Barry Ferguson: Rangers go from 'horrendous' to 'different class' in interim manager's first game

For Rangers legend Barry Ferguson, it was a moment he had dreamed of, but one he thought had long since passed him by. However, less than 15 minutes into his first game as manager of the club he supported as a boy, he must have felt like he was trapped in a nightmare. The weight of expectation and the initial setbacks created a challenging atmosphere.

“It was a disaster,” Ferguson said of his players’ start against Kilmarnock. His new team conceded two goals in the opening 14 minutes at Rugby Park. “I sometimes wonder if they are listening.” Ferguson had every right to wonder, as his team struggled to breathe in Ayrshire. His dream return to Rangers was being dismantled before his eyes. The early performance raised serious concerns about the team's readiness.

But approaching the half-hour mark, the interim manager ended his misery by substituting the struggling Cyriel Dessers. After that, others began to show what Ferguson called “the Rangers performance I want to see.” For the former Ibrox captain, these few days have been like a whirlwind. He would rather have spent more time on the training ground than in the current situation. This change proved to be a turning point for the team's momentum.

When asked about that dreadful opening 30 minutes, when Kilmarnock eased into a comfortable lead through Joe Wright’s header and Brad Lyons’ precise finish, Ferguson admitted he “maybe gave the players too much information.” Given the difficulty defending set-pieces under previous manager Philippe Clement, you might have thought correcting those issues would have been one of the first priorities. But from the first goal conceded, that was clearly not the case. The defensive vulnerabilities were a major concern.

Václav Černý pulled a goal back before half-time, just minutes after Dessers was substituted. What followed was “terrific,” Ferguson said. It was indeed a different Rangers team. Cyriel Dessers, who first equalized for the team and then helped them take the lead, revealed that Ferguson told them at half-time “we still have a chance.” The halftime adjustments clearly had a significant impact on the team's performance.

At the final whistle, Ferguson was overjoyed and could not hide his emotions as what had ultimately become a fairly comfortable victory was secured. Of course, he was also level-headed enough to realize that Rangers are far from recovered. “You have to be resilient at Glasgow Rangers,” Ferguson said. “There is a demand and expectation to win every game here, and if you don’t, you get criticized, and you need to take that criticism.” The pressure to perform at Rangers is immense.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, and we will work hard to do it, but they showed a bit tonight, and that’s character.” It is a quality that has been lacking from Rangers for quite some time. There are still plenty of unanswered questions about Ferguson’s managerial capabilities, but he himself is a great example of showing character. His leadership will be crucial in the team's rebuilding process.