AliousAndy Halliday is keeping his expectations in check despite an unforgettable week for Rangers and their interim manager, Barry Ferguson. The former club captain masterminded victories over both Jose Mourinho and Brendan Rodgers, with his side securing a place in the Europa League quarter-finals before finally ending their five-year wait for an Old Firm win at Celtic Park.
A dramatic late strike from Hamza Igamane sealed a 3-2 triumph over their biggest rivals, ensuring that first-half goals from Nico Raskin and Mohamed Diomande did not go to waste. This result came just days after Jack Butland’s penalty shoot-out heroics saw Rangers edge past Fenerbahce and set up a European showdown with Athletic Bilbao.
Some, like Ross McCormack—who played alongside Ferguson in the early 2000s—believe that if Ferguson can guide Rangers deep into the Europa League while delivering a statement win against Celtic, he could make a strong case for the permanent job. Just a month into his interim tenure, Ferguson appears well on track to achieving both.
### Halliday’s Cautious Approach
However, Halliday remains measured in his assessment. He doesn’t see this as a defining “Ole’s at the wheel” moment—referring to Rio Ferdinand’s famous plea for Manchester United to hand Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a long-term deal after an impressive Champions League win in 2019, only for results to decline afterward.
He recalls how Michael Beale enjoyed an exceptional start at Rangers, going unbeaten in his first 14 games, only for things to unravel later. Philippe Clement, too, began his reign with a 16-game unbeaten run before being sacked following a string of poor performances.
“As things stand, I don’t think Barry Ferguson will get the job,” Halliday admitted, suggesting that the San Francisco 49ers-led ownership group will likely opt for a more high-profile appointment when their takeover is complete.
“I think the new investors will want a marquee name. Of course, Barry Ferguson will have one eye on securing the job. He has three months to build his CV as much as possible. Winning Old Firm matches and big European nights will make his case stronger, but I don’t think three weeks of good results are enough.”
Halliday believes Ferguson still has a considerable task ahead:
“Michael Beale had a strong start. Philippe Clement had a strong start. I think Barry Ferguson still has a fair bit more to do.”
### More Questions to Answer
It’s worth remembering that Rangers convincingly defeated Celtic 3-0 under Clement just two-and-a-half months ago. Despite that, the Belgian was dismissed soon after due to damaging results against St Mirren, Queen’s Park, Dundee, and Hibernian.
Likewise, Ferguson’s tenure has not been flawless—only two weeks ago, Rangers suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Motherwell in his second game in charge. Halliday suggests that Ferguson’s biggest test won’t necessarily be in high-profile matches like the Old Firm derby but against teams that set up defensively, such as Dundee and Hibernian, Rangers’ next domestic opponents.
“They might not have won them all, but for me, Rangers dominated the last three Old Firm matches—two of those were under Philippe Clement,” Halliday observed.
“Their biggest issue has been breaking down deep-lying defenses, which is exactly what Celtic had to do against them last weekend. When Rangers have to unlock a low block and are expected to win, time will tell if they can do that consistently.”
That said, Halliday acknowledges that if Ferguson can sustain Rangers’ momentum, the pressure to appoint him permanently will become difficult to ignore.
“If Rangers go on an eight-game unbeaten league run, beat Celtic at Ibrox, and somehow reach the Europa League final, it will be almost impossible not to give him the job full-time.”
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