Ferguson makes Rangers job admission live on Sky Sports – ‘If I’m honest…’
Barry Ferguson overcame adversity to secure victory in his first game in charge of Rangers against Kilmarnock.
The former Rangers captain suffered a baptism of fire in the opening half-hour at Rugby Park (26 February) with his side two goals down and all at sea, before recovering to claim a 4-2 win.
Ferguson has had very limited time on the training pitch with his squad and there is no time to dwell, with Motherwell visiting what will be a lively Ibrox on Saturday (1 March).
Ferguson makes ‘crazy’ Rangers job comment
Ferguson replaced Philippe Clement after the dismal defeat by St Mirren at Ibrox over the weekend, with the Belgian having walked the proverbial tightrope for a significant length of time.
A Govan hero, the 431-appearance ex-midfielder for the Light Blues has delivered his first thoughts on experiencing being the Rangers boss for the first time.
Speaking to Kris Boyd, Steven Davis, James McFadden and host Eilidh Barbour live on Sky Sports after the thrilling win (26 February), Ferguson admitted it had been a “surreal” few days since being given the nod.
“It’s been surreal, I didn’t expect to come back into management if I’m brutally honest,” the 47-year-old explained.
“I was enjoying my role as an ambassador, definitely less stressful. But when I got the opportunity, I thought I would be crazy to turn it down.”
Ferguson has signed a contract until the end of the season while the board assess the future plans at Ibrox, and now has what is effectively an audition to prove his long-term credentials.
Gers await both easier and tougher days
For all the rollercoaster emotions the Rangers fans have navigated through in recent years, the win at Kilmarnock on Wednesday night was a microcosm.
The opening 30 minutes – which saw Ferguson attempt to stamp down a marker by substituting defender Clinton Nsiala – were utterly abject and Kilmarnock could have scored more.
In the following hour, Killie barely threatened apart from one Jack Butland save, by which time Rangers had turned the game fully on its head and were firmly in control, running out pretty comfortable winners.
| Date | Rangers record v Kilmarnock 2024-25 | Rangers scorers |
| 26 Feb 2025 | Kilmarnock 2-4 Rangers | Dessers (2), Cerny, Bajrami |
| 4 Dec 2024 | Rangers 6-0 Kilmarnock | Dessers (2), Tavernier, Danilo, Igamane, Cerny |
| 20 Oct 2024 | Kilmarnock 1-0 Rangers |
Of course, Europe will throw up a tougher test in the shape of Fenerbahce and tougher tests will hit the Light Blues before the end of the season, but this experience will benefit Ferguson and hopefully the Gers themselves from their perspective.
Should Ferguson steer his side through the oncoming tests impressively, he will certainly either be in contention for the long-term job, or put himself firmly in the window for prospective new management roles.