The Ibrox club brought in six new faces and turned a loan deal into a permanent switch under Murty in January, and are clearly backing the boss.
Last month Rangers were seemingly happy allowing Graeme Murty to bring in new recruits as he pleased.
With the club’s financial strains being common knowledge, the former Rangers youth coach made clever use of the loan system, landing some high profile names from down south in an attempt to bridge the gap between Celtic.
With six new recruits, four of which were on loan and two arriving permanently, the club’s backing of Murty was fairly extensive and may suggest that the board are willing to stick with him in the long run if he can finish the season strongly and achieve certain targets.
It remains to be seen whether Murty will be granted the opportunity to take Rangers forward beyond his current deal, which expires at the end of the season. But should the former Scotland international reach the Scottish Cup Final and beat Aberdeen and Hibs to a second-place finish, it would surely be wrong to overlook him as the prime candidate for the Ibrox job.
Murty has enjoyed a 61 per cent win rate across his two stints as Rangers boss (the first coming after Mark Warburton’s dismissal in early 2017 when he oversaw six games before the appointment of Pedro Caixinha). This is significantly better than Caixinha’s record of 52 per cent and also stronger than Don’s boss Derek McInnes’s record at Aberdeen, although clearly over a much shorter period.
Such a record cannot be overlooked, however, and Murty’s 0-0 draw against Celtic at Parkhead will long be remembered as a significant milestone in Rangers’ re-development since their financial meltdown in 2012.
A hit with the fans, Murty’s unwritten policy of trying to sign life-long Rangers fans has been an excellent move.
The club have severely lacked identity since their fall from grace to League Two and have missed the likes of a Barry Ferguson type to help remind the squad what playing for Rangers is all about.
The addition of life-long Rangers fans in Jamie Murphy and Greg Docherty will no doubt help educate the strong foreign contingent currently in the Ibrox dressing room as to what it means to play for the badge, which will only help to re-establish the harmony between fans and players.
Only time will tell if Murty’s Gers can finish the season strongly and clinch second spot. A win against Celtic would not go amiss, as well.
Should he achieve those goals, there is no doubt Murty will be seriously considered by the Rangers board as a long-term candidate to take the club forward.
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