A tactical revolution was not the first thing at the front of people’s minds when Rangers sacked Philippe Clement and brought Barry Ferguson back to Ibrox on an interim basis a few weeks ago.
By welcoming home one of the greatest captain’s in the club’s history, Rangers appeared to suggest that the thing this group of players would benefit from the most was someone not so much obsessed with clipboards, data and drilling down into the minutiae.
If Barry Ferguson had not won five Premiership titles during two spells as a player at Ibrox, there is no way in hell that a man out of work since a 2022 stint with Alloa Athletic would have been offered the job, even on a temporary basis.
But the desire, the leadership skills and the standards Ferguson brought to the table when patrolling the centre of the park in that famous blue shirt could – at least in the eyes of the Gers bosses – bring about the sort of rocket-up-the-backside reaction required.
Yet, in the build up Ferguson’s Old Firm derby debut as a manager at Celtic Park, much of the credit coming his way is centred not around his man-management or his brooding aura on the sidelines, but the sort of tactical acumen which has caught many by surprise.
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Brendan Rodgers praises Barry Ferguson influence as Celtic prepare for Rangers challenge
Ferguson out-manoeuvred the great Jose Mourinho in Istanbul last week. Switching Rangers from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-2-1, a three-man central defender kept Fenerbahce’s star-studded strikeforce quiet while Cyriel Dessers and two-goal Vaclav Cerny wreaked havoc on the counter-attack.
Rangers rode their luck in the second-leg at Ibrox, certainly, but now have a Europa League quarter-final to look forward to.
Whether Ferguson sticks with the same approach at Parkhead remains to be seen. Kris Boyd fears Jota, Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda could have a field day darting in behind Rangers’ wing-backs.
Brendan Rodgers, though, cannot help but praise the managerial rookie on the other side of Glasgow after he ensured that Mourinho’s first-ever competitive visit to Ibrox would end in heartbreak.
“Listen, I don’t know Barry, but I know him as a player. And I know that he’s gone in [to Rangers] and he’ll have a great connection with his supporters,” Rodgers told the media on Friday, albeit while arguing that ‘a lot of the same traits’ remain consistent from Clement to Ferguson.
“His history at the club, his success at the club. He was a fantastic player for them. For me, if I look purely at the coaching aspect of it, over the course of four games, I don’t see great change.
“I see the team go 2-0 down against Kilmarnock and come back and win. I see the team lose at home to Motherwell. I see the team go away and get a fantastic result at Fenerbahce. And then I see the team lose last night 2-0 over 90 minutes but win the tie.
“I’ve seen the team change the system. Absolutely, a really good tactical change to go 5-4-1 at Fenerbahce.
“[But] I see a lot of the same traits. Some very good performances, some inconsistencies, and Barry will see that.”
Callum McGregor fighting to return as Rodgers congratulates Rangers
Ferguson must be tempted to go with an extra man in midfield to combat Celtic’s tempo-setting playmakers. Connor Barron excelled alongside Nico Raskin in both legs against Fenerbahce.
Rangers will be praying that influential skipper Callum McGregor is not past fit in time for Sunday’s early kick-off. Rodgers confirms that the Celtic captain is touch-and-go, with Liam Scales also a doubt and Paolo Bernardo not yet ready to return
“I think it’s congratulations to Rangers, firstly, to get to the quarter-final,” Rodgers adds, Rangers setting up a last-eight meeting with Athletic Bilbao.
“I think that people will look in at what Celtic do and see it as being easy. But it’s not easy. You play here, you manage here. It’s high pressure. Every game is a must-win game. That mentality.
“[Rangers are] one of our rivals who has done well in Europe. It shows the consistency and mentality of this team and how well they’ve been doing.
“But no, I think we’re very focused on our own selves. We want to be able to bring our performance to the game at the weekend and to see if we can extend our lead.”
