From zero to hero – the midas touch of Graeme Murty

When you witness the work Graeme Murty and all his background staff have done to turnaround a struggling and inconsistent Rangers player, it really is amazing.

They changed his fortunes completely around by making him one of the first names in Murty’s starting X1. He is the indisputed No. 10 in the new young Rangers line-up. You will have guessed by now that I’m referring to Josh Windass.

Asked by failed Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha and indeed by his predecessor Mark Warburton to play at outside left, because he was fast and could beat a man, the experiment failed miserably because he had never played wide-left for any of his previous clubs.

He was anxious to make a success of this surprise opportunity after his transfer from Accrington Stanley and had no option but to give the idea his best shot.

Josh was expected to track back and cover for our attacking left back and captain Lee Wallace whenever he foraged forward, which was pretty much throughout the whole match.

Windass was disappointing, stuck on the wing playing in a totally unaccustomed role. He did play the odd decent game, but the fans didn’t want him in the side, with many branding him a lazy passenger in that position.

Josh was signed by Mark Warburton as an attacking central midfield player with a decent record of scoring goals, yet played him mostly on the left, but the former is what he was brought to Rangers to do.

Murty realised that Windass was struggling, short of confidence and duly changed him back to his best free role position between midfield and the main striker– and RESULT – a star is born! He is scoring goals for fun since the move was completed and has terrorised defences ever since.

This enabled Windass to apply his skilful movement coupled by the timing of his late runs into the box creating many goal scoring opportunities for himself and team mates. The difference in his performances is astounding and has taken Windass and Rangers to another level. Indeed, it was telling that Rangers and Windass’ display was quieter against Falkirk, with the ex-Accrington man shifted left a lot to accommodate Jason Cummings.

I am now pleading with Murty and his coaches to find a line-up that works to include Cummings, Morelos and Windass in the same starting X1.

My suggestion is keeping Morelos as the furthest Rangers player up the park, to still get into the defenders’ faces and continue to lead the line.

Use Cummings and Windass as another pairing working together as a unit of two attacking midfielders playing behind Morelos, but breaking forward at speed to support him when Rangers have the ball.

When the opposition have the ball, both players would then slip back a little, to help flood the midfield quickly with six players all working hard to retrieve the ball back in concert with Tavernier, Docherty, Goss, and Murphy.

I am surprised how good a footballer Jason Cummings is. His first touch is magnificent, he is mobile and reads the game extremely well and of course will score goals in any team.

I have come up with the answer for Murty in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

                        Foderingham
                 Bates, Alves, Martin
Tavernier,   Docherty,   Goss,   Murphy
               Cummings     Windass
                           Morelos

Unfortunately, Candeias, John and Wallace would all be on the bench with my line-up, but I believe it makes us stronger at the back and much more potent going forward.

Tavernier can do the same attacking job as Candeias, but can defend better than him and Murphy is undroppable in his current form at left-wing-back. Although being the SPL’s top assist provider, Candeias might be undroppable too! And Declan John won’t be too happy on the bench but we can’t play everyone.

But of course, Murty is the manager and right now we trust how he’s doing things.

What do you think of my alternative method to get Cummings in though?