‘I can do the job’ – Ferguson confident he has what it takes to manage Rangers

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Barry Ferguson insists he is equipped to become Rangers manager on a permanent basis after Sunday’s 1-1 draw at home to newly-crowned champions Celtic made it six games in a row without victory for his side.

The interim manager has now won only four of his 12 matches in charge – and none at Ibrox – after Hoops forward Adam Idah cancelled out Cyriel Dessers’ first-half opener.

Despite the unflattering stats since he was handed the reins in late February, Ferguson was adamant he should not be discounted from contention to lead his boyhood club when the impending takeover by an American consortium of Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers Enterprises is completed.

“Everybody’s got an opinion, I don’t care about people’s opinion, I know I can do the job,” stressed Ferguson, a former Rangers captain whose previous managerial roles came at Clyde, Kelty Hearts and Alloa.

“I know I’ve got a real good staff behind me. I’ve been asked this question two or three weeks in a row, I think it’s clear, it doesn’t scare me one single bit.

“I know there’s a hell of a lot of work to be done, everybody knows that. And that’s a challenge that I would meet head on. And I know I would change it.”

Asked if he feels he has a chance of getting the job, Ferguson said: “Yeah, of course, but that’s up to people above to decide. Since I’ve come in here, there’s been a few bumps. But that does not scare me one single bit.

“I’ve been through the doors now, I know what’s needed in terms of change. So we just need to wait and see. But it has to be a decision made quickly now because we’re coming to the end of the season.”

Ferguson was “really happy with the commitment” of his team in the derby but “disappointed with just getting a point”. He challenged Vaclav Cerny to produce a positive response in training this week after the forward reacted furiously to being replaced in the second half, banging the dugout repeatedly.

“I’m the manager, I’ve got to make decisions, and if I feel I need to make changes, I’ll make changes,” he said. “I have no issue with people being disappointed.

“I would rather they’re like that than walk off with a smile on their face. He’ll need to come in next week and train really hard to try and get back into the starting 11 next Sunday.”

‘It’s not my problem’ – Rodgers weighs in on Ferguson future

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was also asked about Ferguson’s future after the draw at Ibrox, saying: “It’s not my problem to worry about Rangers being stronger. There’s always a narrative around ‘will they be better next season?’

“That diminishes the standard, or the narrative, about what Celtic have achieved. I’m only worried about Celtic – us getting better, us improving.

“If the takeover happens, and Barry stays… he has given everything in his time here. He and his staff might feel they deserve that opportunity to build a squad. If they go with that next year, then great. They will want to be better.

“My concern is healthy. We leave here today 17 points clear, massive goal difference. Our game has gotten better in the two years I’ve been here. We want to go again next year.”

Will Rangers go down a different route?

Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd on Sky Sports:

“I think Ferguson will be considered but I think there’s going to be a change.

“He’s probably a victim of the previous managers because it needs tidying up. It needs someone with a clean slate to come in and look at the whole working environment.

“The sporting director is now in and I can’t imagine Rangers will go and give another manager the keys to the castle to go and spend what they want to spend.

“There needs to be a new structure in place that suits the football club first and foremost.

“Whether that manager comes and goes, and moves onto better things, and I hope that’s the case. I hope the next Rangers manager comes in and gets linked with moves to bigger clubs because if you do that you are doing your job right.

“Look at Brendan Rodgers, who went to Leicester. Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham, they went onto a bigger league. That is the reality here. If you’ve got a good manager doing well, they are going to move on.

“That shouldn’t change what the clubs need to do. For a number reasons now, Rangers managers haven’t moved on to bigger things. Steven Gerrard did but after that they haven’t done that. They have been given another £10m to £15m to rebuild the squad, and it’s been a costly exercise time after time after time.

“It has to change and because there is a new board and structure in place behind the scenes. I think Rangers will go down a different route.

“Ferguson might be able to convince them from within. On the pitch, he will know it has to get better. He’s still not won a home game and that will annoy him. There have been times when the performances have been good, but the frustrating thing for him will be that he has seen it in glimpses from players that they can do it.

“But again, it’s about getting that consistency. That might mean more players have to come into the football club, but it is all well and good saying get players in, it is more difficult to get player out because they are on good contracts.

“That’s where Rangers are right now.”

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