It wasn’t a shock to see Rangers sacking Philippe Clement – even though Patrick Stewart had backed him just a few days earlier.
But it was a major shock to see the Ibrox chief executive drafting in Barry Ferguson as caretaker boss. It just made me wonder what kind of transfer fee Record Sport got for the move. Perhaps they couldn’t afford me.
And after about 20 minutes at Rugby Park the other night I was expecting to see him back in the newspaper by the weekend. Fair play to Barry. He got a reaction from the players – eventually. The initial response looked like Rangers were going to be even worse.
Instead, they rallied and it was a positive result on a night that could have gone badly wrong. I did find it quite interesting Ferguson was hailed as a managerial genius for hooking Clinton Nsiala after less than half an hour – when Clement got absolutely battered for doing the same with Bailey Rice a few weeks ago.
It turned out they were both right. Clement is a goner though and it’s Ferguson left carrying the can until the end of the season. But what then? Rangers have raided the media but they have got so many Rangers cheerleaders in the dugout they should have taken pom poms to Rugby Park the other night.
In all seriousness, fair play to Barry. I admired him as a player and I admire him having the guts to take on this job at a tough time. I know from experience on the pitch, he was an outstanding midfielder with a real drive, real aggression and will to win. He could more than play a bit too. Back then Rangers had certain values and a certain mentality – qualities that are severely lacking at the moment.
I’m surprised at the move, but I guess Barry has been called on to try to light a fire under this squad and to bring back some of those values to the current squad. Good luck. They show some resilience against Kilmarnock but the same problems – especially at the back – remain.
This is a team that 12 months ago had the chance to go five points clear at the top but they bottled it against Motherwell. They’ve blown it numerous times since. Clement went to pieces under the intensity of life at one of Glasgow’s big two, but there’s no doubt his players let him down too.
It’s up to Barry, along with Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor. Some supporters will lap it up because they know these guys bleed blue. And that’s probably the thinking behind it, as Stewart needs to keep supporters at bay long enough to buy season tickets and sort out the takeover.
Having worked with Neil at times, you can tell he’s a bright guy, who is tactically very aware. He’s an angry man at times and I’ve told him so – but he even gets angry when I say that. Dodds is no shrinking violet either. As for McGregor, it does look a bit like bringing in a mate for the ride, and a bit harsh on an experienced goalkeeper coach like Colin Stewart.
But I am not on the inside, so it’s up to them. Rangers fans probably think they have read the riot act and are now back in business again. I’m not sure that’s the way to go about it though. I don’t think throwing tea cups or kissing the badge will cut it. A lot of the Rangers squad simply won’t know who the new coaching team are. That’s just a fact. And there’s plenty of evidence to suggest they could get the hair dryer but it will go in one ear and out the other.
Looking at the domestic displays this season, this Rangers team will need to be coached on how to cope with the Scottish game.
But I am not even sure what success would look like for Barry and his team. They could do well enough, win most of their games and restore a bit of pride. But would that put Barry in the frame to get the job on a permanent basis? I wouldn’t think so. And I don’t think what happened the other night would have made a difference either way.
I suspect he might fancy it now though after getting a taste. Perhaps there could be a place in the set-up beyond the summer and after any takeover – but who knows at this stage? The proposed new owners will have their own ideas.
Whoever is in charge will need to get the better Celtic – who have huge resources and a top class manager in Brendan Rodgers. They are so strong right now they can play in second gear, like they did the other night against Aberdeen, and still win comfortably. It’s really hard to keep motivated when everyone knows the league is in the bag.
Things were not quite coming off for them against the Dons and they could have been behind. But they stuck at it and got their rewards. It’s when, not if, they will become champions now. You wouldn’t bet against a Treble either. Players like Daizen Maeda sum up the desire and work ethic at Parkhead.
I know I joked on the commentary about Maeda probably running home after the game, but in seriousness, Celtic do need to be careful with him. He is human after all, even if it doesn’t look that way, and you’d think playing 90 minutes every few days across a variety of positions will eventually take its toll.
Jota is building fitness by the week and that should ease some of the strain, and it’s just as well. It proves just how formidable Celtic are right now – and how tough it will be whether it’s Barry or anyone else in the dugout next season.