GRAEME Murty freely admits, in that engaging and occasionally self-deprecating manner of his, that he has far greater things to worry about than his “sartorial elegance”. But a chastening defeat at Rugby Park in which Rangers were comprehensively outplayed by Kilmarnock left the 43-year-old spent the festive period re-thinking every aspect of his managerial worldview, and that includes his wardrobe choices.
You didn’t have to be a fashionista on Saturday to recognise how Murty left the tracksuit at home, pointedly turning up for his work in suit and club tie for his match since being confirmed as the club’s 16th permanent manager – at least until the end of the season. It spoke of a man desperately trying to move on from just being plain old ‘Murts’, the likeable caretaker boss, and endeavouring to live up to everything that some of his illustrious predecessors brought to this role. The truth, though, is that if Murty is to upset the odds stacked against him and prove to have a shelf life in this position which outlasts the season he will have to do things his way. Let’s just say that he is still working out the best way to dress for success.
“It was a conscious decision,” admitted Murty. “I said I would never wear it [suit and tie] unless I was actually made the manager. Now I’ve been made manager, and it is just a personal thing. I said I would do it. But I will revisit it and see how it made me feel, how I felt inside. But at the moment I’m far, far busier thinking about other things than my sartorial elegance.”
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There was a comparison between Murty and Saturday’s opposite number Steve Clarke, both legends in the Reading area. As much promise as the Rangers manager has shown in his extended spell as interim manager, it was the 54-year-old – armed with 20 years of experience of operating at the sharp end of football management – who really shows the Rangers board what bringing in the right man to head up your football department really can do. This is a man, comfortable in his own skin, blessed with all the veteran savvy of a man who has seen most things this game can throw at him.
It is great to be liked by a dressing room, but what all the best managers command too is respect and a little bit of fear, a point no doubt which Murty’s occasional mentors such as Walter Smtih will surely stress. This is something this comparative novice had to weigh up on Saturday, as he considered a rather fragile looking group of players struggling for confidence after back-to-back defeats (both from winning positions) against St Johnstone and Kilmarnock, with difficult assignments to come in the space of the week against Motherwell and then Celtic. While the temptation must have been to savage his players on Saturday, he had to temper such criticism with the knowledge that it may be counter-productive to do so with the big matches arriving in such short order.
“I’m a passionate guy - I want to do really, really well,” said Murty. “I’ve never hidden that. We’ve got a game coming up on Wednesday and we need people who are confident and brave and able to express their ability on Wednesday. And if I did anything on Saturday which might erode that, then that is a negative impact that I will have had. I need to find a way – eventually – to have a positive impact on these players, so that they walk out confident onto the pitch, feeling intense and aggressive. Maybe they possibly even need to feel a little bit wounded, and go out and put it right on Wednesday. But we need to send our fans home in a better spirit.”
Managers frequently talk of the importance of concentrating on the next match and that applies utterly to Rangers. As much as the build up to Saturday’s Old Firm match is parked there in the back of everyone’s minds – how Murty would love to return with the same point he managed to collect last season – first comes the small matter of a home meeting with Motherwell on Wednesday. This isn’t just a grudge match after a controversial BetFred Cup semi-final between the two teams, but the first priority is to ensure the club doesn’t end the year with four consecutive defeats. “Confidence is a big thing in football, and we have to make sure that we take care of the game before that one [Motherwell],” said Murty. “I have no doubt that the fans and the players will be up and raring to go and caught up in the Old Firm fever. But we have to make sure that, before we do that, we get some structure and basics and fundamentals done really well so as to give us a good chance of success.”
While Murty was correct to point out the maddening inconsistency of his team, his squad requires serious work this January. Saturday’s most accomplished midfielder by a distance was Kilmarnock’s Youssuf Mulumbu, a veteran figure who Steve Clarke’s knowhow and personal contacts helped secure from Norwich. Until Rangers can replenish their resources in a similar manner, Murty - difficult wardrobe choices or not - must cut his cloth accordingly.