Credit: Imago

Carla Devine

Fri 18 April 2025 15:10, UK

Rangers are looking ahead to the summer more than ever after being knocked out of the Europa League against Athletic Bilbao.

The 49ers Enterprises are expected to complete a takeover at Ibrox ahead of the new season, which would put the Gers in a much stronger position to progress

Barry Ferguson will remain in his role as interim boss until the end of the season, although what the future brings after that is unknown, with Rangers in limbo as it stands.

Bill Leckie shares Ferguson verdict

After Philippe Clement was sacked by Rangers, it was clear that the culture inside Ibrox needed to change and the appointment of Ferguson made sense.

As a Rangers fan and former captain, his passion and understanding of the required standards at Ibrox were clear and he has tried to drill that into his squad.

While there have been some impressive results under his management, particularly in Europa League action, there are still plenty of problems that need resolving at Rangers.

Nevertheless, the 47-year-old has been linked with the job on several occasions with suggestions that the 49ers may want someone who knows the club well.

Club captain James Tavernier is one of those who has been vocal in his support for the current boss to take the reins permanently.

However, when asked live on talkSPORT (18 April, 12:07 pm) if he thinks Ferguson has done enough to be considered, Bill Leckie admitted: “You’ll have played under caretaker managers and they’re everyone’s friend and everybody loves it and then six months down the line, it maybe doesn’t work.

“I think Barry has handled himself exceptionally well, I think he’s spoken very well, I think his passion for the club absolutely comes out every orifice, every pore. He’s a Rangers fan, became a Rangers player, the captain, and now the caretaker manager.

“But they haven’t improved particularly in terms of results, league-wise. He didn’t really get much of a tune out of them. Whether you sat him down next season and said, look, we’ve cleared out this dressing room, here’s your new dressing room I don’t know.

“But right now, I wouldn’t say that if you were the 49ers coming in right now, you’d be saying this is the man for us. I think you’d have other ideas, I must say.”

Rangers need a fresh start

There is plenty to get excited about at Ibrox ahead of the new season, especially when the 49ers and Andrew Cavenagh complete their takeover of the club, and supporters will want to look forward.

Ferguson has done a good job in his role as interim boss in difficult circumstances and has certainly raised morale around Ibrox during the period.

However, as Leckie says, results and performances haven’t improved enough to suggest he could deliver what is needed on the pitch in the long term.

Some of that could be down to the squad, and there could well be several departures at the end of the season, with some suggestions that Tavernier could be set for the axe.

That being said, Ferguson’s experience so far does not lend itself to working with big budgets and being able to make the signings required to compete with Celtic, meaning it would be a massive risk.

The Rangers legend has a great legacy with his former club, and it would be a shame to see that ruined by him taking on a job too big for him.