Barry Ferguson finally has his chance of taking the reins at Glasgow Rangers, although it is only on an interim basis.
His managerial record leaves much to be desired. During his last spell in the dugout with Alloa Athletic, he achieved a win percentage of just 27.3%.
After a victory in his first match as interim boss, Ferugson’s win rate in the Rangers dugout is now down to 50% following their recent home defeat to Motherwell, with two first-half goals compounding the misery of the Ibrox faithful as they fell 16 points behind the leaders.
Having won 15 major honours plus captaining the Light Blues to the UEFA Cup final in 2008, Ferguson, alongside his backroom staff comprising of Billy Dodds, Allan McGregor and Neil McCann, all know what it takes to play and win for the Ibrox side.
Patrick Stewart and the rest of the board will now be working hard to find a suitable replacement for Philippe Clement ahead of the 2025/26 season following the Belgian’s recent departure.
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Getting the appointment right could make or break the club going forward. After years of poor performances and allowing Celtic to dominate, big changes are required at the Gers.
The new manager must begin with the squad. While major upheaval is not needed, several players must be moved on this summer, whether they have failed to impress this season or are simply draining the wage bill with little to no success on the pitch.
Here, we have listed five players who should be on the chopping block when the new boss arrives to follow Ferguson in the hot seat.
1 James Tavernier
James Tavernier’s goalscoring record – for a defender, anyway – has been sublime for the Ibrox side.
Across 500 competitive matches for the club, the right-back has scored an impressive tally of 129 goals, while registering 140 assists.
This works out as a goal contribution every 1.8 matches. There is no doubting how big an impact he has had in the final third, but in terms of trophies won, there is no comparison.
Under Tavernier’s captaincy, the Gers have won a single Scottish Premiership title, plus one League Cup and Scottish Cup apiece. This season, he has failed to inspire the club to any silverware, while seeing the team knocked out of the Scottish Cup by second-tier Queen’s Park.
Earning £30,000 per week, this summer must signal the end for the Englishman.
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ByRoss KilvingtonFeb 24, 2025 2 Kieran Dowell
Kieran Dowell has played just 32 times for the Light Blues since joining in the summer of 2023 on a free transfer.
Having featured in the English Premier League for Norwich City and Everton, plus being part of the England squad that won the U20 World Cup in 2017, Dowell certainly looked like a decent signing.
However, the 27-year-old failed to leave a lasting impression on both Michael Beale and Clement, scoring only twice for the Gers.
He was shipped out on loan to Birmingham City during the winter transfer window to secure some game time. So far, he appears to be relishing the challenge at the League One side as they aim to secure promotion back to the second tier.
His wage of £16,000 per week ranks as the 11th-highest in the first-team squad. The new manager should definitely be looking to sell him this summer.
3 Ben Davies
Giovanni van Bronckhorst sought improvements in his squad after reaching the Europa League final in 2022. In came the likes of Antonio Colak, Malik Tillman and Rabbi Matondo.
Ben Davies was another signing, costing the Glasgow side around £4m from Liverpool as the Dutchman looked to bolster his defensive options.
Davies had mainly played in the English Championship and struggled during his maiden season at Ibrox, even being dubbed “poor” by former Gers striker Kenny Miller following a mistake in a crucial Old Firm clash in April 2023.
Like Dowell, the centre-back is spending time on loan with Birmingham and is enjoying himself down south.
Hopefully, he can continue these fine performances, as it will lead to more clubs showing interest in him during the summer transfer window, when the new boss would be well advised to cash in.
4 Rabbi Matondo
Yet another player who was sent out on loan by Clement during the winter transfer window. Rabbi Matondo is a player capable of producing individual moments of brilliance.
Take his first goal for the club, an excellent effort against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League qualifiers in August 2023. Elsewhere, his superb long-range curler against Celtic which secured a point in the final moments of the tie last April will live long in the memory of the supporters.
Despite these brief sparks, Matondo couldn’t maintain enough consistency to stand out at Ibrox.
After an injury-plagued first six months of the 2024/25 season, Clement allowed the winger to join German second-tier club Hannover 96 until the end of the campaign.
Typically, he scored a screamer on his debut and a couple more of those will go a long way in his parent club being able to offload the Welshman when a new manager is appointed.
Considering he is earning £23,000 per week at Ibrox, moving him on during the summer will allow the new boss to reduce his wage bill.
5 Robin Propper
Robin Propper is the only player on this list who was signed by Clement, but the transfer hasn’t quite worked out as anticipated.
Having made over 100 appearances for FC Twente, as well as captaining them for a while, it looked as though he could fill the void left by the departing Connor Goldson at the heart of the defence.
So far this term, the Dutchman has played 37 games for the Light Blues. He may have scored against Celtic and displayed flashes of solidity for Clement, but his overall displays haven’t been at the required standard for the club.
He has certainly struggled with the physical nature of Scottish football, being caught plenty of times by opposition attackers who have shrugged him off the ball.
In 23 league games, Propper has kept just five clean sheets as part of the defence when starting and playing the full game, losing possession 8.9 times per match.
He will turn 32 during the opening weeks of the 2025/26 season and the new manager might wish to move him on to bring in someone younger who has a longer shelf life and an opportunity to improve.
Whatever happens this summer, Rangers need to get their next appointment spot on. If not, Celtic will continue to disappear from view, both financially and success-wise.
