Barry Ferguson 'to depart Rangers' despite Fenerbahce triumph
Rangers secured a famous European win at Ibrox but it may not be enough for Barry Ferguson to keep his job.
The Gers legend is currently in interim charge after Philippe Clement was sacked in February and has led the Govan outfit into the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
The victory on penalties against Fenerbahce on Thursday (13 March) seemed to strengthen his case to take over on a permanent basis.
However, a new development has emerged that suggests that Ferguson will not be in the dugout beyond the end of the season.
Ferguson decision already made by Rangers
Glasgow Times reporter Matthew Lindsay believes that the Gers will not hire Ferguson once his role as interim is complete.
He states that the Auchenhowie outfit will instead go in a different direction once the 49ers takeover is complete.
In a column for The Glasgow Times [14 March], he said: "There will be wholesale changes at Ibrox once the regime change is finalised, Ferguson will depart and a full time replacement for Clement brought on board."
Rangers need to get their next appointment right
It is imperative that the Gers get their next appointment right, otherwise they risk the gap to arch-rivals Celtic growing rather than closing.
Steven Gerrard could return and have a similar impact to Brendan Rodgers when he returned to the Hoops, but the Bears' squad is vastly worse off than the one he built and the scenes behind the club are not any better.
| Stats (Scottish Premiership) | Gerrard | McInnes | Ferguson |
| Games managed | 107 | 468 | 2 |
| Wins | 76 | 209 | 1 |
| Draws | 21 | 109 | 0 |
| Losses | 10 | 150 | 1 |
| Points | 249 | 736 | 3 |
Although the takeover should bring an end to the fighting between the Gers board, it will not solve all of their issues and Gerrard may struggle to repeat his previous success.
Another contender is Derek McInnes, but the former Aberdeen manager has never managed a club the size of one of the Old Firm clubs and could struggle with the pressure, although he does have a great record and understanding of Scottish football.
Any appointment is a risk at this point, with the Govan outfit languishing so far behind Celtic, but there is hope that the 49ers can improve their fortunes, both literally and figuratively.
However, if Ferguson takes the Light Blues to the Europa League trophy, it would feel like a very egregious decision to replace him.