THE more things change, the more they stay the same. The main protagonists may be different, but the storyline is familiar at Ibrox.
First, it was Mark Warburton and Joey Barton, then it was Pedro Caixinha and a host of players – including Andy Halliday, Barrie McKay and Michael O’Halloran - and now it is Graeme Murty and Lee Wallace and Kenny Miller.
In every situation there are rights and wrongs, claims and counterclaims, and someone always loses out. As with the first two examples, in this case it could be everyone involved that feels the pain.
Read more: "Rangers siding with Murty shows he's in a stronger position than people think"
The training ground spat with Warburton, just eight games into his Ibrox career, sparked the beginning of the end for Barton in Scottish football. It was no surprise that the midfielder’s mouth got the better of him, or that Warburton took offence to the criticism from his star summer signing.
Within weeks, Barton was gone. Within months, Warburton had followed.
Fast forward to the next man at the helm and it was Caixinha that showed how not to make friends or influence people. Instead, he alienated the squad that he inherited and presided over a disastrous reign from which Rangers have still to recover.
Now, Murty is the latest incumbent to come under fire from within. He is not the only one that will pay a heavy cost, though.
Murty may be in the final five games of his time in charge but that is longer than Miller has left at Ibrox. After being suspended on Tuesday morning, he will not play for Rangers again.
Wallace, the club captain, faces a fight for his future. He too is subject to an internal investigation and it would be no surprise if Rangers looked to dispense with his services at the end of the campaign.
Emotions were always likely to boil over in the aftermath of the defeat to Celtic on Sunday but Rangers clearly feel that Miller and Wallace crossed a line. The argument inside the Hampden dressing room has been the tipping point rather than the root cause, however.
It is the second occasion this season that Miller has found himself at the centre of the storm and banished to the fringes. This time there is no way back.
It was after the 2-0 defeat at home to Celtic in September that the 38-year-old confronted Caixinha and was subsequently sent to train and play with the Under-20 side.
Read more: Alan Burrows on Stephen Robinson, the 'perfect' Motherwell manager
With the Portuguese sacked, he returned to the fold the following month and, handed the captain’s armband by Murty, he scored twice in the win over Hearts at Murrayfield. Supporters heralded his comeback and chanted his name but his goal against Dundee a fortnight ago will prove to be his last as he brings an end to his third spell at Ibrox in ignominious circumstances.
That shadow covers Wallace as well. The left-back was injured against Partick Thistle in September and, despite returning to training some time ago, he has yet to feature under Murty.
The pair may not have been regulars on the field but they naturally remained big characters and big voices around the squad. Nobody is bigger than the club, however.
The action taken against Wallace and Miller is not the Ibrox board backing Murty as such, and it is not a sure-fire sign that he will remain at the helm beyond the summer.
Their concerns, like those Miller expressed to Caixinha or that Barton vented at Warburton, may be real and they may mean well. There is a time, a place, and a manner in which to act, though.
Read more: Kieran Tierney won't join dad in watching Celtic's Rangers rout
In general terms, the balance of power has shifted from manager to player as the game has changed over the years. It has not necessarily been for the better.
The cliché is that Murty has lost the dressing room and many will point to the performance on Sunday – one devoid of heart, fight or spirit – as proof that his players are no longer playing for him. His weak position at present is undermined when senior figures openly criticise him in such a manner.
Whether the squad think he is the right man or not, whether they believe he will be there next season or not, they owe it to the club, the supporters and themselves to be professional in the coming weeks as Rangers look to finish second in the Premiership.
Like in the cases of Warburton and Caixinha, players can sense failings in a boss and can look to exploit them for their own gains or own agendas.
Read more: "Rangers siding with Murty shows he's in a stronger position than people think"
The days of the gaffer are seemingly coming to an end, but the word of the manager must always carry the most weight inside and outside of a dressing room. Whether players agree with his decisions and methods or not, his call should be final.
Rangers have suffered from not having leaders that are strong enough over the last couple of years and that quality is crucial when it comes to the appointment of the next boss this summer. He has to ‘get it’.
It must be a figure that can unite a dressing room, that instantly demands the respect of the players and that, when the criticism comes, has the personality and character to ensure he remains as the all-conquering figure and voice in the room.
While Murty is Rangers manager, he should be treated with the respect that such a position demands by those both inside and outside of Ibrox.
In difficult circumstances, he has done his best and if he leaves Ibrox he should do so with his head held high. It is up to his players to decide if they can do likewise.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel