Ferguson set for ‘Massive’ Rangers change after appointment confirmed
Steven Naismith has opened up on the change Barry Ferguson will experience after being appointed Rangers’ interim manager.
Philippe Clement was relieved of his duties as the Gers’ boss at the end of last week after succumbing to a 2-0 defeat against St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.
Saturday’s loss was the second time this season that the Gers had been beaten by the Saints and evidently, it was enough to tip the odds out of Clement’s favour.
While Ferguson’s appointment was sorted quickly and fans will welcome his affinity with the club, he has never managed a team anywhere near the size of Rangers.
Naismith, a former teammate of Ferguson’s shared his stance on Patrick Stewart’s choice to bring in the Ibrox legend until the end of the term.
Naismith believes that ‘massive’ change is afoot at Rangers
Since Clement lost 1-0 to Queen’s Park and got Rangers knocked out of the Scottish Cup, he’d been on thin ice with his Europa League run the only thing keeping him in a job.
In the end, however, that wasn’t enough and as many fans had been calling for since their defeat to St Mirren earlier in the season, it was time for change.
Ferguson may not have the highest calibre of managerial experience but his affinity with the club alongside his relationship with some of the players will no doubt help him as he tries to forge a fresh path for the Ibrox outfit.
| Team | Position | Points |
| Celtic | 1st | 69 |
| Rangers | 2nd | 56 |
| Aberdeen | 3rd | 41 |
| Dundee United | 4th | 37 |
Speaking on Sky Sports News via X (24 February), Naismith gave an insight into how he thinks the Gers’ fans will feel about his appointment.
“Barry Ferguson is the best player that has come through the Rangers academy, he’s been one of the best players to play for Rangers,” he said.
“He’s managed before but that’s been at a League One level, it’s been in Scottish kind of part-time football so it’s a massive change.
“I think the fans will in general be happy that there’s going to be change, there’s not much else to be able to play for, their main goal now is going to be Europe.
“It’s going to be a very tough task against Fenerbahce but it’s about restoring pride and having performances that teams are lucky to get a point.”
Stewart needs this gamble to work out at Ibrox
Since his arrival at Ibrox back in December, Stewart has had a rather tough time of it.
The Gers had little to no money to spend in the January transfer window despite needing multiple additions and they’d just lost the Scottish League Cup final on penalties to Celtic.
While the appointment of Ferguson and other Rangers legends such as Billy Dodds and Neil McCann is a bold move, it’s one that the Gers’ CEO needs to work out.
There obviously won’t be many expectations going into the rest of the season but if Ferguson and co. can manage to instil belief into their squad for next season, that would be a job well done.
Because at the end of the day, the only thing that fans really want is to be able to challenge for the title, which, for the last few months, has been something that isn’t really on the cards.