Barry Ferguson takes over at Rangers until end of season
Rangers have placed former captain Barry Ferguson in charge of first-team matters until the end of the season following Philippe Clement’s firing.
Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to St Mirren proved to be the final straw for Clement, with the club confirming the Belgian’s departure on Sunday night after 16 months at the helm.
The surprising setback left second-placed Rangers 13 points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic in the William Hill Premiership and came after a humiliating Scottish Cup reverse to minnows Queen’s Park on 9 February.
Ex-Scotland midfielder Ferguson won five league titles, five Scottish Cups and five League Cups across two periods at Ibrox.
The 47-year-old, who has previous managerial experience at Clyde, Kelty Hearts and Alloa, will be accompanied by coaches Issame Charai, Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor.
Chief executive Patrick Stewart told Rangers’ official website: “Philippe and his colleagues have worked tirelessly during their time at the club and have played a significant part in developing the first team’s young players.
“I want to stress that the problems we are having are not limited to the boss. In the upcoming weeks and months, we will continue to implement the conclusions of the ongoing football study, which aims to address those shortcomings, before hiring a new, permanent manager.
“I made it very plain in my interview with RangersTV last week that everyone is evaluated based on their performance and that no one would be given unrestricted time in any position at the club.
“In the end, the board decided that immediate action was necessary because of the team’s reaction after their early elimination from the Scottish Cup.
“I hope Philippe has the best possible future. In my little time here, I have liked working with him; he is a good man.
“Barry is welcome to return to the club as well. We are grateful that he and his group took on the responsibility during this trying period. For the remainder of the campaign, the executive team, the board, and I will fully back them.”
Clement was followed out the door by Stephan van der Heyden, Colin Stewart, and Alex Rae.
Two months after taking Michael Beale’s place in October 2023, Clement guided Rangers to the League Cup.
Last season, the former Monaco and Club Brugge manager also managed to get them into the running for the title, but they ended up finishing eight points behind Celtic, and he was never able to regain the encouraging play of his first few months in the position.
Despite leading the Light Blues to the Europa League’s round of 16, where they will play Fenerbahce next month, the 50-year-old leaves Ibrox as the team is expected to finish the season without winning a domestic trophy.
Rangers’ comparatively excellent home form at least kept them out of the pack in second place, despite the fact that they have only won five of their 13 away Premiership games this season.
Former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, former Everton manager Sean Dyche, and Derek McInnes, who is currently in charge at Kilmarnock, have all been linked to the position.
Rangers is currently in negotiations for a multi-million-pound investment from a consortium led by the United States and including 49ers Enterprises president Paraag Marathe.
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