Barry Ferguson couldn’t have planned for his first venture into European football to have gone any better than Rangers win over Fenerbahce.
The Rangers manager outsmarted Jose Mourinho but the Portuguese legend issued a warning knowing that the job is only half done.
The Fenerbahce boss wasn’t happy with his side and praised the Gers display as Mourinho gave an honest assessment of the first leg.
For once, the Old Firm derby on the other side has been put to one side and, despite Brendan Rodgers’ best efforts to hype it up, there is a distinct lack of interest from those of a Light Blue persuasion.
With silverware only possible in one tournament, it is no surprise that Rangers fans have thrown all their eggs in one Europa League basket.
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Leon Balogun only thinking about Fenerbahce in big week for Rangers
An opinion shared by Leon Balogun who, speaking to Sky Sports, wants Rangers’ focus to be on one thing and one thing only:
“It’s a big week with two perfect fixtures. Obviously, Fenerbahce is first up, and we had a very good result over there. But we’re going against the Special One with some very good players, and I think it’s far from over,” the veteran stopper said.
“I can only speak for myself, but it really is like that—one game at a time,” the Nigerian international continued.
“I don’t think about the weekend so much. Obviously, it is there, but those games are always big.
“Right now, the main focus is getting through to the next round in Europe; therefore, we have to focus on Fenerbahce. I’m sorry to be boring!”
“It was a really good result and performance,” Balogun accepted. “But like I said, this is Mourinho, and I’m sure he will have a few tricks up his sleeve. He wouldn’t have been happy at all after the tie over there.
“But I think there’s a lot of confidence for us to take, and we can probably up our game in terms of on the ball.”
It would be a surprise if Ferguson changed shape or the system that Rangers played so successfully in the first leg.
Not just because of the performance or the result, but because having the extra defender provides just a little bit more protection.
Aside from Jack Butland’s save in the 90th minute, the Rangers No.1 had little to do other than collect wayward crosses, evidence that Fenerbahce struggled against the quantity of numbers in the box.
What do Rangers need to change to beat Fenerbahce?
As Balogun says though, one thing needs to change.
At Ibrox, Rangers can play on the front foot and use the crowd to their advantage, a 5-3-2/5-4-1 formation doesn’t have to be defensive.
The wing-backs should get more opportunities to get forward and the midfield will be able to control the tempo too.
Counter-attacking will still be Rangers best chance of getting a goal, however, at Ibrox, on a Thursday night, high tempo football and fast starts are the norm.
Why change what has been so successful in the past?
