Massive Murty flaw meant brutal Rangers axe was inevitable – next boss must have what he lacked

Tue 1 May 2018 13:09, UK

COMMENT

The inevitable has occurred, and following the embarrassing 5-0 loss to Celtic, Rangers boss Graeme Murty has been relieved of his duties as Rangers manager.

The news was announced on the Gers’ website on Tuesday, in a move which many would have been expecting.

Murty was on a hiding to nothing since he got the job in October, taking over from Pedro Caixinha;he knew he was not the board’s first choice for the job, but when Derek McInnes turned the Gers down, they had to appoint Murty until the end of the season to placate irate fans.

Murty seemed, in his dealings with the media, a fundamentally nice guy – but that is a massive flaw when it comes to the brutal world of Rangers and Celtic.

You need to be mentally tough to deal with everything that comes your way, with the expectations of incredibly demanding supporters, and at a club where one bad result plunges everything into crisis.

As a youth team coach thrust into the spotlight, Murty was always going to find the demands of the job difficult and that is how it has turned out.

There is obviously a place for nice guys in football – just not in Glasgow, and if the Gers do appoint Steven Gerrard as their next boss fans will have to hope that he shows a ruthless side that the job demands.