Ibrox side Glasgow Rangers have a massive Scottish Cup clash this weekend.
Speaking to The Record, Former Rangers defender Steven Pressley has questioned the club’s chairman Dave King for the timing of Monday’s statement.
King effectively confirmed that manager Graeme Murty not be considered for the permanent manager’s role at Ibrox this summer.
The 43-year-old has been Rangers’ boss on a short-term basis since replacing Pedro Caixinha, winning 17 of his 26 games in charge of the Glasgow giants.
The statement came less than a week before Rangers’ Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park – their biggest game for years, given the implications that a defeat would have on the Hoops.
And Pressley, who spent four years at Ibrox until 1994, says that the increased “uncertainty” provided by King will do nothing for the players’ motivation this weekend.
He told The Record: “It’s the timing of such a statement which does most damage. I don’t think there was any need for King to come out and make these comments, especially in a week leading up to game of this magnitude.
“All he has achieved is to highlight a situation which doesn’t need highlighting, it’s only made things worse for Graeme. If you ask any person involved in football, a player, manager or a member of the backroom staff what is the worst thing in the game then they’ll tell you it’s uncertainty.
“That’s exactly what Graeme is working under at the moment and it’s horrible having to read a statement which has only brought more uncertainty.
Pressley, now manager of Cypriot side Pafos, is right and HITC Sport argued a similar point on Monday after the statement was released.
Rangers players need all the motivation that they can muster ahead of such a big game, and King might have taken away one big incentive by intimating that even victory will not save their gaffer.
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