Barry Ferguson predicts ‘obliterated’ Rangers squad this summer with just three Europa League finalists remaining
Barry Ferguson has predicted that Michael Beale’s Rangers squad is set to be “absolutely obliterated” and just three players from the 2022 Europa League final defeat will line up in the next European qualification campaign.
The Gers boss has signalled his intentions for sweeping change at Ibrox in the upcoming transfer window, with the manager admitting that as many as 12 players could be sent packing.
Writing in his weekly column for Daily Record (19 May), Ferguson admitted that major squad surgery was required this summer, and that James Tavernier, Connor Goldson and Ryan Jack were the only names who played in the penalty shootout defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt, who would remain a first-team presence next term.
“But what I’m struggling to get my head around is how, just 12 months on, the squad that reached that Europa League final is now about to be absolutely obliterated,” he wrote.
“The way I see it only three of the starting XI against Eintracht Frankfurt will have any chance of starting the next European qualification campaign.
“Only James Tavernier, Connor Goldson and Ryan Jack are certain to be part of the manager’s plans for the new campaign. Allan McGregor’s incredible career is almost certainly over.
“Borna Barisic is entering the final year of his contract and if Rangers have learned anything from the Ryan Kent fiasco it’s that they can’t afford to let any more of the best players leave as free agents.
“So if Barisic doesn’t sign a new deal he’ll be moving on too. And the performance of Ridvan Yilmaz in Saturday’s Old Firm win suggests the young Turk is more than ready to fill his boots. John Lundstram is in the same boat. Sign a new deal or off you pop as well.”
Damning
This is a damning assessment of the current Rangers squad, but it isn’t far from the truth.
The club have already undertaken some smart business this term with the loan of Malik Tillman and the permanent signings Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin, but the core of this Europa League side have vanished into thin air.
The departures of both Bassey and Aribo were always to be expected considering the business model that Rangers work with, but away from that, several players have fallen off a cliff.
Scott Wright has been non-existent this term, while Glen Kamara and Lundstram look to be heading out of the Ibrox gates unless they put pen to paper and sign new contracts.
This insight from Ferguson highlights just how poor the planning was under the previous regime of Ross Wilson, with the likes of Kent and Alfredo Morelos allowed to leave on a free transfer this summer and no replacements in the pipeline.
Hopefully, Beale will be able to rectify his first-team squad and make the necessary changes to challenge both in the Scottish Premiership and on the European stage in the near future.
In other Rangers news, one Gers ace will leave and likely move abroad because he isn’t getting enough game time to warrant staying.