Ian McCall insists that the appointment of Barry Ferguson has made a sizeable difference at Rangers.
Barry Ferguson is once again taking the plaudits after Rangers staged a late comeback win over Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.
Whilst Ferguson sounded like Clement in the post-match interview, the Rangers team found a way to win under the ex-Ibrox captain that they did not manage to do under the Belgian.
But whilst Ian McCall was complimentary of Rangers’ character at Dens Park, the former Ibrox midfielder had some choice words for other aspect of the team’s game.
Ian McCall slams ‘really poor’ Rangers v Dundee
Ian McCall reckons Barry Ferguson has introduced an intensity to Rangers training which is having a big impact on the team.
The former Partick Thistle manager also reckons that the Rangers squad is beginning to realise the gravity of dropping points at Ibrox.
But whilst McCall spoke highly of the impact Ferguson has had on the side, the former Rangers midfielder was less than impressed with the performance overall.
“They weren’t great tonight,” McCall told the BBC Scottish Football Podcast.
”For long spells of the game they were really, really poor but they found a way to win and they did make a lot of chances.
”There is a difference in this Rangers team. I thought this was an acid test.
”It just looks as if it means more to the Rangers players and they recognise what it means to play for a club that you have to win, where a draw is like a defeat, a defeat is absolute tragedy.“
Ian McCall criticises slow-starter Bailey Rice
Whilst McCall acknowledges Barry and his team have made a difference, the ex-Clyde boss singled out Bailey Rice as an example of things not going right on the pitch.
Rice came on to replace Connor Barron at half-time as Rangers introduced Ianis Hagi for Leon Balogun and implemented a change of shape for the second 45.
Ferguson has pledged to give Rice opportunities if the Scotland U21 international impresses in training and the midfielder was given the second half to make an impact against Dundee.
But McCall reckons Rice took the bulk of the half to get up to the speed of the game as the 18-year-old’s performance is critically reviewed by the coach.
The former Dundee United boss also criticised the much-maligned match-winner Cyriel Dessers for missing a host of opportunities in the game.
”He has made a difference, no doubt about it,” McCall explains. “But they were still really poor tonight in spells in the game.
”The shape was wrong, Bailey Rice took 25 minutes to get up to the pace of the game, Dessers scored one goal out of nine chances.
”There’s obviously loads of work to do but there’s been a change, no doubt.”
