Having suffered defeat to Hibernian in our last tie, Rangers manager Graeme Murty was delighted to see the side get back to winning ways against Partick Thistle last night.
Heading to Firhill for the tie, goals in each half from Josh Windass and James Tavernier gave us the two nil victory on the evening and it was very much as case of ‘job done’ as far as Murty was concerned when he spoke to the Official Site and the wider media in his post game press conference.
‘It`s exactly that – job done. We weren`t as slick as I would like and we failed to deal with certain things and some certain fundamentals, but the two goals we scored were outstanding – both of them. I thought when we moved the ball sharp and we moved the ball at our tempo and our intensity, we cut through them really well. At times it wasn`t where it needs to be, but I thought the second half was better.’
Murty went on to say that the message ahead of the game was that we’d need a professional performance to ensure we got the points, and ultimately that’s what it comes down to – picking up wins.
‘I said to the boys we would need to come here and do a professional job. We would need to be resilient, we would need to be solid, and I didn`t think we were especially at times, but we managed to get that back in and show a bit of resilience about it. But the important thing wasn`t about playing well and getting plaudits for playing well, it is about putting the things together – all the elements together, and the pleasing part for me was the clean sheet, albeit we got away with a couple. With the talent we have in the team, if we just click for brief moments, then we have the ability to take the game away from people. We have to build from a base of solidity, and some of our stuff was better.’
Reflecting more on both strikes on the day, he added.
‘They are outstanding for different reasons. The execution of the first one was excellent, and that is what we have – people who can deal with the football really well. I thought at times we were too small and too compact in the first half, but once we got our timing and our angles right, the slickness of it was fantastic. That is why this group excites me as they have that level – it is just our job to make sure we stay at that level as much as possible.’
Murty continued.
‘Then Tav, for as much as I gave him stick during the weekend, he came up with a fantastic goal for us. `m pleased for the clean sheet and pleased for us responding as it would be easy for us to come and feel sorry for ourselves, and I don`t think we did that.’
Murty went on to praise Tavernier for bringing ‘positivity’ and ‘energy’ to the side and he has six goals already to his name this year.
Windass also got additional praise.
‘I think the word mercurial was coined for him as some of the stuff he does is of a really high level, and then he baffles you with some of the decisions he makes. That is his challenge – always to remain at his best level and clean up in the back two-thirds. In the final third, he is disruptive and has good quality. But in the back two, he needs to be more secure on the ball and do a job for the team. If he does that, he will be some player.’
