Barry Ferguson on inconsistent Rangers Europa League quarter final first leg against Athletic Club
09/04/2025
uefa25
Rangers - Athletic Club, Europa Legaue quarter final first leg
09/04/2025
uefa25
Rangers - Athletic Club, Europa Legaue quarter final first leg
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SportsTranscript
00:00How are you doing?
00:02Remarkable.
00:03Is that close enough?
00:05Aye, aye.
00:10Guys, we're ready to go.
00:12I don't believe there's any Spanish press here,
00:14so we'll just kick off all in English.
00:17And Keith, do you want to kick us off, please?
00:21Barry, good to see you.
00:22You said on Saturday there you were absolutely raging
00:25after that performance.
00:26You've had a couple of days to sort of stew on it.
00:28How are you feeling now?
00:30Better.
00:32Saturday and Sunday, as I said, were really difficult.
00:36We got in on Monday morning,
00:38and let's just say we had a long, long chat.
00:42Weird.
00:44I heard my views, so did my staff,
00:47and so did the players, which I was happy with.
00:51Because, as I've said before,
00:53I think we've been too quiet.
00:55So it was good.
00:59And then we got to training Monday, obviously,
01:01to prepare for this game tomorrow night.
01:03We know how you feel about it,
01:06given what you've said on multiple occasions now.
01:10But from what the players said to you,
01:13you say you're happy with that.
01:14Could you give us a sort of inclination as to what you got back from them
01:17that's made you a bit more positive?
01:19I would rather keep it in-house if I'm being honest with you.
01:23But I just thought the time was right to go and spend a bit of time with them.
01:33Go through a lot of things that I clearly wasn't happy with.
01:37And it's good to get their point of view as well,
01:40because we really need to get to the bottom of it,
01:42because it's been a real issue.
01:44But as I said, I came out of the meeting,
01:46training was bubbly on Monday.
01:48That's what I want.
01:49I don't want them to mop my bout and be unhappy.
01:51There was a lot of things said.
01:53And then again, we had a good training session on Tuesday.
01:56We're totally clear in what way we're going to approach the rest of the season,
02:00not just tomorrow night.
02:01And today's session, again, I come away from really happy with.
02:06Can you give us an idea as to how you're going to approach the rest of the season?
02:10I knew you were going to ask that.
02:12You'll see 75 minutes before.
02:14You'll see when the team comes out,
02:16and you'll see when the game starts.
02:18And just finally from me,
02:20it is a million-dollar question,
02:22but are you able to, you've been at the door for a couple of months now,
02:25are you able to put a finger on why you're getting these mixed performances,
02:28the highs to the really low lows?
02:31I've got a good idea.
02:33And that's why I've done a lot of thinking over the weekend.
02:37And that's why I held a real good meeting with my group of players and my staff.
02:44And as I said, there was a lot of things that came out which was good,
02:48because I want people to be opinionated.
02:50I want people to debate with each other.
02:52And I found it really helpful.
02:54And now, hopefully going forward,
02:56I'll start to see a bit more consistency,
02:59because that's something that we've certainly not showed over the season.
03:03We've done it.
03:04Played really well, if I'm being honest,
03:06in some games.
03:07In other games,
03:08it's just been a totally different team.
03:11And that's something that, as I said,
03:13that hopefully we've got to the bottom of me.
03:15We can move on.
03:16And that's in the past now.
03:17And we need to, obviously, look forward to the future.
03:21Barry, one of the big things that I picked up on,
03:24on watching that performance again on Saturday,
03:26was how negative the team becomes within itself.
03:29Individuals will not try and break lines.
03:32They'll not try and be aggressive in forward passing and things.
03:36And they seem to come right into their shell,
03:38which means they go backwards, side to side, easy things with the ball.
03:41Having analysed that, do you agree with that?
03:44And how do you fix that?
03:46Yeah, I think it affects them when you go a goal down early on
03:49or a mistake happens within the team.
03:51I think it affects the team.
03:53And I keep saying to them,
03:54there's plenty of minutes left in the game.
03:56And I want to see players go and take the ball in difficult situations.
04:00Look, I can accept mistakes and I can accept poor performances,
04:05but what I can't accept is people going and wanting the ball
04:08in difficult circumstances.
04:10And that's something we've spoken about.
04:13Sorry, at length.
04:15And as I said, hopefully going forward, you'll see a difference.
04:19But the proof will burn the pudding come tomorrow night.
04:22But I'm expecting a total different performance tomorrow night.
04:27And it's not just in European games as well.
04:29I know what you're talking about domestically.
04:31Five games without a win at Ibrox.
04:33It's just nowhere near good enough.
