Barry Ferguson’s response to dangerous Rangers incident is pathetic
Barry Ferguson is vying to enjoy a positive end to his tenure as Rangers interim boss.
The 47-year-old has failed to lead the Bears to a win since their dramatic 4-3 triumph at Dundee on 29 March.
Ferguson’s most enjoyable outing in the Rangers dugout so far came on 16 March when the Light Blues defeated bitter rivals Celtic 3-2 on away soil.
But the former midfielder could not repeat that feat last time out, as the Gers drew 1-1 with Brendan Rodgers’ men at Ibrox.
Ferguson provides weak response as Rangers fans throw objects at Celtic goalkeeper
As the Ibrox club drew 1-1 with Rodgers’ side on 4 May, some Rangers supporters situated in the Copland Road stand threw objects, including bottles, vapes, lighters, coins, and mugs towards Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo.
| Scottish Premiership table (Top two) | Games played | Goal difference | Points |
| 1 Celtic | 35 | 80 | 85 |
| 2 Rangers | 35 | 33 | 68 |
Speaking to The Herald [9 May], Ferguson said: “You don’t want to see things like that happen. I’ve been honest with you when bottles come on. That’s something that I don’t like to see. Obviously, the club are going to take action with it because it can harm a player, hurt a player.
“I’ve seen it in the past with lighters or whatever. I had that issue when I was in Fenerbahce. There was stuff flying past my head. It’s not a nice feeling. You’ve got to be careful. You’ve got to watch what you’re doing. You want your supporters to come and support the team. But when you see objects like that getting thrown on, it’s not nice to see.”
While Ferguson admits he didn’t want to see the incident happen, his response to Rangers fans’ dangerous behaviour is pathetic.
The Scot failed to criticise the supporters for their actions, despite the fact that player safety is paramount, especially in highly charged fixtures such as the Old Firm Derby.
Furthermore, by referencing a similar incident against Fenerbahce, Ferguson has arguably normalised such behaviour as opposed to telling his side’s fans that throwing objects at opposition players should have no place in the game.
Ferguson must win at Ibrox before the season is over
The Gers have endured a largely woeful campaign, which is epitomised by the fact that they have failed to win silverware and sit 17 points behind champions Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
Perhaps most embarrassingly, though, the Light Blues have boasted a poor home record in recent months, while Philippe Clement was sacked after a 2-0 defeat to St Mirren at Ibrox on 22 February.
Ferguson has successfully restored fight in his Rangers squad, who proved that they want to win for him when they beat Fenerbahce on penalties in their Europa League last 16 tie.
The Bears also proved their winning mentality when they emerged as 3-2 victors at Celtic Park on 16 March, despite throwing away an initial two-goal lead.
But Ferguson is yet to lead Rangers to victory at Ibrox, which is something that the 47-year-old has to rectify before his interim spell comes to an end.