IT is said that you are never more than a couple of games away from the sack as Rangers manager. Graeme Murty could be just five from a job.

The interim Ibrox boss has often played down his chances of succeeding Pedro Caixinha on a permanent basis but his case could become too good to dismiss if he can maintain Rangers’ form going forward.

If it had all gone to plan at Ibrox last week, Murty would have been watching on from the stands rather than sharing a touchline with Owen Coyle on Saturday.

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But Derek McInnes’ decision to turn down a return to his former club and to stay at Aberdeen kept the Under-20s boss in charge of first team affairs.

Rangers confirmed last week that Murty will remain at the helm until the turn of the year and matches with Hibernian, St Johnstone, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Celtic now await.

Having taken his side up to second spot in the Premiership standings, Murty’s remit now is to ensure they stay there while the search for Pedro Caixinha’s replacement restarts.

Rangers thought they had got their man last week before McInnes re-affirmed his commitment to Pittodrie and the Light Blues have now attempted to buy themselves some time by setting out a clearer timetable for Murty’s tenure.

Rather than operating on a day-to-day basis, he can now work week-to-week as he attempts to ensure Rangers enter the New Year with the kind of momentum they have never looked like gathering throughout a wretched 12 months in the Premiership.

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The win over County at the weekend was the fifth that Murty has earned from his seven matches as interim boss and there is no reason why Rangers shouldn’t add another couple on to that tally in the coming weeks.

In the minds of many supporters, the defeats to Hamilton and Dundee ended Murty’s hopes of replacing Caixinha and it was no surprise that Rangers made their move to bring McInnes back to Ibrox.

But now it appears that there is no outstanding candidate for the Gers board to turn to and they have gone back to the drawing board.

Murty will continue to steady the ship, but could he captain it one day? At what stage does the 43-year-old come into consideration as a permanent manager rather than a stand-in gaffer? It won’t happen right now, but it shouldn’t be completely ruled out in the future.

The pressure on Director of Football Mark Allen and Dave King and his directors intensified in the aftermath of the successive Premiership losses last month.

But the groans of discontent from the stands will always be harder to hear when results are being earned on the park and that will remain the focus for supporters in the coming weeks.

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There are still more reasons not to appoint Murty than there are to give him the job on a full-time basis but that balance could tip the other way if he continues to impress and his side continue to pick up points.

Come the end of the month, Murty’s situation will be re-evaluated and Rangers should know who they are going to pursue as their next target. Could they stick with what they have rather than twist on another boss, though?

By that time, Murty will have taken charge of 18 matches over two spells and those inside and outside the club will have a better understanding of whether he has what it takes to be Rangers manager in his own right.

If there are doubts, then the recruitment drive will need to be stepped up. If not, there is no reason why he couldn’t be left in situ until the end of the season.

The same questions can then be asked again at that stage and Murty’s record and credentials will have to stand up to scrutiny.

The former Southampton and Norwich youth coach carries himself in the right manner in front of the cameras, is a popular figure with fans and is going some way to earning the respect and trust of the dressing room.

He has been reluctant to state his own case and push his own agenda. His results will speak for themselves, though.