Rangers have appointed Barry Ferguson as their head coach until the end of the season in a move that has raised a few eyebrows and Kris Boyd has had his say.
The Ibrox outfit sacked Philippe Clement on Sunday (23 February) in the aftermath of the humiliating 2-0 defeat against St. Mirren at home, tasking Issame Charai with overseeing the training session on Monday, 24 February.
However, with a trip to Kilmarnock coming up on Wednesday (26 February), Rangers acted quickly to hire Ferguson as a caretaker manager, with Billy Dodds, Neil McCann and Allan McGregor joining the backroom staff.
As Ferguson’s contract runs only until the end of the season, rumours are rife about who could take the reins at Ibrox in the summer, with the possibility of the former’s deal being extended also speculated.
Rangers owners will take different route – Boyd
Boyd is certain that Ferguson and Co will give Rangers a lift due to their reputation as club legends but feels they are only viewed as a short-term fix for the managerial problem.
The pundit reckons the ex-captain could make a case to be made the permanent manager at Ibrox by stringing together impressive results between now and the summer, although he believes the prospective new owners might take a different approach regardless.
CompetitionRangersScottish PremiershipSecond (13 points behind Celtic after 27 games)UEFA Europa LeagueRound of 16 (Face Fenerbahce in March)Scottish CupKnocked out by Queen’s Park in fifth roundScottish League CupLost on penalties v Celtic in finalRangers 2024-25 under Clement
He admitted that he would be astonished if Ferguson was offered the manager job on a permanent basis.
Speaking on The Scottish Sun’s Go Ballistic show (24 February), Boyd said: “I still think that this is only going to be short term. Yes, you can go and win every game and see where that takes you.
“It will definitely give you a better chance, but I think longer term, Rangers will look to go down a different route.
“Maybe, the new owners will want to come in and have a look… they must have had a look at everything right now, but you’d imagine they would want a huge say going forward.
“How much of a say they had in this, we don’t know. Are we involved in what’s going on right now because there is no doubt the last week has damaged the Rangers brand?
“There is no doubt about that when you look at the performances against Queen’s Park, St. Mirren… obviously beat Hearts, but the performance was really poor.
“So, the place is low and there is no doubt that the guys will lift it and if they can get performances, get the fans back onside and see where it takes them, you never know, but I’d be astonished if, long term, that this is the way Rangers go forward.”
Paraag Marathe and 49ers to decide new manager
It emerged last week that a consortium, including Paraag Marathe of 49ers Enterprises, is in advanced talks over a takeover at Ibrox.
Rangers would have preferred to stick with Clement until the end of the season, but the nature of the defeat against St. Mirren left them with no choice but to axe him.
That is why they have installed Ferguson as the head coach for the time being, with negotiations over a takeover being the priority as things stand.
The Gers may wait until the talks are finalised before appointing a permanent manager.
Kris Boyd makes ‘astonished’ admission as Barry Ferguson Rangers deal discussed
