Graeme Murty has talked about his desire for a style of play and how he wants the Rangers job full time following his temporary stay in charge being extended.
Murty was earlier this evening appointed as manager until the end of the current campaign and Managing Director Stewart Robertson told the Official Site that he felt Murty had more than deserved the opportunity.
Having been appointed as interim boss back in October following Pedro Caixinha’s departure, Robertson said.
‘I think we`ve seen what Graeme has done over the last few weeks while he has been in the position in an interim role. He has handled himself and the way that he has dealt with the squad and the press and all the different aspects of the job very, very well. In the end it was quite easy to come to the conclusion that he should be given the chance to take the job through until the end of the season.’
Obviously Murty’s task is to now ensure some consistency in performances and results.
‘The Rangers fans have been phenomenal over the past few years and we`ve had some ups and downs over the past 12 months but really what we`re looking for is some stability and some consolidation and hopefully Graeme can give us that until the end of the season and then we can see where we go from there. We`ve had some great results as we saw a couple of weeks ago against Aberdeen and Hibs, and then we`ve have some disappointing results as well. I think really to get a better level of consistency in to the team and to be as competitive as we possibly can. Mark and Graeme are already looking at targets for January and the board are assessing those targets just now, and there will be funding available for the January window.’
Responding to the news himself, Murty said of the fans.
‘It`s two-part. The first part is I have had some unbelievable support from people in the street, messages on social media – although I don`t check it very often – and people around the place being positive to me and wishing me well and telling me I`m doing a good job. I am really grateful for that. I am aware, and I am not naive, that people will want a bigger name than myself – they will want someone established and I get that. It is my job to win you over. It`s not your job to believe unequivocally – it is our job to do a great job and send you home happy. If we can do that, then hopefully we can all – fans, players, club – and myself, move forward and have a really, really good end to the season.’
He added of the role.
‘I`m nervous, excited and a little awestruck. I`m really grateful to the board for the opportunity and I am desperate to repay their faith. I really want to crack on with it now, move forward and see if we can have a brilliant second half of the season. I spoke with Stewart Robertson last night. We were thinking about targets, structures and how the squad works, and he said the board would want me to move into the role moving forward. It didn`t take me very long at all for me to say yes. I think I have been on record before saying I don`t think I can be turning a job like this down. I didn`t actually think I would be on the board`s mind. Obviously, there has been a well-publicised pursuit of another manager, but I now have the opportunity to call myself the Rangers manager which still sounds slightly surreal to me.’
He added.
‘I never thought I would sit here as the manager – I think I`ve said that all the way through. Now I have the opportunity, I want to be really, really good at it. I really want to grasp the opportunity as it`s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be Rangers manager and I want to go and maximise this for myself but also for the board to repay them and for the players. I think it is really important we have a really positive second half of the season, and that way, we all win.’
Now in position on a more proper basis, Murty went on to speak about how he’d like the side to play for the remainder of the season.
‘I was brought up as a pragmatist that values wins. But I am aware with our history and with our style, it is almost incumbent upon me to implement a certain style of play. I like possession football, and I like difference makers in the skilled positions. I like good structure, I like high tempo and I like players who aren`t afraid to make mistakes. I think if you can incorporate those things into a style of play with good personnel, then I think you have an opportunity to go and dominate games.’
He went on to say.
‘I think importantly at Ibrox, we have an opportunity with that kind of ethos to go and get the fans out of their seats – make them roar and get them right behind the team for 90 minutes as that`s something we haven`t done enough of this season. If we can do that, I think it would be a massive bonus for the players and I think the fans would quite enjoy it too. I will be looking to change certain things around the training ground, around the matchday experience and around style of play. But, I will always say it, you need the players on board. You need the players to buy-in and the players to want to go with you and believe in what you are trying to do. Hopefully, if we get the players to do that, then we can move forward collectively. I want their energy and I want their maximum effort, as I think if we come together between now and the end of the season, we could all be successful.’
