Rangers chief ‘not even close’ to sacking McLeish

RANGERS chairman David Murray insists manager Alex McLeish was “not even close” to leaving Ibrox.

The former Scotland international will continue in his position despite the worst run of results in the club’s history.

The Light Blues are currently 17 points behind Bank of Scotland Premier League leaders Celtic and have not won for 10 matches.

However, McLeish became the first manager to guide a Scottish club beyond the group stages of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s clash with Italian outfit Internazionale was widely thought to be McLeish’s swansong at Ibrox, but the stirring display which brought a 1-1 draw and qualification has prompted the board to keep Big Eck at the helm.

The Gers face Kilmarnock at the weekend and McLeish will hope to ease the pressure by snapping the longest run without a win in the club’s history.

Murray said: “Alex will remain manager of Rangers Football Club.

“As I said two weeks ago, we would have a review and there is no reason for him to leave the club.

“It did not get close to Alex leaving. What I wanted to do was to meet Alex and see if he was up for it and the man is determined to be successful.

“He has been manager for 200 weeks and we will not judge him on a 10-week or 12-week indifferent period.

“As much as a disappointment as our domestic form is - and we all acknowledge that - we should not dismiss what we achieved this week.”

Murray admitted the club had considered what would happen in the event of McLeish leaving - with the chairman receiving plenty of interest from other managers - but he stressed he always felt his man would stay.

Murray said yesterday: “I met Alex today (Thursday) and I saw a man who was battered by some of the criticism from the media.

“This has been a very difficult time for him and his family and he was concerned about that.

“I never thought he was going, I didn’t want him to leave and that’s all I can say, but we had to consider a plan B. We received numerous CVs of people who would like to become manager but why should a caretaker get the benefit of all the injured players coming back and getting a Champions League tie at the Nou Camp or Stamford Bridge.”

Murray added: “We have played eight European games this season and lost one and we have just become the first Scottish club in the last 16 of the Champions League - Manchester United have not achieved it and they have far more resources than us.

“For me, he has done a great job at the club.”

The chairman also pledged to back McLeish with financial investment in the January transfer window.

“I have already said we need to strengthen in the break and we will do so. We will re-invest.”