Rangers have placed their former captain Barry Ferguson in charge of first-team affairs until the end of the season following Philippe Clement’s sacking.
Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat by St Mirren proved to be the final straw for Clement, with the club announcing the Belgian’s departure on Sunday night after 16 months at the helm. The surprise loss left second-placed Rangers 13 points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic in the Premiership and came after a damaging Scottish Cup reverse to minnows Queen’s Park on 9 February.
Former Scotland midfielder Ferguson won five league titles, five Scottish Cups and five League Cups across two spells at Ibrox. The 47-year-old, who has previous managerial experience at Clyde, Kelty Hearts and Alloa, will be joined by coaches Issame Charaï, Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor.
“If I am being honest, it came out of the blue, so it has been a whirlwind 24 hours, but I am just happy to get it done, get my staff together, get to the training ground and get going,” Ferguson told Rangers TV.
“I had to be respectful that my backroom staff were in jobs elsewhere, so we had to get all this sorted. Thankfully, the guys worked hard, and so did the chief executive and the chairman, and we got it done quicker than expected.
“When I was asked about this job, it was one I couldn’t turn down. Albeit it is only for three months, but it is my job to go and get a kick out of this group of players.”
The club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, told Rangers’ official website: “Philippe and his team have worked tirelessly during their time at the club and have played an important role in developing the first team’s young players. I want to reiterate, the issues we are facing run deeper than the manager. The ongoing football review seeks to address those issues and we will continue to implement its findings in the coming weeks and months ahead of appointing a new, permanent manager.
“When I spoke to RangersTV last week, I was clear that everyone is judged on results and nobody will get unlimited time in any role at the club. Ultimately, the team’s response following their early exit from the Scottish Cup was a cause for deep concern, leading the board to conclude that action had to be taken now.
after newsletter promotion
“I want to wish Philippe every success in the future. He is a fine man whom I have enjoyed working with in my short time here so far. I also want to welcome Barry back to the club. We appreciate him and his team stepping into the role at this difficult time. Myself, the board and the executive team will give them our full support for the rest of the campaign.” Alex Rae, Colin Stewart and Stephan van der Heyden have also followed Clement out of the door.
Although Clement, who succeeded Michael Beale in October 2023, led Rangers to the last 16 of the Europa League, where they will face Fenerbahce next month, the 50-year-old vacates his position with the club otherwise set to end the season without a domestic trophy. Rangers have struggled badly on their travels, winning only five of their 13 away matches in the Premiership.
The likes of former manager Steven Gerrard, Sean Dyche and Derek McInnes, in charge at Kilmarnock, have been linked with the vacancy, while Rangers are in talks about a multi-million pound investment by a United States-led consortium which includes Paraag Marathe, president of 49ers Enterprises.
