Barry Ferguson urges Rangers to prioritise domestic competitions over Champions League nights
Barry Ferguson has urged Rangers to prioritise domestic competitions ahead of UEFA Champions League fixtures this season.
The Gers are set to resume their season after a two-week-long international break with a match against Hearts on Saturday afternoon at Tynecastle.
In a column for the Daily Record, Ferguson was of the opinion that Rangers must be realistic and focus on winning all eight games before the FIFA World Cup break.
“There’re eight league games and a League Cup quarter-final to play before the domestic game shuts down again for the World Cup,” he wrote. “And the target for Rangers is crystal clear – they have to win every single one of them. No ifs. No buts.
“Of course, they also have four Champions League games to deal with over this period so it’s going to be a demanding stretch.
“But, as much as those big European nights are brilliant to be involved in, it’s time for these players to prioritise on the bread and butter.
“But the bottom line is it’s what happens right here on their own doorstep that’s going to make or break their season. That’s why they should be aiming to rack up their very own nine in a row between now and November 12, when they complete this block of matches away at St Mirren.
“That’s where Celtic slipped up last time out and the points they dropped unexpectedly in Paisley should have fired Rangers up for what lies ahead. That result should have shown them that Ange Postecoglou’s players are only human after all.
“So now that the gap is down to just two points, this is the time to put them under some intense pressure and really test their mettle. It starts at the best possible place. Tynecastle was always my favourite away ground because, when you got off the team bus, you knew you were going into a real battle if you wanted to go home with a win.”
Important fixtures
Rangers ended their horrid run of three consecutive defeats against Dundee United in the final fixture before the international break.
That win was extremely crucial for the side, especially as their fiercest rivals and league leaders Celtic lost in their last fixture before the break against St. Mirren with a score of 2-0 on September 18.
That result left just two points between the Old Firm rivals and therefore, a win on Saturday will push Rangers to the top of the table, at least for a few hours.
As Ferguson suggested in his column, it makes total sense that the side must focus on domestic competition because barring a miracle, they cannot qualify for the next phase of the Champions League.
It is now up to manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst to ensure that the players will understand this and ensure that the side stays in the hunt to reclaim the Scottish Premiership title.
In other Rangers news, this Light Blues player has not yet played this season but could be out until 2023 after his father shared an update on his condition.