Barry Ferguson wasted no time in explaining what he was planning to bring to this Rangers team.
After being appointed as interim boss for the rest of the season, Ferguson insisted Gers would be playing attacking football with aggression intensity under his charge.
He also promised to instil a winning mentality in the players while he is in post.
It was on display for 45 minutes against Kilmarnock but then it had to be after a miserable opening to the game. And it certainly wasn’t there yesterday during a meek surrender to Motherwell.
There were plenty of factors in the defeat, including Jack Butland’s spill, and Rangers fans have been calling for the keeper to be dropped.
Michael Stewart has also highlighted Jefte’s criminal defending and picked out Cyriel Dessers, Robin Propper and James Tavernier’s parts in the goals conceded too.
Lack of intensity from Rangers jars with Barry Ferguson’s hopes
Motherwell are being, rightly, praised for the way they played at Ibrox after doing a job both in and out of possession.
They pressed Rangers effectively to stop the back four playing through the lines but also made very good use of the ball when they had it.
But in an analysis of Well’s lovely passing football, Michael Stewart points out it was as much to do with Gers players not doing enough to knock them off.
He said on BBC Sportscene: “There was a complete lack of intensity from Rangers. You look at them (Motherwell) knocking it about, Rangers never really get in their face. They never have any influence on it.”
Asked if that was ‘strange’ because of Ferguson’s early claims, he agreed and picked out Nedim Bajrami as the exemplar.
Stewart said: “Yes, well I think it shows you and tells you what is lacking in the playing squad.
“We’ve spoken about it this season when you look at the players that have been recruited and I think Bajrami is a perfect example of that.
“He’s a very technical football player, he’s a nice football player. But he has no intensity in his game.
“You have to be bringing players to the club that have that character and intensity, so that when the game needs that they can bring it. Rangers don’t have enough of those players.”
What Ferguson said about Rangers approach
“My message would be, you’re going to see a team that’s going to have a certain style of play, attack minded, and we’re going to try and win every single game, we’re going to be aggressive, which was a part of my game as well and I don’t mean that by going in and tackling people or going over the top on people,” said Ferguson.
“I mean, aggressive in the press, we just need to make sure that we get it right, as I said, but when I look at the squad, I do believe there is a team capable of winning games week in, week out, so, I’m just excited to get started, you can see I’m getting a bit sweaty here and ready to go.
“We’ll just, listen, we’ll take it game, by game. Every game we enter, we enter to win.”
