Rangers had been drifting for some time before the end of 2024 brought the sort of reset that had been badly needed.
The imminent takeover by the San Francisco 49ers could be a game changer in terms of commercial opportunities and providing the sort of foundation that the club needs to get out of the doldrums.
There won’t be a blank cheque for Rangers to spend, however, the outgoing investors have sought transfer guarantees, whatever those might be.
Patrick Stewart ordered an external review from top to bottom, but one area that everyone already knew needed a lot of work was the Rangers academy.
Players were sent out on loan in January, although Findlay Curtis hasn’t been seen by fans anywhere near as often as they want.
It’s time for Rangers to give Findlay Curtis a chance
The Europa League is a different story given ball possession and the way games go compared to domestic football.
Bailey Rice is starting to get more game time, but with attacking options limited in terms of width, now is the perfect moment for Ferguson to give Curtis more minutes.
It’s time for Ferguson to put his money where his mouth is:
“Age is just a number in terms of young players,” Ferguson said when asked about playing youngsters.
“We have got some talented young players, there’s no doubt. We’ve got Bailey Rice, we’ve got Findlay Curtis, who have broke into the team over the last number of weeks.
“If they’re good enough and they’re show enough in training, I will have no issues with playing these guys. The door is open for young players in the academy.
“It’s important as a football club that you always produce your own. And as I said, I’ll do a lot of work to try and progress these young guys as footballers.”
Has there ever been a better time to give youngsters game time?
Other than when Rangers were in the lower leagues, there has not been a better time to give academy players a chance.
There are no cups to play for, the league is a formality and the manager isn’t fearing for his job, fans have demanded for Curtis to play due to his Rangers B team form, and they should get their way.
The two Ibrox defeats against Motherwell and Hibs mean that Ferguson won’t get the job on a permanent basis.
Defeat is never accepted, it is though, easier to take if players like Curtis and Rice are being given the opportunity to learn their trade and to assess whether or not they can be full time contributors to Rangers squad next season.
Whether he likes it or not, this, not self preservation, is Ferguson’s job now.
