Kenny Miller & Lee Wallace: Rangers suspend pair after Graeme Murty argument

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Kenny Miller and Lee Wallace at Hampden on SundayImage source, SNS Group
Image caption,

Kenny Miller and Lee Wallace at Hampden before Sunday's semi-final

Kenny Miller and Lee Wallace have been suspended by Rangers pending an investigation into an angry exchange with manager Graeme Murty.

The experienced duo are understood to have rounded on Murty following Sunday's 4-0 Scottish Cup semi-final defeat by Celtic at Hampden.

The news was confirmed in a brief club statement issued after a Tuesday morning meeting with the players.

The statement says Rangers are looking into a "team-related incident".

The Ibrox club also say they will "make no further comment until this investigation has been completed".

The two players, both of whom have been capped for Scotland, have been told to stay away from Ibrox Stadium and the club's training ground.

Former Scotland striker Miller is in his third spell at Ibrox but had been sidelined by previous manager Pedro Caixinha and told to train with the under-20s squad.

The 38-year-old was immediately recalled when Murty took over in November as interim manager, but he has only started one match in 2018 and was an unused substitute at the weekend.

Left-back and club captain Wallace has been sidelined since mid-September because of injury, but the 30-year-old was reportedly close to a return to action following a groin injury.

Miller's contract runs out at the end of the season, Wallace has a year left on his deal, while Murty only has a deal as manager until the summer.

Image source, SNS
Image caption,

Brendan Rodgers' Celtic beat Graeme Murty's Rangers 4-0 in Sunday's semi-final

Speaking immediately after Sunday game, Murty stated that the dressing-room had been "emotional".

"There was anger, frustration, all the sorts of emotion you would expect from a changing room that has just gone through that," he said.

"There should be frustration and anger. It is just about turning that into positives and energy to power you through to the end of the season rather than allow it to be disruptive."

Asked by Rangers TV what he had said to the players, he replied: "Nothing. It's too raw now. All it's going to do is lead to conflict and finger-pointing.

"Maybe that's what it needs, but right now we are here to regroup because we have five big games to go.

"We need to make sure we finish off the season strongly."

Andy Halliday and Daniel Candeias has also reacting angrily after being substituted, before fellow midfielder Greg Docherty and striker Alfredo Morelos were seen shouting at each other as they left the pitch.

Meanwhile, Rangers' official fans group and the club's second-largest shareholder, Club 1872, has described the Hampden display against Celtic as a "disgraceful capitulation" and called for "a great deal of further investment".

"We have had contact from members asking us to convey their concerns to Rangers and can reassure them and the wider support that this has been done," said a statement.

The statement came after the launch of a separate, independent group aimed at advancing fan ownership of the club, Follow Rangers Shareholders, saying that a single fan group is not appropriate for the club.

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