GRAEME MURTY, the Rangers caretaker manager, believes his side have a lot to work on if they are to move forward under his guidance.
Rangers beat Morton 2-1 in the Scottish Cup fifth round at Ibrox on Sunday as Murty took charge of the team just hours after Mark Warburton’s departure. Assistant manager David Weir and Frank McParland also left the club and the Gers board have started their search for the new coaching team.
Murty is likely to remain in charge for the Premiership fixture with Dundee this weekend and the 42-year-old is eager to make a positive impression as he attempts to transform Rangers’ fortunes in the Premiership.
Read more: LMA accuse Rangers of avoiding 'key questions' around Mark Warburton exit
“I was pleased with their attitude, I was pleased with the way they handled themselves because it is not easy and your head is all over the place,” he said. “It is difficult to try and please a new manager, even though consciously you’re not doing it you’re just playing the game but subconsciously you are always looking at what does he want? What is he after?
“But I thought they got past that bit and got past a really challenging start when we conceded the goal and I have just shown them in analysis that there were some really good bits of play, we just didn’t sustain it.
“The difference between our good bits and where we want to improve are a bit stark at the moment, well they were on Sunday. We have talked about portioning those things up and I have come away from the analysis with a really positive outlook on it and I hope they have as well.
“We have sat down and the thing I have really enjoyed the most was the players’ engagement, they have really been honest and open and really engaged with what we have done. I want to thank them because it has made my transitional bit easier, it could have been really awkward but they made sure it wasn’t.”
Rangers will make the trip to Dens Park third in the Premiership standings after dropping five points in Warburton’s final matches in charge against Hearts and Ross County. The Light Blues are 27 points adrift of Celtic after an erratic campaign that has seen performance levels and results fluctuate.
Read more: LMA accuse Rangers of avoiding 'key questions' around Mark Warburton exit
It was a whirlwind weekend for Murty as he stepped into the first team dugout for the first time but the Under-20 boss was pleased with his managerial bow as goals from Kenny Miller and Martyn Waghorn clinched a quarter-final berth.
“It was challenging, it was stretching but it was really enjoyable,” he told RangersTV. “Just being part of the first-team environment as an experience and for your first game to be at Ibrox and managing that expectation and that level of team, you can’t really buy that to be honest. I am really grateful to the board for giving me the trust and I am really conscious that we need to make steps forward.
“I enjoyed the experience more than I enjoyed the game I would say! That is just me, I am not very good at hiding what I feel so you will kind of see how I am feeling all the time and I have told the players that.”
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