Rangers ‘uproar’ on the cards over Barry Ferguson decision
Rangers will spark uproar amongst their fans depending on the decision they make on Barry Ferguson’s future as manager, according to Ross McCormack.
Patrick Stewart finally made the decision to part ways with Philippe Clement after Rangers’ awful results against Queen’s Park and St Mirren, but Ferguson’s start to life at Ibrox has been far from ideal.
Starting out with a hectic comeback win over Kilmarnock, the Gers were then dealt a big blow as Motherwell claimed a 2-1 win at Ibrox, only for the team to stun Fenerbahce in the Europa League.
It is unclear exactly what the plan will be come the summer, especially once the 49ers Enterprises’ Rangers takeover is complete, but the Light Blues cannot afford to make another managerial mistake.
Having made over 400 appearances for the club, Ferguson holds a special place in many of the supporters’ hearts, and McCormack has suggested that things could get ugly if the former player is successful but not made manager permanently.
Rangers supporters to greenlight Barry Ferguson stay
Speaking via the Open Goal podcast [11 March], McCormack said: “He won’t be thinking about the job until the summer. But if Rangers get to the final, or the semis, of the Europa League, which they can do, beat and draw against Celtic, I think they have to seriously consider it.
“If he did those things and didn’t get the job, I think there could be a bit of uproar. [Neil] Lennon was similar at Celtic – they had to give him the job due to what he did in that time.”
Ibrox hierarchy already looking at permanent manager options
Rafa Benitez is one of the newest names to swirl around Rangers, with Ally McCoist telling Football Insider that the former Newcastle manager would be interested in a move to Scotland.
A return for Steven Gerrard has also been mooted as a possibility, though after failed spells with Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq, many supporters have already rejected that idea at Ibrox.
| Permanent Rangers managers | Years |
| Giovanni van Bronckhorst | Nov 2021 – Nov 2022 |
| Michael Beale | Nov 2022 – Oct 2023 |
| Philippe Clement | Oct 2023 – Feb 2025 |
Ferguson’s lack of experience is certainly a concern, with his most recent managerial spell before taking the Rangers job coming with Alloa Athletic between May 2021 and February 2022.
Catching Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race is no longer an option for the Gers, but with an upcoming clash against Fenerbahce, success in the Europa League could help cement Ferguson’s position at Ibrox.
It remains to be seen how the majority of the fanbase would feel about Ferguson extending his stay with the Light Blues, but McCormack certainly believes his legendary status could see him land the job permanently.