IAN FERGUSON is convinced Rangers need a Scottish core to get back ahead of Celtic.
The former Ibrox star hopes namesake Barry advances his case for the Rangers job with victory at Parkhead today.
Ian Ferguson reckons Philippe Clement and fellow Rangers managers missed a trick at Ibrox[/caption]
The Rangers legend has questioned Clement’s recruitment strategy in Glasgow[/caption]
But it’s damage limitation for his old club’s woeful league campaign as they already trail Celts by 16 points.
Ferguson, 58, who won ten titles with Gers has lived in Australia for nearly 23 years.
Yet he reckons they must ‘Buy British’ more often to return to domestic dominance.
Fergie said: “Look at the most successful times since the late 80s, there was a Scottish, British-type team there and that’s what is missing.
“Rangers managers in the recent past, except for Steven Gerrard, have dismissed the Scottish game.
“Philippe Clement made a big mistake disregarding talent in the Scottish league.
“That’s something we need to start looking at. I know who could fit into that Rangers team, and give a lot more than what we’re getting at the moment.
“I have watched this league for a long time and I still do.
“I’m not going to name them. But I know them. I can see them. It’s not rocket science.
“Go and identify the three best players in every team. Then say, ‘Could they be better than what we’ve got?’.
“If they are, get them in. If not, move to the next league and that’s England.
“I’ve nothing against foreign players. We’ve had outstanding ones, including those I played with like Brian Laudrup, Jorg Albertz, Rino Gattuso and Lorenzo Amoruso.
“But I don’t want 11 foreign players who don’t understand what Rangers mean.
“Quality homegrown players in the Scottish top-flight should not be dismissed. There’s got to be balance in a Rangers team — and that balance was not right under Clement.”
Gerrard’s champions of 2021 contained the likes of Allan McGregor, Connor Goldson, Scott Arfield, Steven Davis, Ryan Jack, Jermain Defoe and current captain James Tavernier.
Fergie watched in horror as losses to Motherwell, Ross County, Kilmarnock and St Mirren in the past 12 months told him too many players can’t power through a Premiership season.
He added: “When we go up against St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Dundee, we should compete first and stand up to them. But it’s just not happened.
“You’re always going to be a target in a Rangers strip.
“I don’t think these players understand all that. They don’t really know what it means to play for this club.
“They have no idea of what’s required to dig in and get results in this league.”
Fergie rarely hurt as much in his trophy-laden career than when the younger Ferguson made his Parkhead debut.
Dick Advocaat’s Gers were hammered 5-1 by Lubo Moravcik- inspired Celts in November 1998.
Ferguson recalled: “Barry was hurting, as a few of us were. I was on the bench to start with, it was horrible watching it unfold.
“It was Dick’s plan to build the team around Barry, so that wasn’t a good result for a young man coming into the role.
“As Arthur Numan has told before, there were a few obscenities thrown at him and Gio van Bronckhorst.
“I wasn’t happy, let’s be honest, and don’t want to go into more detail about it.
“But the bigger thing to come out of that was they then knew what it meant to play for Rangers, and what that game means to the fans and club.
“Barry was young and just in the team.
“But in the following years, he showed what it means to play for Rangers, and captained the club through some successful periods.
“That stands him in good stead for what he’s taking on now.
“He’s got the gig and he’s not going to want to let go.”
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