Of all the players who should benefit from the appointment of Barry Ferguson as Rangers’ interim head coach, the £4 million summer acquisition is high among them.
Ferguson was, after all, arguably the driving force behind multiple Premiership-winning campaigns during two successful spells at Ibrox.
Perhaps in a similar vein to Roy Keane south of the border at Manchester United, the former Rangers captain has been unfairly pigeonholed as something of a tough-tackling scrapper in the years since retirement. But, a la Keane, those old enough and fortunate enough to remember Barry Ferguson in full flow will tell you that there was beauty to go alongside the occasional brutality.
One of the most complete central midfielders in modern Scottish football history, then, has a lot of knowledge to impart upon the likes of those currently occupying the middle of the park in Rangers blue.
Ferguson likes what he sees from Mohamed Diomande.
On his managerial debut in midweek, Diomande assisted Vaclav Cerny as Rangers came from 2-0 down to win 4-2 at Kilmarnock. That was the Ivorian’s sixth assist of the campaign, to go with his five goals.
But, like with the entire Rangers squad as a whole, Ferguson is taking it upon himself to add some much-needed consistency to the undoubted talent running through Diomande’s veins.
Barry Ferguson gives his honest verdict on Rangers’ Mohamed Diomande
“I want to get my teeth into every single player. Obviously, I wasn’t always looking at the midfield area, because I was a midfielder myself,” Ferguson explains. “But I’m here to help, I’m here to try and make players better. Not just me, my staff [as well have this responsibility].
“[Diomande] is certainly a player that I see a lot in [but] I think there’s still areas of his game that he has to improve.
“I understand that. It’s the same with Nico Raskin. It’s the same with Bailey Rice. It’s the same with all the midfielders.
“I just don’t want to focus on the midfielders. Obviously, I want to focus on other players throughout the team, but he’s certainly a player that I think has got a bright future.”
Wearing the number ten shirt at Ibrox these days, Diomande had nailed down a starting spot alongside Raskin during Clement’s final few months with Connor Barron relegated to the bench despite a fine start to the campaign.
Ferguson hails James Tavernier as he prepares to make 500th appearance
At the other end of his Rangers journey sits captain James Tavernier. The long-serving 33-year-old veteran who’s vast experience and new-found versatility proved integral to that Rugby Park fightback.
Barry Ferguson lauded the ‘exceptional’ James Tavernier after he replaced the stricken Clinton Nsiala at centre-half in midweek.
Saturday’s clash with Michael Wimmer’s Motherwell will represent a special milestone in Tavernier’s Gers career, meanwhile. A man now in his testimonial year will feature for the Glasgow giants for a 500th time
He has already exceeded Ferguson’s own tally of 431. A further 26 Rangers outings, meanwhile, will see Tavernier oust Ian McCall in the club’s all-time top ten appearance makers.
“First and foremost, I think it’s an unbelievable achievement,” Ferguson says of Tavernier. “He’s been through a lot in his Rangers career but, one thing I’ve always got with James Tavernier, he never hides. He’s always put himself out there to play.
“I thought on Wednesday night, when I moved him from his natural right-back position into the centre-half, I thought he was exceptional. I thought he became a real leader. That’s what I want from a captain.
“We’ve had a few good chats. He’s an important player for me. As I said, tomorrow, 500 games. He deserves a lot of credit for that.
“When you suffer defeats and you don’t play well, it’s generally the captain that gets hit in the neck. He’s big enough to handle those situations. I’ve been through it as well. It’s not nice at times, but I’m afraid that’s the nature of the beast when you play at Rangers.”
