Rangers

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Barry Ferguson has been speaking to the media before his first home game in charge of Rangers, against Motherwell this weekend.

Here are the key points from the interim Ibrox boss:

• Leon Balogun, John Souttar and Dujon Sterling all trained on Friday and could be available for selection, with Ferguson saying: "It was great to have them back as we're pretty light defensively. I will touch base with the medical team in the morning."

• On his home debut: "It is a proud moment but the focus isn't on me - I only care about getting my team getting results."

• Ferguson praised James Tavernier's "unbelievable achievement" as the skipper prepares to make his 500th Rangers appearance on Saturday, saying: "He never hides - he is always available to play. He was a real leader when he moved position midweek, that is what I want from my captain."

• The Ibrox boss is delighted Rangers fans can attend the upcoming Old Firm derby at Celtic Park: "It is something the fixture has missed. In an ideal world, there would be more, but I'm just glad our fans will be in the stadium."

• Ferguson says it has been too easy for opposition teams at Ibrox in recent months, Rangers have been too "timid" and he wants them to be more "dominant", adding: "You will see a different Rangers team, that is for sure."

• On the challenge Motherwell will pose: "You've got to be respectful that the new manager's in. He's playing slightly different. But my main focus is on how we approach a game. We're at Ibrox, remember? We're in front of 50-odd thousand fans. There's expectations and demands."

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• This will be Barry Ferguson's first home league game as Rangers manager. The Ibrox side have won each of the past eight occasions a manager has taken charge of his first home league match since Stuart McCall drew 1-1 with Livingston in the Scottish Championship in March 2015. The last to lose his first such match was Tommy McLean in November 1983 (2-1 v Celtic).

• Rangers have lost just one of their past 60 league meetings with Motherwell (W43 D16), a 2-1 reverse at home in March 2024.

• Motherwell have only won once in their past 40 away league games against Rangers (D7 L32), losing their first such visit this season 2-1 in August.

• Motherwell have lost their past three away league matches, last losing four on the bounce in December 2017 (run of five).

• James Tavernier is one away from his 500th appearance for Rangers in all competitions. Since his debut for the club in July 2015, the right-back has featured in 92.4% of Rangers' matches (499/540).

Rangers say the upcoming Europa League tie with Fenerbahce in Turkey on 6 March will be a "challenging trip" for travelling supporters. (Herald - subscription required), external

Steven Naismith never saw his former Rangers team-mate Allan McGregor moving into goalkeeping coaching, with McGregor back at Ibrox as part of interim head coach Barry Ferguson's backroom team. (Sun), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

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Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers believes "legend" Barry Ferguson's knowledge of the club will benefit the team as they look to build on his debut victory.

The Nigeria international scored two in Rangers' 4-2 comeback win against Kilmarnock, Ferguson's first game in charge as interim boss.

"I see that he [Ferguson] is in the hall of fame and I know what he did for the club, five league titles, five Scottish Cups, all these things, so that speaks for itself," Dessers said.

"He's a big name at this club, a big personality and it's good that he's around now. He knows the club through and through, he knows what the fans want, what the club is all about, and he is just trying to bring that to us.

"Obviously, some guys have been around for a long time as well and they know it as well but I think it's good to hear it from him."

Ferguson was a club ambassador before he stepped in to replace Philippe Clement until the end of the season.

"He's a Rangers legend and with all the staff, we have some [former] players who have been very important for Rangers and they know the club, they know the little things, they know how the fans feel so that's also what they try to bring to the group," Dessers said.

"That's what we try to take from them, learn from that and try to convert it on the pitch."

It looked like a nightmare start for Ferguson as Rangers went 2-0 down early on before a fightback sparked by the first-half substitution of 21-year-old defender Clinton Nsiala.

"We have got his back, he doesn't need to worry about that," Dessers said of his team-mate.

He added: "That's football. I think everybody in this dressing room has been in that situation before in his career.

"He's very young, I don't think he even has 10 professional games so he still has things to learn, but we see his quality every day and he'll be fine, he'll learn from this."

We asked for your thoughts on the 4-2 comeback win over Kilmarnock in Barry Ferguson's first game in charge of Rangers.

Here's what some of you said:

Dougie: Great fightback. Some leadership at last. In the 74th minute I actually saw the management team talking tactics and formations. In the 90th minute, I again saw the manager shouting orders - been a long time since I saw that.

Bill: The difference between this game and the weekend was at 2-0, Philippe Clement's team would have capitulated. Ferguson saw the young centre-back was being bullied and outmuscled and made a change. This was the catalyst for the revival. With a strong defence, the team could go forward with confidence. The previous manager would have persevered and failed.

