New interim Rangers boss Barry Ferguson has quickly set out his stall for his three month spell at the Ibrox help.
The club icon has rounded off a whirlwind 24 hours by landing in the hot seat and replacing Philippe Clement on an interim basis – with Rangers legends Neil McCann, Allan McGregor and Billy Dodds in an A-list backroom team as the look to steady the ship after a nightmare campaign. The squad are hurtling towards a trophyless campaign with their Premier Sports Cup hopes ended by Celtic before a humbling Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Queen’s Park.
The Europa League presents the only realistic shot at silverware with Jose Mourinho’s side next on the agenda in Europe – with Brendan Rodgers’ men holding a comfortable 13 point advantage at the Scottish Premiership summit. So what is next for Ferguson as he looks to make the most of his time in the dugout – and get the side he captained back to winning ways?
He has now issued his first address to Rangers TV. Record Sport takes a look at what we learned:
Brutal honesty from the new boss
He didn’t hold back when asked about the form of the squad this season – and the dressing room can expect plenty more where this came from if they repeat the showing against St Mirren that proved to be Clement’s final game at the helm. Asked for his thoughts on the team, he said: “Inconsistent, if I’m being honest with you. I think in terms of, for instance, Europe, I think some of the performances have been top class. Domestically, for me, that’s your bread and butter.
“That’s where you’ve got to win most weeks. You’re always going to have a bump in the road, but I think there’s been too many bumps in the road. So it’s our job, and my job as a manager, and the staff’s job, is to try and get a level of consistency into the squad.
“Because as I said, there’s definitely quality players, and they look like a good group. They just look a bit flat at this moment in time. But again, that’s our job as a staff to try and get that confidence back up.”
Who will he take inspiration from?
He has played under iconic bosses like Walter Smith, Graeme Souness and Alex McLeish – so will he adopt a similar approach? Well, we will have to wait and see: “Yeah, look, I’m my own man. But listen, as you mentioned, I played under some fantastic managers that obviously I learned so much of, so obviously I’m going to take bits. But my own guy, I’ve got a certain way of playing, you’ll see that straight away.”
Even his advisors were surprised
The appointment has raised some eyebrows – and Ferguson revealed even his closest allies who he consluted before agreeing the deal were taken aback. Asked who he spoke to before the return to Ibrox, he said: “A couple of people who I respect in the game, they were a bit surprised as well.
“But I always lean on these guys because I trust them, I trust their judgement. They knew when I spoke to them, they knew how excited I was, sorry, and just desperate to get started. And I’m looking forward to, as I said, just getting out on the training pitch and spending a bit of time with the players.”
Winning is what matters
Ferguson is keen to put in place the philosophy that was in place during his time in charge – and he told the players that hasn’t been the case throughout the full campaign. He said: “It’s all about winning at Rangers.
“That’s how I was brought up, and that’s the way I want my players to be. You have to win every game. The demands and the expectations put on you here when people come to watch you, they expect you to win games, and I don’t think we’ve won enough this year.”
The revamped set-up
With Allan McGregor, Billy Dodds and Neil McCann all joining the coaching team in the same day there had been some question marks about what the make up of the backroom team will look like. Ferguson explained: “Obviously, I’m going to be the manager. I brought in Billy Dodds and Neil McCann, who have had previous experiences as managers.
“I’ve played with them. I know the characters that they are. I know how good they are on the training pitch in terms of organisational skills. They put on really good sessions, and obviously Allan McGregor, everybody knows what he’s done for the club. I’m excited with my staff. When I asked them, I was unsure if I could get them, but they were great.”
What next for Issame Charai?
He has only been in the hot seat for a few weeks – but Issame Charai is now the last survivor from Philippe Clement’s coaching team. And Ferguson has made it clear he’s looking forward to working with him: “We spent a bit of time together, just me and Sam, talking about just players and obviously the way that I want to take the team forward. He’ll just need to get used to a new coaching team coming in, but listen, he’s eager.
“That’s what I want. He’s got a good work ethic about him. That’s important to me. So yeah, I’m looking forward to bring them into the staff.”
A tactical tweak
Barry Ferguson has made it clear to the fans that there will be a change in pace during his tenure when it comes to a style of play – with all-out attack on the agenda. He said: The message would be, you’re going to see a team that’s going to have a certain style of play, attack-minded, and we’re going to try and win every single game. We’re going to be aggressive, which was a part of my game as well, and I don’t mean that by going and tackling people or going over the top with people. I mean aggressive in the press.”