Sacked Rangers manager buzzing from Celtic victory and sends Barry Ferguson celebratory message

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Rangers never leaves you. It would seem that still applies even if everyone wanted you to leave Rangers!

Everyone with a connection to Ibrox was delighted yesterday after back-to-back wins over Celtic were secured for the first time since 2021, with a first victory at Parkhead since 2020.

Gers’ 3-2 victory included quality and a brilliant Barry Ferguson game plan that earned a 2-0 first half lead, but also character in abundance to take back the initiative after being pegged back to two each.

Nicolas Raskin started the ball rolling with a flicked header inside four minutes and the little Belgian provided the assist for Mohamed Diomande to make it two, before Hamza Igamane’s brilliant late winner. Raskin was man-of-the-match and the stats lay bare just how good he was.

Even Neil Lennon was giving Rangers credit, describing their display as “outstanding” and naming the two things the team did right in the game.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers had praise too – singling out Raskin and Jack Butland for their roles in the victory.

And former Light Blues Michael Beale joined in with the adulation too.

• READ MORE: James Tavernier apologises to Sky Sports as Rangers blast unofficial anthem from Celtic Park dressing room

Michael Beale sends Rangers message

Beale had a successful spell as a coach to Steven Gerrard at Rangers but his own stint as the manager didn’t go as well.

It was all quite acrimonious by the time he was sacked with fans desperate for him to leave by that point after a series of poor performances and results after a failed summer rebuild.

That has since been rinsed and repeated for Philippe Clement but Barry Ferguson is now the man in the dugout, at least until the end of the season.

Fergie has managed to elicit a reaction having guided the team past Fenerbahce over two legs in the Europa League and now won a derby.

And Beale is delighted for both him and the club.

The sacked boss wrote on social media: “Go on the Famous. Excellent from Barry, his staff and the players.”

Could Beale ever return to Rangers?

With Steven Gerrard thought to be one of the leading candidates for the Rangers job permanently, the topic of whether Beale could return to Ibrox with him has cropped up.

Alan Hutton didn’t think so after being asked by Michael Stewart. A transcription of their conversation on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club is below.

MS: “If Gerrard gets the Rangers job, I would be very interested to see, does he bring Michael Beale back with him?”

AH: “I don’t think he would.”

MS: “I would’ve said no up until he took him back out to Saudi just before he got the bullet.

“He can be pragmatic, but what would the Rangers support think?”

Darrel Currie then asked Hutton if the fans would care so long as the pair brought success back.

He replied: “Possibly. It’s a difficult one. It’s different being a manager and then going back to the same club and being a number two.

“Is that something he would want to do? I’m not so sure. But 100 per cent for me when Gerrard and Beale were together it was proven it worked.”