We don’t hate Graeme Murty

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We don’t hate Graeme Murty


A lot of our readers have made the pointed observation that we appear to have an axe to grind with Graeme Murty. They attack our output on the basis of the criticism we make of our manager, and even some of our own staff here on Ibrox Noise disagree with their fellow writers on whether or not Murty is deserving of this negativity.

See, it really isn’t an attack on Murty, nor was it an attack on Pedro, or even Warburton, or McCall or Ally before them.

It’s an attack more on the calibre of manager Rangers appoint these days without intending it as a personal smear on any one individual.

If we go back in time to the glory days of the 90s and onwards, Walter Smith was untouchable, rightly, because the man was a titan. Any criticism of him was ridiculous. He was succeeded by PSV’s Dick Advocaat, and sure the wheels came off there but the two or three seasons under him were mostly amazing, even if he had a colossal chequebook to help. He was then followed by Alex McLeish, who had been prime stock at Hibernian – and even then the appointment wasn’t a hugely popular one. But nevertheless Eck gave us Helicopter Sunday and made history as the first Scottish side to get to the last 16 of the Champions League.

The first modern era dud was Paul Le Guen, and most fans could see his regime as the wrong man wrong time mistake it was, and the gentleman lasted six months before Walted saved us again.

It was after Walter’s retirement and Ally’s spell in charge that the calibre of manager in Govan suffered a stark downturn.

Himself, McDowall, McCall, Warburton, Pedro, Murty – compare that with Walter, Advocaat, McLeish and Souness and the difference is stark.

THAT is what we have a bone to pick with – not Murty himself. He’s just our latest ‘not good enough’ manager to follow all the rest, and that’s a trend which began with McCoist.

Our real gripe is with the decision making by the board – the choices which appear to manifest themselves in Govan. Sure, Warburton got us promoted, but less impressively than Lennon did for Hibs or Neilson did for Hearts. He was completely found out in the SPL while the latter especially managed to top the thing for a while. And his successor was a disaster from the moment he was first revealed as being in the running, before Murty came in and just continued that.

We have nothing against Graeme Murty – he just isn’t a Rangers manager, albeit that comes with a caveat of not a ‘proper’ Rangers manager. As standards have dropped the past few years we are starting to worry if this new level is becoming the norm.

A team which once had the great Walter reduced to Pedro Caixinha. To Graeme Murty.

We worry that our board is failing desperately to attract the right men to the job. No one is going to tell me that good managers don’t want the Rangers job. We can still have a Rangers level manager again.

But we need to have a plan, a budget, a vision and a coherent strategy. Rangers are not going to lure a good quality manager to Ibrox without any enticement.

It’s probably why we ended up with Pedro, and why we’ve resorted to Murty.

So, no, we don’t hate Murty. We have just lost patience with the pathetic vetting and recruiting that is leading to sub-standard managers being appointed at Ibrox.

We want and deserve better.

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12 COMMENTS

  1. For once IN you are making sense and I agree with your comments. However remember that Graeme Murty was never appointed as permanent manager, nor do we know if he ever would have been. He took over in an emergency and got a few games up to the winter break, then since he had done well was give until the end of the season. To me that all made sense. If he had continued to do well then very few would have questioned him as new permanent manager. However he has unravelled a bit under the pressure (but less so than some far more experienced managers have or would have) so he has to go. But I think he deserves credit for taking the reins when we needed someone after the clown left and he gave it his best shot. He will step down with his reputation and dignity intact in my eyes at least. And clueless as the Board often are I don't think they made a bad call with Murty. Their task will now be to try to get someone to take the job who will get unanimous support. I can confidently predict that if Guardiola takes it he will be hounded out of the job the minute he loses two games on the trot!

  2. The comparison in managers is a good one. The successful ones were strong, tough, no-nonsense operators. The unsuccessful ones are "touchy feely" or "too pally" they want the players to like them.

    We need a strong gaffer now. Steve Clarke if he would come…

  3. I have to say I completely agree with almost everything you said. Murty through no fault of his own was appointed and as such full blame cannot be put into him alone. That being said I would have had more respect for him if he held his hands up and shouldered the blame for the dreadful Celtic clash. Yes the players played a part by looking like they were there for a nice day out but tactically Murty has nothing in the locker. I don’t know what he sees at training but Halliday should be nowhere near the first team. 4-2-3-1 has been found out and he refuses to change. Cummings for me is our most clinical striker and if played with Morelos I am sure would reap benifits. He tried it once against Ayr but I guess a 6 goal return wasn’t good enough. To top it off his wet lettuce appearance doing interviews is growing old. Saying how having a pop would do no good…. may I suggest the players might have more respect for a manager who praises the good but if you do wrong you get to hear about it. I am tired of watching rangers this season. Seeing some of our best players bench warming while others seem undroppable regardless of how bad they play. It’s about time someone grew a backbone and grabbed our team by the scruff of the neck and dragged it to the top of the table where we want to see it!

  4. Totally Agree with This!
    We need to go back to the drawing board and appoint a proper 'rangers class' manager and gt us back on track!!

    • I'd go with that too. Need a strong manager who will demand respect from his players who would run through brick walls for the club. Fed up with the namby pamby spoilt little children mentality we have on the pitch week in, week out!

  5. It’s not we don’t like him, we just don’t like his tactics and basic football knowledge that most fans have, or his player management, or his stubbornness to realise something is wrong… sure I’ve forgot some other stuff

  6. I think you got the nail on the head. No proper manager will want to take the rains with the set up just now.
    Robertson doesn't have any authority , there is a director of football doing what ever the fuck it is he's doing and a chairman who has to OK everything who lives in fucking south Africa.
    There is also the shite players on long contracts & good wages who he won't be able to shift.
    If mcinnes knocked it back after talking to the club do you think a good manager is going to say yes.

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