Well it was good while it lasted Murtymania is well and truly over, put the headbands and rip off vests away for another season.
Before the game the Ibrox crowd joined to unite in support for our former captain Fernado Ricksen in his fight against a diesease that he will need all the support he can gather in coming weeks and months.
Team selection for Murty beforehand was fairly simple with the only change being Hodson being brought in for the unavailable Declan John. Bruno Alves also failed to make the squad due to illness but after the last few performances the team was building momentum and more or less picked itself.
In truth be told we have all seen this before ,watching Rangers attempt to win 3 games in a row is a bit like watching Colin Montgomerie at golf you know the talent is there but mentality is not and they just find new ways to fall at the last hurdle just like his predecessor, Murty and this incarnation of a Rangers side failed again to win three games in a row, even when presented with a favourable fixture.
As advertised we started the game well passing up on a host of guilt edge chances in a sloppy first half Miller and Morelos being the most guilty.
It also became clear again as shown earlier in the season vs Celtic that Hodson and Windass don’t work on the same flank there lack of defensive awareness and inability to spot danger all to apparent again.
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As the second half arrived we became the architect of our own downfall through poor play by the young McCrorie, it would be unfair However to hold him fully accountable as he is only just learning and it is how he responds to this that will define his Rangers career, mistakes were always going to happen being so young. Morales I’m afraid is looking like a player who could do with being rested for his own good, but with no suitable replacements available to ease the strain on him it’s simply not a option, he continues to work hard but I felt his hold up play and finishing was as poor as I’ve seen it on a day when needed it to be otherwise appearing well short of confidence.
Murty himself made some glaring tactical errors anyone who has seen Hamilton play knows how they like to press the ball, and that’s exactly what they did, we had no plan B, we could have used Hamilton’s fight and desire in the middle of the park not only being outplayed but outmuscled on a alarming number of occasions. Also Murty allowed Morelos to be isolated up front that together with not making sure Windass kept wide when Candaias had the ball stretching the pitch therefore giving Holt the freedom to exploit the space created by keeping wide.
At present I’m sorry to say we look like a club that’s indecisiveness at every level is showing through, from the choice at boardroom to prolong the search for a new manager right through to the players on the park most notably the frustrating Josh Windass in picking the wrong pass time after time.
The mentality of the squad put together is something I feel that can’t be ignored at times we looked like the weight of winning 3 games in a row played heavily on the minds of many, playing without the freedom and expressiveness that had been so evident in previous weeks.
Murty never really was a serious contender and any glimmer of hope he had of gaining it on a permanent basis is gone after Hamilton’s first league win since 1926.
It’s over to the board now and they must now surely act fast and show some leadership, if McInnes is the boards choice go and get him pay the money and have him in place as soon as possible stop treating the fans who continue to turn up in week after week with discontent and lack of respect. Taking a gamble trying to get see out games with Murty didn’t work all that well last season aside from the draw at Parkhead, so why did the board think it would this term?
We need action and need it fast we are lurking about lacking a clear vision and directive in all areas throughout the club and to quote a famous Govan son it might just be “squeaky bum time ” for this board if they wait any longer.