Alexander: I was dreading the rest of the game after Killie's blistering start, enabled by our non-existent defending. The spirit and character came after the substitution and the first goal. A much-improved performance and really good comeback result is to be applauded, however, the defence still worries me a lot. There are hard games to come but a good start.

James: What a difference a new manager makes. Early days but after a shaky start it's the best game I have seen since the derby. With Ferguson at the helm, and the new takeover, the good old days are just around the corner.

Ralph: Given the amount of time Ferguson has had with the players, it would have been harsh to blame him had they lost. I honestly believe Rangers would have lost this match under Clement, so already the new manager has made a difference. The defence is a nightmare and must be a priority moving forward.

Darren: I'm delighted the club finally has real Rangers men back leading from the dugout. It was refreshing to see Ferguson's and Neil McCann's passion on the touchline. You can already see that rubbing off on the players. I wouldn't bet against them staying after the three months.

Barry Ferguson's first game at the Rangers helm was laden with drama as his side fell two goals down in an abysmal start at Kilmarnock before roaring back for a 4-2 win.

Here's what the experts made of it...

BBC Scotland chief sportswriter Tom English

Kilmarnock will be kicking themselves – they could have been three or four ahead before the comeback. Rangers have dug themselves out of not a hole, but a crater given the way they were defending. Fair play to them for that.

They were resilient and played really well second half, got a lot of confidence going. But that defence is a nightmare. They can't get John Souttar and Leon Balogun back quickly enough.

Former Scotland striker James McFadden

Ferguson, Neil McCann and Billy Dodds were absolutely loving it at the end there.

They've come into an extremely difficult situation, so it's quite right they lap it up. Rangers looked stronger as the game went on, they didn't wither.

Former Scotland midfielder Leanne Crichton

A phenomenal turnaround. It looked like it was going to be a disastrous start for the new management team.

Kilmarnock couldn't have produced a more blistering start but Rangers' response showed real character.

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Interim boss Barry Ferguson insists he is "not scared to make tough decisions" after hauling off defender Clinton Nsiala on the half hour at Kilmarnock when Rangers were trailing 2-0.

The substitution helped spark Rangers to life, with Vaclav Cerny halving the deficit in the first half before Cyriel Dessers struck a double and Nedim Bajrami added the fourth as Ferguson made a winning start.

French centre-back Nsiala, 21, toiled badly at Rugby Park before making way for Ridvan Yilmaz, who was deployed at right-back, with captain James Tavernier moving to central defence.

"Clinton's a young player, he's got huge potential, but it could have been a number of players," said Ferguson.

"But I've been brought here to do a job, I have to make some tough decisions at times.

"I'm not scared to make tough decisions, but it worked.

"But listen, Clinton, we're going to work with him, we're going to make him better, and he'll learn from it.

"So it's nothing against the young man, as I said, I think he's got a bright, bright future in front of him. "

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• James Tavernier has assisted six goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other Rangers player.

• Vaclav Cerny has scored 11 goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other Rangers player.

• Kilmarnock have lost after leading by two or more goals in the Premiership for the first time since 3 November 2024 against Dundee (a 3-2 defeat).

• Rangers have won after trailing at half-time in the Premiership for the first time since 14 May 2024 against Dundee (six games without a win after trailing at half-time).

• Kilmarnock have conceded 13 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, only Ross County (16) and Hibernian (15) have conceded more in the Premiership this season.

Sacked Rangers manager Philippe Clement is entitled to a significantly higher pay off than the £1.2m previously suggested as the Belgian's severance terms were upped substantially when he signed his new contract in the summer. (Daily Record), external

Rangers received the blessing of 49ers Enterprises, which is part of a consortium in takeover talks, to sack manager Philippe Clement, while there are currently no signs of the US company selling Leeds United to Red Bull, which became a minority stakeholder of the Championship leaders in May 2024, in light of the Ibrox negotiations. (The Athletic), external

Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe has confirmed that Rangers will not become a feeder club to the Championship leaders, but because of less restrictive rules over dual ownership in the English top-flight than the English Football League, the takeover of the Scottish Premiership outfit involving 49ers Enterprises will only happen if the Yorkshire club are promoted. (City AM), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Barry Ferguson rode an emotional rollercoaster as Rangers recovered from two goals down against Kilmarnock to deliver victory in his first Scottish Premiership game as interim manager.

Upon his appointment as Philippe Clement's successor on Monday, the Ibrox icon said he thought his dream of leading his beloved Rangers was long gone.

Inside 15 minutes, it threatened to be something of a nightmare.

Clueless at a corner, the Rangers defence allowed Joe Wright to roam free at the back post and force in the opener for Derek McInnes' side at Rugby Park.

