Barry Ferguson won’t be short of people trying to give him advice now he’s stepped into the Rangers interim manager role.
A deal for Ferguson to boss Gers on a temporary basis was tied up yesterday as he brought in fellow club heroes Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor to join Issame Charai on his backroom team.
Fergie gave his first interview to Rangers TV as fans lapped up every word from a bona fide club legend who they already adored.
He has promised to deliver a front foot, attacking style of play full of aggression which is further music to the ears of supporters.
Ally McCoist admitted his “surprise” at the appointment and his flat on-air reaction suggested he was underwhelmed with it.
Coisty also named three permanent Rangers options – Steven Gerrard, Derek McInnes and Kevin Muscat – while admitting he would have liked Frank Lampard to be given the chance before he took the Coventry job.
Super Ally has been on talkSPORT again this morning and once again talking about the situation at Ibrox.
McCoist doesn’t want Ferguson managing a Rangers crisis
McCoist had the reins at Rangers trying circumstances, the club demoted to the bottom tier after administration.
He has now revealed what Sir David Murray said to him at the time – that he was only being given the job because they knew he could manage a crisis rather than manager a team.
But Coisty insists the last thing that anybody should want is Fergie to be having to fight similar fires.
He said on the Breakfast Show: ”The old chairman David Murray hit the nail on the head with me. I speak to him and I still speak to him regular, but he said ‘the bottom line is we effectively don’t know if you can manage, but we do know that you can crisis-manage’ – and that was spot on at the time.
“That was a reasonable assessment. The one thing we don’t want to see, and I really, really mean this, is Barry Ferguson having to crisis manage. That is not a place you want to be, I can assure you of that.”
Rangers players look damaged
McCoist fears that scenario for the new interim boss because of how he perceives the current Rangers squad.
He stated yesterday they were a “weak” group and has doubled down on that today, insisting they look “damaged” and shorn of confidence.
And he fears that even if Ferguson can get an initial bounce out of them they may well eventually revert back.
He said: “The players right now, Europe aside, they look damaged.
“They look damaged, they look low on confidence, the look all over the place particularly in the last two home games. Getting them to understand what the club is all about and getting them to play might be two different things. Obviously, I am very, very hopeful but it’s a big task that they have got.
“A leopard doesn’t really change its spots. You might get a reaction over a couple of games or whatever it may be, but I look at the team and they are weak. I look at that team for men – leaders, who will grab the game by the scruff of the neck, and there is not any.
“The problem with nice teams is they are nice to play against. Right now, you play against Rangers you play one big man up front – maybe two – and play a ball right down the middle and mess them about. They have got to get rid of that.
“They are too nice to play against, and off the park as well I need to reserve judgement. I think the thing that Rangers fans are hoping for it some form of takeover that can finance the club, that is where I am at on it.”
