GRAEME MURTY, the Rangers manager, insisted his squad remained united and would not be defined by last week’s Old Firm humiliation after a much-needed win over Hearts took the Ibrox men back to second place.
Goals from Jason Cummings and Daniel Candeias put Rangers two-goals ahead in the second half before Hearts’ captain Christophe Berra gave his team a chance of nicking a point.
Candeias made a bee-line for Andy Halliday, substituted before half-time in the semi-final, in the home dugout after his goal and was joined by all the players; although he did seem to ignore Murty during his celebration which was clearly meant to show unity.
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Rangers fans refused to sing during the game in protest of what has been happening on and off the park, and banners were held up which criticised both players and the board.
Murty has had to be the public face of Rangers during these troubled times but, again, he insisted there was no
split in the dressing room following the suspensions of Kenny Miller and Lee Wallace.
Asked about Candeias’s celebration, Murty said: “When he ran straight past me, do you mean that one?
“I don’t know if it was pre-planned, I don’t know anything about it. But everyone was in. The atmosphere and spirit within the group has been good all week. I’ve told you this. If they want to make a public display about it then more power to them.
“Listen, we were all hurting last week. We all had a hard time. We will not be, in my opinion, defined by one game. We won’t allow ourselves to be. We have to react in a positive way. I thought the reaction I asked for is the one that I got.
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“We refused to let that game fall over into this week. I thought the boys did that really well.”
Banners were held up before kick-off which read: “No fight. No Pride. Nowhere to Hide. Incompetent on and off the Pitch. We Deserve Better.”
At the beginning of the second-half, more banners were produced which read: “Mindless behind the scenes. Heartless on the pitch. We Deserve Better.”
“The fans are fully within their rights to do what they see fit,” said Murty when asked about them. I would never ever go against their wishes.
“But I said to the players we had to generate an atmosphere in the changing room for ourselves.
“If we wanted something from them we needed to put on a performance.
“I thought there were times when we were on the brink of clicking into a high gear. I hope the fans saw some passion and intensity and a bit of quality. I thought the players stood up after a hard week.
“I think it shows the dressing room is united. A lot of people outwith our dressing room have said a lot of things without knowing too much.
“But, we have remained focused and just concentrated on the display."
And now it is onto Celtic Park next Sunday where Rangers, both players and supporters, could be forced to watch a title party.
Murty said: "I see it as a massive game for this football club. That’s why the split was introduced, to give us massive games every week, and there is no bigger than Rangers and Celtic.
"We didn’t turn up at the last one in a way which would represent ourselves in a correct manner. We know that.
“We started back today by doing simple things really well with intensity and quality. We need to do more of the same.
“I have said all the time to you guys what these players are like. I see them every day. People out-with our group write a lot of stuff but they don’t see them every day. They only see them on match-day and make wild assumptions and sweeping statement about them.
“I know the qualities of the players in that group. They were hurting last week and showed a fantastic response for themselves and the football club. The players can only answer (what is said) by putting in performances like they did today.”
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