Centre-back pairing Clinton Nsiala and Robin Propper were terrorised by the Ayrshire side's front two of Bobby Wales and Marley Watkins, but it was captain Brad Lyons who lasered them into a two-goal lead.

Seeing enough, Ferguson hooked French defender Nsiala before the half-hour mark. In hindsight, it was a game-changing move.

Vaclav Cerny, one of the consistent bright sparks in an otherwise inconsistent campaign, slotted a cool and composed finish to the near-side of Kieran O'Hara to halve the deficit before the break.

Once ahead, victory was rarely in doubt for Rangers, though Nedim Bajrami's strike on the end of a devastating breakaway ensured the Ferguson era would kick off with a win.

Give us your thoughts on the night here., external

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Interim manager Barry Ferguson says Rangers showed "character" to fight back and beat Kilmarnock.

"It was a horrendous start," he told BBC Scotland.

"We looked a bit nervy all over the pitch, a bit timid, but that's natural given they've come in for a fair bit of criticism.

"Maybe we gave them too much information, because after going two goals down, we got a bit of grip in the game.

"Then, we were different class in the second half, with the type of Rangers performance I expect to see.

"There's a lot to work on and we'll work on it, but one thing they showed tonight was character.

"You've got to be resilient at Glasgow Rangers. There's demands and expectations to win every game and if you don't, you come in for criticism and you need to handle that criticism.

"I see a fire about them. This is a determined group of boys to put things right."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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When Rangers lost in Ayrshire in October, now-coach Billy Dodds said on Sportsound that the attitude of the visitors was "miles off it".

While slow to get going again on Wednesday, the Ibrox side responded to ease the pressure they were already piling on interim manager Ferguson.

Given recent showing, it wouldn't have been far-fetched to fear for Rangers when they went 2-0 down. This is a squad who have often taken fright in adversity and struggled with setbacks. That wasn't the case in Ayrshire.

After Nsiala departed, they regrouped. From then, they were resurgent.

Earlier in the season, Dodds said it the performance at Rugby Park proved Rangers had "regressed". This, though, was a performance where they showed they have progressed.

As the game went on, they looked stronger, with a bit of steel and filled with a confidence that's been missing.

Now, it's about showing this wasn't just a new manager bounce. Consistency will be key for Ferguson and Rangers.

Not just for his crucial two goals, but Cyriel Dessers' all-round play at Rugby Park was exactly what Rangers needed to fight back and seal victory in Barry Ferguson's first game in charge.

Have a deek across the stats and he's dominant.

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Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Phew! Even by Rangers' standards, this has been quite the week.

After months of speculation, Philippe Clement was finally relieved of his duties following the meek performance that allowed St Mirren to claim a first victory at Ibrox in over 33 years and less than 24 hours later, former captain Barry Ferguson was installed as interim manager until the end of the season.

Ferguson spoke to the media for the first time on Tuesday and now on Wednesday evening takes charge of his first game along with his trusted lieutenants Allan McGregor, Neil McCann and Billy Dodds as they make the short trip down to Rugby Park to play Kilmarnock, managed by a man who has been regularly linked to the Rangers job in Derek McInnes.

Ferguson's appointment has been met with a mixed reaction, ridiculed in parts, welcomed in others, with the man himself asking to be judged at the end of the season, while stressing he has given no thought to taking the job on longer term.

His task, of turning this team into a winning machine, is not an easy one and he has had little time to implement changes before this first game in charge.

But it will be fascinating to see what tweaks he makes to the starting line-up and perhaps more importantly what psychological impact he has been able to make on a group of players so lacking in belief and resilience.

On a personal level, I am pleased to see McCann and Dodds being given this opportunity, called upon for their managerial experience and coaching know-how.

I have come to know both pretty well over the years they have been involved as BBC pundits and have always found them to be among the most interesting to listen to in terms of their tactical insight into games.

Both are deep thinkers about the game and their acumen will be hugely important to Ferguson, whose own coaching credentials pale in significance next to his figurehead status as a top-class player for the club.

While his appointment has not been universally popular among supporters, every single one will hope he can make a success of this stint in charge, perhaps clawing back a few points on Celtic, giving the fans a style of football they can get behind and, who knows, maybe put himself in contention for the job on a full-time basis.

With takeover talks continuing in the background, a period of transition is under way once more.

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• Kilmarnock have won six of their last 10 home league games against Rangers (L4), as many as their previous 54 beforehand (W6 D16 L32).

• Since the start of 2020-21, Rangers have won 10 of their 12 league games against Kilmarnock, the most Scottish Premiership wins any side has earned over Killie in this time.

