Scottish Premiership rivals Celtic and Ibrox side Glasgow Rangers renew hostilities in next week’s Old Firm in the Scottish Cup.
Speaking to The Glasgow Evening Times, Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday has claimed that manager Graeme Murty isn’t the only whose future at Ibrox could hinge on the outcome of this week’s Scottish Cup semi-final with Celtic at Hampden Park.
Both Old Firm enemies renew hostilities at the national stadium on Sunday as under-pressure Murty looks to beat the Hoops and end their bid for a historic double treble.
The 43-year-old masterminded a 4-0 win over Dundee on Saturday but one point from three games prior to that – starting with a 3-2 defeat by Celtic at Ibrox last month – has plunged Murty’s hopes of being the Gers’ boss next season into major doubt.
Defeat by Brendan Rodgers’s side this weekend would surely put paid to his chances of staying in Glasgow beyond this summer, but Halliday, an unused substitute in three of the Blues’ last four Premiership games, suggests that the playing staff can also use the Bhoys encounter to secure their futures at Ibrox.
He told The Glasgow Evening Times, when asked if his manager’s future could hinge on what happens at Hampden: “It could be a factor in all our futures. I don’t think the gaffer will be looking too far ahead.
“He is the Rangers manager just now and has done a good job of stabilising the club. He has brought good players in and we have had many good results – unfortunately we had three poor results over the past few weeks.”
Question is, will Halliday face the Hoops? At the moment it seems unlikely. The 26-year-old, a boyhood Rangers fan, got a few games at left-back last month.
But Declan John’s return, followed closely by that of Lee Wallace, means that his best chance of playing is in midfield, but even then Murty has more than enough options there as it is.
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