Barry Ferguson can’t really complain about the situation he has found himself in as Rangers look to pull off another shock in Spain against Athletic Club.
A place in the semi-finals of the Europa League awaits for a Rangers squad that has never been far from criticism.
The first leg at Ibrox was a strange affair after Robin Propper’s early red card with a resolute defensive performance showing that Athletic can be got at.
What will also be needed, is for Rangers to do what hasn’t come easy in recent weeks and restrict chances to a minimum for a side chasing a Champions League place in La Liga.
At the centre of the Rangers defence will be John Souttar, returning from suspension to guide those around him.
John Souttar explains what Rangers need to do to beat Athletic Club
Speaking to Rangers TV, Souttar reckons that a repeat performance could be enough to get them through:
“Yeah, obviously, they’ll be at home but, I think the principles stay the same.
“I think they’ll play similar football, try and go wide, try and get balls in the box, try and get their best players on the ball.
“If we play like we did last week it will give us a good platform and, if we can get the ball to the players that can cause them damage, I’m sure it will give us a good chance.”
Who should line up alongside John Souttar?
Ernesto Valverde has been open about Athletic’s problems against defensive teams and, with a forward line that has a lot of pace, Rangers would be naive to open up.
It’s not often that a team gets stronger with a player being suspended, however, Souttar coming into the team to replace Propper does exactly that.
The biggest question for Ferguson is who to pick either side of the Scotland international.
Leon Balogun has trained having sat out the draw with Aberdeen, but the big decision is whether or not Clinton Nsiala is picked.
The alternative option is to play James Tavernier, but this would mean playing Ridvan Yilmaz as the right wing-back – if Ferguson goes with the same shape.
Whoever is picked, Souttar is right, a repeat of the performance at Ibrox is the bare minimum if the Europa League dream is to continue.
