Steven Naismith shares ‘biggest thing’ he has noticed about Ferguson at Rangers live on BBC
Barry Ferguson has had a fairly impressive stint as Rangers’ caretaker manager in an otherwise dismal season.
Ferguson took over from Philippe Clement, and his side has become more resilient on the road, beating Celtic and Fenerbahce away from home.
It remains to be seen who will become the next permanent manager of Rangers, but Ferguson is in the mix as a figure popular with fans.
Steven Naismith has now praised his former teammate Ferguson over his spell so far ahead of the Europa League clash at Athletic Bilbao.
Naismith praises Ferguson’s handling of media
Speaking live on BBC Sportsound (19:23, April 17) ahead of Rangers’ Europa League quarter-final clash with Athletic Club, Naismith highlighted what he found most impressive about Ferguson as manager.
“That’s the biggest thing I’ve noticed,” Naismith said when asked about Ferguson’s handling of the media.
“From when he took over, and from knowing him as a player and how high demands he has and how laser-focused he was.
“When he says there he wants to win, that could be on a daft possession in training, to when you’re in a cup final, that never changed.”
Ferguson’s mentality has improved Rangers
There is still a long way to go for Rangers to reach an acceptable level after a bitterly disappointing domestic campaign, but they have improved since Ferguson came in.
The former Rangers captain has overseen several late goals, with Ianis Hagi’s strike against Aberdeen the latest example of the improved mentality in the squad.
Rangers were 2-0 down and reduced to 10 men, but they came back to rescue a draw in the dying minutes, with Ferguson overseeing a new ‘never say die’ attitude in the squad.
Should Rangers look elsewhere for their next manager, Ferguson may be useful in a different coaching role given his popularity at the club, but it is unclear if he would accept such a role after impressing at times as interim boss.
The next step for Rangers should now be to improve their form at Ibrox, after six consecutive home games without a win, and perhaps an improved mentality can help the Gers perform under the pressure of the home crowd.
Ferguson may need to go all the way in the Europa League to be given the manager role permanently, starting with a win in Bilbao, where they would return for the final if they can manage it.