• Kilmarnock have won five of their last seven home league games (D1 L1), as many as their previous 15 beforehand (W5 D6 L4).

• After only winning three of their first 11 away league games of 2024-25 (D4 L4), Rangers have since won both of their last two on the road, 3-1 wins at Dundee United and Hearts. Not since February 2024 have they won more in a row on their travels (four).

• Having only won two of his 15 home games as a manager against Rangers in all competitions in charge of St Johnstone (one win in five) and Aberdeen (one win in 10), Derek McInnes has since won two of his four at home against them as Kilmarnock boss (L2).

We asked for your views on Philippe Clement's sacking and the appointment of Barry Ferguson as interim Rangers manager.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Ferguson

John: Barry Ferguson would run through a brick wall for Rangers for free, half of this squad would think he is insane, they will never understand his mindset and never will - it's called loyalty and love for your club.

Anon: Not for me. His footballing ability was there for sure but interim manager at Rangers given his managerial career to date - an absolute joke of an appointment. Non-league to Europa League next week! The board are ultimately to blame. They've made false promises.

Ken: Just the man to give a number of players a good kick up the you know where. It is badly needed.

Anon: Appeasement written all over it! While the Rangers fans will accept it, they know this is a stop-gap until a suitable candidate is appointed.

Clement

Paul: Nine managers in 100 years since 1900 and 14 in the last 26 says it all. The fans are too quick to turn on them and we are getting the results of that. Doing the same thing time and again and expecting a different result is stupidity. We need stability and to give the manager time to build the team. We need to stop the knee-jerk reaction.

Michael: Nobody likes to see anyone lose their job but in this case his position was totally untenable. There is no way that a club with the stature of Glasgow Rangers can be allowed to become the laughing stock that it currently is. This is not just the manager's fault but deep-rooted issues that attended from above. Things must change and now!

Moray: Sadly the right call, he has reduced the wage bill but also reduced the quality of play. So many problems to fix, the 49ers money could solve some, but we need Rangers standards of old to return to success and silverware.

Nethan: He had to go, even though he's been hard done by with funds we couldn't keep him as his tactics were terrible.

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Kilmarnock welcome back Kyle Magennis after injury but captain Kyle Vassell and defender Stuart Findlay (both ankle) are still out.

Rangers were without John Souttar, Oscar Cortes, Leon Balogun, Connor Barron, Dujon Sterling and Neraysho Kasanwirjo at the weekend.

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Former Rangers striker Mark Hateley says he would have Steven Gerrard return to the Ibrox dugout "in a heartbeat". (Daily Record), external

Former Huddersfield Town, Schalke and Norwich City manager David Wagner is being considered by Rangers for after Barry Ferguson's interim spell. (GiveMeSport), external

Joe Cole has backed his former Chelsea and England teammate Ashley Cole as the permanent successor to Philippe Clement. (Daily Record), external

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Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes is aiming to ruin former team-mate Barry Ferguson's debut in the Rangers dugout, but is unsure about what to expect from the Ibrox side.

The pair played together in the Ibrox midfield in the late 1990s and McInnes acknowledged what Ferguson will bring to the role of interim manager as they prepare to go head to head on Wednesday night.

"He was a hugely talented player," McInnes said.

"When he first came through at Rangers, we were always aware of his talent. Talent doesn't get the job done at a club like Rangers. He was a fierce competitor and you need to be fiercely competitive to succeed at Rangers. He showed that.

"What he'll try and do is instil a bit of confidence through that competitive nature. That's their job. My job is to make sure we are equally as competitive and see the opportunity that is there in front of us.

"Hopefully we can be as good as we have been in recent seasons against Rangers and get the win."

While the game will be loaded with the added emotion of Ferguson's return, McInnes admitted it is hard to predict what the former Kelty Hearts, Clyde and Alloa manager will do.

"It's like any time you come up against a team who have just changed their manager, whether it's an interim or whether a manager changes. Sometimes there's some sort of reference of a preferred system," he said.

"Your preparation is still there, you analyse previous Rangers games. It becomes a bit more difficult to predict in terms of what you're going to get. The lads are only in for one day's training ahead of the game."

Kilmarnock have beaten Rangers in two of the past three meetings at Rugby Park, including a 1-0 victory earlier this season settled by Marley Watkins' late strike.

"Sometimes my job, when you player Rangers and Celtic, is you've got a lot of boys who are scarred by certain results," McInnes added. "Ultimately, when you win a game, there's a reference.

"There's a lot of positives to take from it. My job is just to reinforce the message of what can be done. If we deliver a big performance, and it'll need to be one, I believe there's a game there to be won for us."