MARTYN Waghorn, the Rangers striker, last night appeared to criticise his former manager Mark Warburton, who left Ibrox in controversial circumstances on Friday night, over his team selections this season.
Waghorn scored a second half winner against Greenock Morton in the fifth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup at Ibrox yesterday to book a quarter-final place at home against either Dunfermline Athletic or Hamilton Academical.
The Englishman, who was brought to Glasgow by Warburton in a £200,000 transfer from Wigan Athletic in 2015, admitted it had been difficult playing in the cup tie so soon after the sudden departure of the manager.
However, the 27-year-old, who has been in and out of the first team at Ibrox in the 2016/17 campaign, also admitted that not having a settled side this season had been difficult for a many of the players to cope with.
Rangers have played inconsistently in the Ladbrokes Premiership and are in third place behind Celtic and Aberdeen after losing five and drawing seven of their 24 top flight fixtures.
Asked if he accepted the team has underperformed this season, Waghorn said: “You could say so. It’s been difficult one. People don’t know if they are playing, they are in and out. There has been a lot of uncertainty at times.
“But you are playing for a big club and people are not going to deliver that on a plate. You have to go out and work for it. Myself and other players have been in and out. But it’s important that you do your job when you are called upon.
“It’s been difficult for a number of players and a number of different reasons. But that is by the by now. It is time to move on.”
Waghorn continued: "It was difficult with the manager leaving two days before a game. Graeme (caretaker manager Murty) has come in and done a great job by rallying the boys round.
“The only way you can respond is by winning games of football. It was a difficult period, but the win was the most important thing and we move on together. We need to keep doing what is essential for this club, which is winning games. Yes, it's been difficult and hard, but that's part and parcel of playing for a big club and we've just got to get on with it."
Waghorn, who took his tally for the season to 11 with his second-half goal yesterday, admitted he had been surprised when he found out that Warburton, who has denied resigning, had left Rangers on Friday night when he was watching Sky Sports.
He expressed hope that Rangers, who are currently sitting in third place in the Premiership table behind Aberdeen, who have a game in hand, on goal difference, bring the right man in as his replacement.
"It was a shock to everyone,” he said. “It's one of those things. We just had to deal with it. We went in the next day and the situation got explained to us and that was it, it was time to move on. It's Rangers and you can't hold on to it for too long.
"I've not spoken to him. Obviously, he's been away for different reasons. I was focussing on the game and it was important to be in the right frame of mind if called upon. Whether I will speak to him in the future? I don't know. I'm more interested in playing for Rangers right now.
“It's all about progression and moving forward. Now it's important we get the right person in charge whoever that may be because we have got a good set of young hungry players who want to progress."
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