Scottish Premiership rivals Celtic and Ibrox side Glasgow Rangers renewed hostilities in the Scottish Cup recently.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has admitted that he can emphathise with under-fire Rangers boss Graeme Murty.
The writing looks to be on the wall for Murty at Rangers after Sunday’s 4-0 defeat by Celtic in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup.
The 43-year-old looks very unlikely to keep the manager’s job beyond this summer following a defeat in which he was subjected to tirades by Lee Wallace and Kenny Miller – both of whom have since been suspended by the Gers – and Andy Halliday in the immediate aftermath of the latter’s substitution.
It has been a trying period for the former Reading defender, in what is his first job as a senior manager, and the Hoops boss has put Old Firm rivalries to one side to admit that he can sympathise with his opposite number.
He told Sky Sports: “It’s not easy management and when you are in that situation with 50,000 passionate supporters watching, you are having too amongst it all think as clearly as you can.
“You are under huge pressure and expectation. I have empathy there for every manager and for Graeme in this situation. When you are always trying to develop an environment and a culture, dynamic culture for people to improve, the command element of it is lonely.
“You always have to think and everyone else is developing around you. But that is what you have to do as a leader. You have to manage the expectations of your supporters, your board and your players and look to lead that way. It is certainly not easy.”
It has certainly been a very testing period for the Rangers boss, who replaced Pedro Caixinha on a short-term basis at Ibrox, and he will undoubtedly grow as a result of the experience.
Unfortunately for him, there is one more Old Firm clash to contest before he presumably vacates his role in Glasgow this summer, with Celtic hosting Murty’s side at Parkhead on Sunday week.
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