Rangers have appointed former player Barry Ferguson as interim manager until the end of the season, but Chris Sutton insists there is no chance the 47-year-old will stay on permanently.
Ferguson has been tasked with steadying the ship following Philippe Clement’s sacking on Sunday, with Rangers trailing Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic by 13 points.
The former midfielder, whose last managerial role was with part-time side Alloa Athletic three years ago, admitted he was ‘surprised’ when the club contacted him about taking over at Ibrox on an interim basis.
While Rangers have stated that ‘a new, permanent manager will be appointed in the coming months’, Sutton believes Ferguson is already out of contention for the long-term role.
Sutton Clashes Over Ferguson’s Future
‘You are totally wrong’
Speaking on BBC Monday Night Club, Rory Smith suggested Ferguson could be considered for the permanent job if he performs well over the next three months:
“I think on this one, Paul [Robinson] is right. This happens all the time. They won’t want to give Barry Ferguson the job.
“They will be going into it, it’s difficult to the transition between ownership groups. They’ll be going into it thinking, it’s not going to be Barry Ferguson, of course, it’s not going to be Barry Ferguson.
“His CV reads Clyde, Alloa and Kelty Hearts. If he does really well, they will think, we better give him a job then.”
Sutton, however, strongly disagreed:
“Rory, it’s a zillion percent, you are totally wrong, and Paul is totally wrong.
“Because, as much as the Rangers fans love Barry Ferguson and respect him as a player, they want to see the club really move forward.”
Ferguson, who spent a decade at Rangers across two spells, will take charge of the team for the first time in Wednesday’s away match against Kilmarnock.
He will be assisted by former Rangers and Scotland teammates Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor, along with Issame Charai, who previously worked under Clement.
Ferguson won 15 trophies with Rangers, including five Scottish Premiership titles, five Scottish Cups and five League Cups.
“A zillion percent…” – Chris Sutton drops huge next Rangers manager claim live on BBC radio
