THE back-to-back defeats which Rangers have suffered at Ibrox this month have inevitably led to a growing number of former players, pundits and supporters to suggest that Graeme Murty lacks the necessary experience and nous to be manager during the past fortnight.
The 1-0 loss to Kilmarnock, which came just six days after a 3-2 reverse to Celtic, was suffered at the worst possible time just before the international break with no game to bounce back and silence the critics in immediately.
Yet, Murty has certainly exhibited one quality which will prove invaluable if he is kept on beyond the summer as an increasing number of column inches and hours of air time has been devoted to debating his future – an ability to block out the hysteria and focus on the job in hand.
A few recent Rangers managers struggled to cope with the scrutiny they were under and the criticism which was aimed in their direction, but the current incumbent appears to have no difficulties on that front.
“I can’t control the messages from outwith the group,” he said yesterday as he looked ahead to the Ladbrokes Premiership meeting with Motherwell at Fir Park this afternoon.
“There are lots of people giving their opinions as they are entitled to do. Lots of experts, telling all and sundry what should happen and what will happen.
“The noise that goes around this job is something you have to be really, really good at shutting out. If I spent too much time considering what could happen and what he said and what they said I would never actually get on with the job. The board of directors and the chairman will make their decision in due course.
“It is one of those things that is outwith my control. This job is so all-consuming that you can’t afford to expend any energy on anything else. If you do, it would be detrimental to my quality and my purpose in doing this job. It wouldn’t be fair on myself, it wouldn’t be fair on my staff and it definitely wouldn’t be fair on my players.
“So speculation about my position, the club’s position, people coming in, people going out, is all speculation. What we have to make sure is that we tune that out and focus on the things that are important to us and that is going to get three points."
Murty has dismissed suggestions by some Rangers luminaries that not knowing whether he would still be manager next season would create uncertainty among his squad and impact on performances as the team bids to finish second in the Premiership and win the William Hill Scottish Cup.
“What uncertainty do they have?” he said. “They have known that all the way through that they have got me until the end of the season.
“Every single one of them knows the situation, every one knows they are being assessed every single day they come in here by myself, the director of football, the staff and when they walk on the pitch they are being assessed by you guys and the fans.
“So they need to go and showcase themselves in a good light. The only way that any of us have a future at Rangers is by being successful and we do that by working hard and coming together. End of."
Asked if he would speak to director of football Mark Allen or chairman Dave King about his situation, Murty said: “No. I am focusing on doing a really good job, focusing on making sure my job is done to the best of my ability.
“If someone then decides they are going to go in a different way, I will respect that. But I will do everything until that time to execute the roles within this job as best as I possibly can.”
Murty stressed that planning for next season was already well underway even though it is unclear if he will still be manager when it kicks-off.
"Preparation for pre-season, preparation for recruitment, preparation for Europe, should we get there at this round or that round, has already started, as it should do at a club of this scale regardless of who is in charge.," he said. "Things need to be in place and they are being put in place so regardless of who is in this seat things are ongoing, as they should be."
Murty has been buoyed by the recovery of long-term injury absentees Graham Dorrans and Ross McCorie. Both men will be in the Rangers squad this afternoon. So, too, will Jordan Rossiter even though the midfielder is unlikely to play.
The former Liverpool midfielder’s time in Glasgow has been blighted by injury. He last featured in a first team game when he came on as a late substitute against Ross County in Dingwall back in August. But his manager is confident he can feature in the remaining games of the 2017/18 campaign and be an influential player.
“People shouldn’t write him off,” he said. “He has showed a good mentality, he showed a good work rate, he showed a good appetite for the challenge. It's been hard for him. We just hope this is a time that he finally gets a break and gets a run of fitness and time on the pitch where he can finally show what he’s made of."
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