There may be a new man in the dugout at Ibrox but, as far as the playing staff are concerned, it was the same old Rangers with Motherwell consigning Barry Ferguson’s team to a third successive home defeat.
Saturday’s 3pm kick-off against Michael Wimmer’s side was supposed to represent a celebration of sorts. Commemorating the old and the new; James Tavernier made his 500th Rangers appearance to mark the first Ibrox outing post-Philippe Clement.
But if the home support were hoping that the ‘new manager bounce’ which helped see Rangers over the line against Kilmarnock in midweek would continue here, there was to be no repeat three days later.
This time, the 2-0 goal gifted to Motherwell in just half an hour of football would be halved but not eradicated. Cyriel Dessers’ consolation counted for nothing in the end.
Say what you want about Barry Ferguson as a coach, there can be no questioning his decisiveness.
After Clinton Nsiala was hauled off at Kilmarnock inside the first-half, Robin Propper, Ianis Hagi and Hamza Igamane were all conspicuous by their absence as the second half begun against Motherwell.
Barry Ferguson reacts as Rangers suffer Motherwell reverse
“It was nowhere near what I asked them to do. I shouldn’t need to make three changes to get a reaction. That’s a concern for me,” Ferguson admitted in a deflating post-match press conference.
“Very surprised by that first half. You can’t just be a good player. You need to have other attributes to be a Rangers player. I didn’t see that. That frustrates me. Angers me.”
Another Jack Butland blunder was pounced upon by Motherwell striker Luke Armstrong with only nine minutes on the clock. Tom Sparrow then doubled the visitors’ advantage as Wimmer’s Well carried on the pattern started by Queen’s Park and maintained by St Mirren.
Jefte endured another poor afternoon – more out of position than Al Pacino in a slapstick Adam Sandler comedy – while substitutes Nedim Bajrami, Tom Lawrence and Danilo did little to boost their chances of more regular game time.
As for the next steps – Barry Ferguson’s ‘main objective’ is to get Rangers winning again – it is a case of drilling into his squad the standards and expectations required of a club capable of far greater things than this.
Ferguson explains how he plans to turn Rangers around
“I felt we were edgy as soon as we lost the first goal. It’s something that’s been about for a while. I thought on Wednesday we got rid of that but we didn’t,” Ferguson sighs.
“The players do understand the mentality. They’re clear on that from the last four days. From what I’ve seen apart from the first 45 minutes today, there are players good enough here. They need a bit of help and guidance.
“I need to be positive. Work with them. I’m not going to try and kid people on. That level of performance in the first half is nowhere near what is needed. I spoke to them in the dressing room.
“Rangers fans can accept you not playing well but they can’t accept you getting run over the top of.”
Ahead of what is likely to be a busy summer window – especially as the San Francisco 49ers look to take over at Rangers – how many more performances like this can the likes of Propper, Hagi and Jefte really afford?
“When a manager loses his job, you’re playing for your future,” adds the five-time Premiership winner. “I’ve got these players to work with. They’ve listened, they’ve understood what way we want to play, they understand what it means to play for a club like this.
“[But] at the end of the day, it’s about winning games.”
