As one of the finest midfielders in Rangers’ history, it’s no wonder Barry Ferguson enjoyed Thursday’s battling Europa League draw with Olympiakos.
A performance of guts, desire, discipline, and the odd flash of genuine quality, this was very much a classic, modern day away-from-home-in-Europe sort of performance from those from the blue side of Glasgow.
Philippe Clement lauded Nico Raskin and Connor Barron after they set the tone during the 4-0 hammering of FCSB.
And Rangers’ all-action midfield duo were imperious again in Greece, helping to take their tally to seven points from a possible 12 in the revamped Europa League. Even Olympiakos’ manager admits Rangers were the superior side on the night.
Reminiscent of the days when Steven Davis and Ryan Jack when head-to-head with some of the continent’s big boys and blooded their noses, Raskin and Barron are rapidly turning into the dream midfield partnership for daunting trips like the one Rangers made when heading out to Piraeus.
- READ MORE: Rangers Europa League Record Since 2017
Barry Ferguson lauds Rangers duo Connor Barron and Nico Raskin
“Bottle is something I think the Rangers team showed in abundance in Greece,” a delighted Barry Ferguson tells the Daily Record. “If you were to say to me four games in, that Rangers would be sitting on seven points, I would have taken that all day long.
“I know [Olympiakos] have lost a few players but they’re still a good outfit, so that point away from home is a brilliant one. I know how hard it is to get points on the road. When we went a goal down, that’s when I kind of thought to myself, right, show me a bit of metal and the team did exactly that.
“I thought Connor Barron and Nicolas Raskin were excellent in the middle of the park. When your opponent has the ball you need to be aggressive towards them.
“Both of them now, in my opinion, over the last couple of weeks are starting to strike up a decent relationship in the middle of the pitch.”
You can say that again.
While Raskin once again topped the ball-winning statistics with seven successful tackles against the Greek giants, Barron could be seen charging around the pitch, intercepting, harrying, and setting Rangers on their way with his trademark piercing passes through the lines.
Rangers told they must replicate Olympiakos display vs Hearts
It was Barron who laid the foundations for Cyriel Dessers’ superbly-taken equaliser too, forcing an Olympiakos mistake in their own half before Vaclav Cerny’s through ball put the Nigerian in on goal.
And Ferguson, former captain and a five-time Scottish Premiership champion, believes the principles that served Rangers so well in Greece must be maintained if they are to cut the gap at the top of the domestic table.
“Rangers’ entire performance against Olympiacos was full of character, bite, aggressiveness,” Ferguson adds ahead of Sunday’s visit of Hearts.
“And that’s what I want to see going forward, starting against Hearts. I want to see that in every single game.
“Now, I know you can never play at your best level all the time, I understand that. I’ve played long enough, but I need to see that passion, that character, that bite in the team
