Ferguson to be Rangers ‘lightning rod’ as Gerrard comparison made
Maurice Ross has compared Barry Ferguson with Steven Gerrard following his appointment as Rangers boss.
The Ibrox legend was brought in to lead his former team for the final three months of the season after Philippe Clement was sacked following a couple of poor results against both St Mirren and Queen’s Park.
Other Rangers legends such as Neil McCann and Billy Dodds were also brought in as part of the coaching staff and will be looking to restore some pride into the Govan-based clubs’ ranks.
Ferguson has had previous managerial experience but never to a level of the Gers’ calibre so it’ll certainly be interesting to see how things pan out.
These are the same thoughts shared by Ross who made his stance on the appointment of the Scotsman more than known.
Ross thinks Ferguson will have Gerrard-like impact at Rangers
While the return of the Ibrox legends wasn’t likely something on the bingo cards of many Rangers fans this season, it’s a move which has seemed to inspire many.
Now that the Gers have been knocked out of the Scottish Cup, there isn’t all that much left for them to fight for, especially since Celtic are now 11 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
| Team | Position | Points |
| Celtic | 1st | 69 |
| Rangers | 2nd | 56 |
| Aberdeen | 3rd | 41 |
| Dundee United | 4th | 37 |
Indeed, they do still have the Europa League to play for but even their next game against Fenerbahce is set to be a tough test.
Despite the odds being stacked against Ferguson, Ross believes that the Scotsman can be a “lightning rod” for his former club, much like Gerrard was when he took on the role.
“It will give a bit of excitement, a bit of energy back into the building again,” he said on the Scottish Football Podcast (25 February).
“And it’s something I did notice when I’ve been back at the club for the last three, four months. There was a lack of Rangers people in the building. There was a lot of suits.
“When you look at the appointment in isolation, Barry’s going to be the kind of lightning rod, similar to the way that Steven Gerrard was.
“I also know Neil McCann is a very capable coach. It feels like they’re going back to the people that were in the building when Rangers were successful. And that comes with behaviours, attitudes, certain standard setting.”
Hamza Igamane and Vaclav Cerny need to step up at Ibrox
Looking at Ferguson’s previous stints in management with teams such as Kelty Hearts and Alloa Athletic, the style of play he chose to carry out was fairly attacking.
And, with the way that the Gers have played most of their games this season, it feels like that’s the best way for them to earn the results they desire, rather than inviting pressure onto their defensive line.
While the form of Vaclav Cerny and Hamza Igamane may have dropped off somewhat over the last couple of weeks, the duo will have to get back to their best if Rangers don’t want to embarrass themselves in the Europa League.
Ferguson is only in charge of Rangers for three months but if he can manage to instil some belief back into the squad, he could set them up perfectly to try and challenge Celtic for the Scottish Premiership title once again.
Which, at the end of the day, is the least that a team of the Gers’ calibre should be doing each term.