only team that can do it. No disrespect to the other teams in Scotland but I don’t think there is another team capable of doing it. So it’s left to

Rangers to try and be the team that does that. And that’s part of the importance of the decision-making process that’s going to have to take place at the end of this season. ‘I think it’s one of the most important periods in the club’s recent history, the next couple of months.’ Rangers directors have appointed Mark Warburton and Pedro Caixinha in recent seasons, sacking both after they failed to make an impact on Celtic’s Premiership dominance. Under-20s coach Graeme Murty has been handed the job until the end of the season and had shown signs of narrowing the gap. But he suffered a blow to his hopes of landing the job on a permanent basis when his side lost the most recent Old Firm game to ten men, despite holding the lead twice, swiftly followed by a home defeat to Kilmarnock. Smith believes the gap between the Glasgow rivals is not insurmountable. Warning there is still work to do, however, he added: ‘Celtic’s recent performances have made them look far better against Rangers. They have been doing extremely well. They’ve made Rangers look as though they were a fair distance away from them. ‘But I believe that they can close the gap — it can be done. ‘This period between now and the end of the season is huge for Rangers in terms of what they are going to do to go into the following season because time will run out. ‘This time Rangers have really got to get it right in terms of what happens.’ Despite a poor run of home results, which culminated in those defeats to Celtic and Kilmarnock, Smith remains supportive of the interim boss. Urging directors to reach a quick decision on the next permanent manager when the campaign ends, he said: ‘It doesn’t seem like they’re going to make their decision until the end of the season anyway. They have said that. ‘Between now and then, Graeme will just carry on doing what he’s doing, but it has not been easy for him. ‘A decision needs to be made as soon as the season ends. ‘The appointment of the next manager is probably one of the most important decisions that the board will make. ‘Whether it is Graeme Murty or it is someone else, it is a vitally important one because there has to start to be a level of stability within the management before you are starting to look at massive improvements on the pitch.’