A dream week for the Ibrox interim boss has boosted his chances of getting the gig permanently, but Simon Jordan isn't convinced
12:56, 17 Mar 2025
Simon Jordan is far from convinced that Barry Ferguson is the man for Rangers
Simon Jordan is far from convinced that Barry Ferguson is the man for Rangers(Image: TalkSport)
The 49ers have been urged to ignore Rangers' fans clamour for Barry Ferguson after a perfect week for the Ibrox icon.
Interim boss Ferguson guided his side to a dramatic penalty shootout victory against Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce to book their spot in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, before stunning Celtic in their own backyard with Hamza Igamane netting late in a dramatic 3-2 win.
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The Celtic Park success was watched by American tycoon Andrew Cavenagh - who is the leading force behind the Rangers takeover. However Simon Jordan believes the US investors need to ignore the emotion as he gave the Gers icon a ruthless reality check after a dream week.
Speaking on TalkSport, Jordan said: "I would like to keep a calm head and look at it objectively. I would like to look at the fact under Clement they drew with Tottenham in the Europa League, which was a difficult game. Then went on and beat Celtic 3-0.
"I’d then look at what Ferguson has done. He comes in and they get beaten by Motherwell, they go on and get a decent result against Fenerbahce. If they beat Dundee, following up from a great result against Celtic, which is a better result than they got under Clement because his win was at Ibrox.
"But I think it’s got to be distilled and thought about very carefully. This is niot a short term bump you are looking at, this is a long term appointment.
"You made an appointment that didn’t seem to have a great day of football management thinking, because his football management credentials are not high.
"His win record at the clubs he’s managed has been low. There’s no indication that he could manage Rangers.
"The dynamic was of him being a Rangers man and feeling that the fans were disillusioned, demoralised and slightly disenfranchised. Now you’ve got them back.
"But the results are the same. If they go and beat Dundee then that will be great, because after they beat Celtic last time they didn’t get a result following that in what you’d think would be something they could build upon.
"They’ve done nothing more than Clement did. Clement did well in Europe. It got to the point that Europe was saving his bacon. Then they beat Celtic, the issue is they are still massively behind Celtic in the league."
Rangers interim head coach Barry Ferguson during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park, on March 16, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland.
Barry Ferguson has enjoyed a memorable week at Ibrox(Image: SNS Group)
And the ex Crystal Palace chief believes that the incoming investors need to copy the approach shown by Hibs shareholder Bill Foley at Premier League Bournemouth.
He continued: "I think it’s a fortunate thing that the guys involved in the 49ers are not coming in to take control until May.
"Because that enables them to have objectivity rather than getting sucked along with the euphoria of a few wins that an individual hero who, once upon a time, was a great player for Rangers creates, you need the Bill Foley approach.
"He put Gary O’Neil out when most people would never have thought that was the case.
"Don’t get sucked into this, you’ve got to look at Barry Ferguson over the duration of time that he manages this club. Not because of the Fenerbahce result, not because they’ve done Celtic.
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"You’ve got to look at it and ask if he can spend my money well and get my team closer to where I need them to be.
"Not because the fans want him to. Not because there’s a groundswell of populism about his appointment. But because he’s got the chops to do it in the long-term. This is not a short term bump they need."