Barry Ferguson has issued a stern warning to his Rangers players, stating they will be “filleted” by Fenerbahce in the Europa League if they replicate their dismal performance against Motherwell.
The Ibrox legend suffered his first defeat as interim manager as the Steelmen secured a 2-1 victory at Govan. With a crucial last-16 tie against Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in Istanbul looming on Thursday night, Ferguson made it clear that his team must significantly improve or face a heavy defeat.
Rangers were abysmal against Motherwell, marking their third consecutive home loss for the first time since 2012. Despite a comeback win over Kilmarnock in his debut game in charge, Ferguson’s side failed to deliver in front of their own fans.
The interim boss emphasized that every player is now fighting for their future at the club, with a new manager set to take over in the summer following Philippe Clement’s departure.
When asked about the potential consequences of a similar performance against Fenerbahce and Celtic in their upcoming fixtures, Ferguson didn’t mince his words: “It’s clear. They will suffer a heavy defeat.
“I’m not going to sit here and try and kid people on. That level of performance, certainly in the first half, is nowhere near the standards that are needed. It’s my job now to go and work my backside off to make sure this gets sorted.
“I spoke to them in the dressing room, they understand it. Rangers fans can accept you not playing well. What they can’t accept is when your team gets run over the top of in the first 45 minutes.
“When you’re playing at Ibrox, you need to be the dominant force. But Motherwell dominated us in the first half.
“I don’t know their contract situations. But when a manager loses his job, you are playing for your future. When a new manager comes in, he wants to change quite a lot of things. They are privileged, this is a brilliant place to play your football. But at the end of the day, it’s all about winning games.
“What was wrong with us today? The start. It was nowhere near good enough. We threw at them the stuff I demanded from the players and that was nowhere near what I asked them to do.
“I’m very surprised by that performance. I’ve been here for four days and I know I’ve got good players. But when you’re at Rangers it’s not just about being a good player. You need to have other attributes. I saw a lot of those attributes at Kilmarnock but I didn’t today. That frustrates me and angers me. At times I couldn’t believe what I was watching.”
Ferguson made bold changes during the match, substituting three players at halftime after Rangers fell 2-0 behind. Although Cyriel Dessers pulled a goal back, Motherwell fully deserved their victory, and Ferguson had no complaints about the result.
Now, the interim boss faces the daunting task of lifting his squad for a double-header against Fenerbahce and a trip to Parkhead to face Celtic. He said: “Did I get a kick out of them in the second half after making three changes? Maybe but I shouldn’t have to make those changes.
“I shouldn’t have had to do what I did on Wednesday night either. But I had to, to get a reaction. That’s a concern for me. I’ve been involved in football a long time and sometimes things go against you. We lost the first goal and the players were edgy. I tried to calm them down because that happens in football.
“We had 80 minutes to get back in the game. But they were on edge. I’ve been at every game this season and that’s been the case. It’s been something that’s been about for a while.
“I thought on Wednesday night we’d maybe gotten rid of it but clearly we haven’t. The players have been told that. I’m not going in screaming and shouting or throwing things about a dressing room. They’ve just been told straight, that the performance in the first half isn’t good enough. Second half, was it better? Slightly. But it needs to be more.”
Ferguson’s first home game in charge was watched by his former manager Graeme Souness, who made a long-awaited return to Ibrox. Despite the painful defeat, Ferguson vowed to turn things around during his short tenure.
He said: “Do the players get what it means? They’ve been told in the last four days, rest assured. I’ve told them myself. There are good players here, there’s no doubt in my mind. But they need a bit of help, a bit of guidance. I’m still positive.
“I’m not going to sit here and let my shoulders drop down, my head’s not going to drop.. I spoke to John Greig before the game today and other ex-players. They understand the situation we’re in as a club.
“This is a kick in the sore ones. But the type of character I am, I’ll pick myself up. I’ve suffered it as a player before and I know how to get it back. Trust me, I’ll get it back.”
