Former Rangers defender Maurice Ross insists interim boss Barry Ferguson will be digging players out in training for the ‘little things’ in the coming weeks and has bizarrely questioned members of the squad for WEARING GLOVES during matches.
Ross was teammates with Ferguson at Ibrox between 2000 and 2005, racking up 108 appearances and helping the Gers lift two league titles, two Scottish Cups and two League Cups. And after his old pal was confirmed as Philippe Clement’s successor until the end of the season alongside fellow ex Ibrox stars Allan McGregor, Neil McCann and Billy Dodds in the backroom team, former full back Ross is adamant that any misplaced or undercooked passes made by Rangers players will simply not be tolerated. Speaking on the BBC Scottish Football Podcast: “Players should be digging players out. There shouldn’t need to be managers every day.
“The standards that are going to come in here, I am telling you now, when that pass is played two metres behind somebody when Rangers are going forward and it slows the game down for a half a second, it will be dug out and highlighted. So what will happen when Connor Barron gets it and plays it slightly behind Tav? (James Tavernier). See the next time he gets it, he is going to make sure it’s in front of him so the game is not slowed down.
“It will be nit-picking and annoying but it will be ‘no, no, no, no no, this is why you are here. Playing that pass incorrectly is not on here’. It will be small things.”
The 44-year-old then went on a passionate rant at some players opting to wear gloves during matches over the winter period. He continued: ” It sounds really silly and it is maybe archaic of me right, but we have not had that (much) cold weather here and I have seen Rangers centre backs wearing gloves.
“The only two people on the pitch. Rangers centre backs wearing gloves, come on, what’s happening? When podcast host Phil Goodlad tried to point out just how cold it was in Scotland at the turn of the year, a defiant Ross cut in to repeat: “Two Rangers centre backs, not the number 10 or the number nine, the centre backs.”