King’s comments played key role in Ibrox men losing plot, says Dodds
FORMER Rangers striker Billy Dodds believes the player anger witnessed at Hampden was a consequence of Dave King undermining Graeme Murty’s managerial authority. Andy Halliday launched a verbal blast after being substituted in the first half of Sunday’s 4-0 hammering from Celtic, before Daniel Candeias later stormed down the tunnel when he was replaced after the break. There was further angst witnessed when Alfredo Morelos and Greg Docherty became involved in a verbal exchange before making their way off the pitch at full-time. Dodds can understand tempers boiling over given the dismal performance and result, but argues King’s comments in the build-up to the Scottish Cup semi-final were also a factor. In a release to season-ticket holders, the Ibrox chairman praised the work done by Murty but stopped well short of offering any assurances about the 43-year-old remaining in
charge next season. And Dodds reckons that left the players feeling they had little to lose by venting their emotions. ‘It’s frustration on the day,’ said the 49-year-old, who covered the match as a radio pundit. ‘But I don’t think there is any respect there when your chairman comes out and gives that statement. The players can then go: “He’s not going to be here, he’s not going to be our manager”. ‘It’s too severe to say they feel they can do what they want — but the manager’s authority has gone. ‘The players can maybe do things they wouldn’t if there was a real figurehead there. The timing of that statement put the pressure on Graeme Murty. ‘It was a little bit like what Stewart Regan said about Malky Mackay when the Scotland situation was going on. ‘Even if you are not going to give him the job, just wait until the right time. ‘It was crazy to make those comments in the days before a Scottish Cup semi-final. ‘If they had waited and then lost the game, they could have realised that they needed a manager for next season and no one would have batted an eyelid.’ Any hope Murty (right) had of extending his tenure into next term was wiped out by the weekend capitulation. And Dodds is clear about the need for an eye-catching appointment to appease supporters left furious by a tenth successive derby without success. ‘You could see the anger with how empty Hampden was at the end,’ said Dodds. ‘That shows you where the Rangers fans are right now. ‘There is always a pressure on to make the right appointment at any time. But that is certainly the case for the Rangers board just now. ‘They have to pick someone with a status, someone who will right away make the players think: “Respect”.’ Meanwhile, a new independent shareholder organisation, Follow Rangers, is being launched to ‘allow existing and new shareholders to participate in fan ownership and to help influence the direction of the club’. The group aims to offer an alternative to Club 1872, which was formed in May 2016 after a merger of the Rangers Supporters Trust and Rangers First. ‘We have a massive worldwide support and we believe Follow Rangers can attract people who are either not engaged or disillusioned with the existing fan ownership models,’ said a spokesman.