Derek Ferguson knows exactly what brother Barry is currently finding difficult to grasp as the Rangers interim manager.
It’s been a tumultuous month for Ferguson since being drafted in by CEO Patrick Stewart to replace Philippe Clement until the end of the season.
There’s been incredibly joyous highs, most pertinently the 3-2 Old Firm victory over Celtic and beating Fenerbahce on penalties to reach the Europa League quarter-finals.
In between, there’s been some underwhelming performances akin to what Rangers fans were used to under the sacked Clement.
Rangers struggle to control and dominate games, particularly against the teams they are expected to do that against in the Premiership.
- READ MORE: Celtic rocked by injury with £1m ex-Aston Villa star set for Old Firm baptism of fire v Rangers
Barry Ferguson having difficulty managing Rangers players
Despite beating Dundee 4-3 at Dens Park, that game is a classic example. Rangers were 3-1 behind and had to mount a late, late comeback to rescue three points.
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Ferguson blamed “old habits” creeping in for the way that epic encounter played out – and his brother Derek thinks he’s finding it hard to deal with the fact the group of players he is managing can’t perform to the consistent levels Barry did as a player.
Speaking on the latest Open Goal podcast, Derek Ferguson said: “The standards that he sets is because when he worked in the lower leagues, I had to pull him aside and say ‘they cannot do anything that you could do, you are going to have to accept that.’
“That’s what he found hard. And I think he’s finding it a wee bit hard with that group of players (at Rangers). He’s looking at them and saying ‘how can you not do what I’m telling you, I’m asking you to do this’.
“It doesn’t compute in his head at the minute, so that’s what he’s finding a wee bit tough, but that’s part of management, isn’t it?”
Rangers midfielders nowhere near Barry’s level
It’s understandable that Ferguson will be frustrated that he isn’t seeing the quality or ability from the current Rangers side compared to the teams he played in.
Across the late 1990s and 2000s, Ferguson was the captain of Rangers sides who won multiple SPL titles and domestic up competitions for fun, which cannot be said of modern times.
Ferguson had the likes of Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Claudio Reyna, Kevin Thomson, Pedro Mendes and Steven Davis alongside him in midfield those days.
Now? No harm to those in the Rangers squad at the moment, but the likes of Mohamed Diomande, Tom Lawrence and Connor Barron are nowhere near that sort of level.