04:36The second thing I wanted to ask you as well is there's been,
04:39obviously, a lot highlighted on individual performances.
04:42One of the biggest ones, obviously, the goalkeeper,
04:45and at the other end, the striker.
04:47Yeah.
04:48I think his conversion rate in the last three games is one in 20-odd chances.
04:52At what point do you decide, yeah, it's great that we're getting in positions and things,
04:57but that you have to switch up?
04:59Because we have Danilo sitting here that you've not really given a chance to yet.
05:02Are you considering maybe game time for him?
05:05In terms of Serial, I would be more concerned if Serial Dersers didn't get into the positions.
05:12That's what I've been concerned about.
05:14In terms of am I considering other people to play?
05:18Of course am I.
05:19I told you on Saturday that there will be some changes.
05:24You just need to wait to see what the changes are tomorrow night.
05:29But listen, I've told everybody now, there's places up for grabs.
05:33You need to, when you go into my team and you play, you need to earn your right to play in the team.
05:39And I've had to make, or I probably will have to make some difficult decisions going forward.
05:46I've had to make some difficult decisions since I've come into the job.
05:49But it's one thing I'm not afraid to do to try and better the team.
05:53But I've got a job to pick the 11 that I think is the 11 that will go and win the game.
05:58And that's what I've done for tomorrow night.
06:01Gabs?
06:02Barry, looking ahead to tomorrow night, the Europa League has been the shining light in the season for this club so far.
06:07How important is it for you and for everyone here that you try everything to reach that semi-final?
06:12First and foremost, I think European games have been at a high level for Rangers this season.
06:22They've performed really well.
06:24And what an opportunity they've got.
06:27I've started watching Bobo Monday morning.
06:32I don't know how many games now we've watched as a staff.
06:36They're a very good team.
06:38We're under no illusions that it's going to be a tough task.
06:41So we've worked hard over the last couple of days and what we were going to set up in terms of stopping them dictating the game.
06:49Because we're at home and we have to dictate the game to them.
06:52We have to take the game to Bobo.
06:54So yeah, we're set up and we're going to give it everything to try and get a good result to take over there next Thursday.
07:01Just the gentleman at the back, please.
07:03Barry, with your phones.
07:04Yes.
07:05Where is it?
07:11Good afternoon.
07:12Jose Manuel Monge, Onda Vasca, Vizcaya.
07:15Where will the game be?
07:17In the physical, in the technical, in a mix of everything?
07:26I think it will be a mixture of the three that you just mentioned there.
07:29We have to be more physical in our game.
07:32Technically, I think we've got some good players, but so are Bobo.
07:36So I think it will be a mixture.
07:39We need to bring a mixture of the three things that I've just mentioned there to the game
07:43to try and obviously get a positive result to take over there next Thursday.
07:48Barry, can I ask you about Jack Butlin.
07:50Is that one of the big decisions you've got to make?
07:52Have you had a conversation with him specifically?
07:55Where do you think his head is at right now?
07:58I'm not going to say whether I've had a conversation with Jack or any other player.
08:05You just need to find out.
08:09Listen, I'm not going to sit up here and tell you this is who I'm going to play
08:12and this is the formation I'm going to play.
08:14I'd be crazy to do that.
08:15So, look, we'll just need to wait and see the decisions that are going to be made for tomorrow night.
08:21But what I will do is I'll make a decision based on what I think is right for us to get a positive result.
08:29In terms of players making mistakes and players maybe underperforming, that's part and parcel of football.
08:41It's tough at times.
08:43Look, I've been through many stages myself and there is a few players maybe not playing at a level what they would want and what I would expect.
08:50But in terms of changes, look, I'm not going to sit here and tell you what's going to be happening.
08:56Is it fair to say why that's something you are having to think about or because it's the goalkeeper, is that a different situation?
09:01I'm having to think about the full team, Robert.
09:04I'm having to think about the full team.
09:07I said that on Saturday when I came up and done my presser.
09:11I was angry, I was frustrated, I was a mixture of emotions.
09:15I thought I had raised some of that out at our game, but look, it was clear.
09:24It was clear as day that you could see that there are some issues that we had to sort.
09:29And hopefully the positive week we've had, the positive three days we've had together, we'll see that difference tomorrow night.
09:38Do you think the players have seen the anger that you've shown in the back of the weekend and is that maybe going to get the response that you're looking for?
09:45Because they've seen in your eyes what it means to you and what it should mean to them.
09:51Yeah, not just me, my staff as well and the supporters.
09:55I mean, the place emptied on Saturday.
09:59And when I'm standing at the touchline, that's tough.
10:02That's a sore one to take when you see your own supporters.
10:05And do you know what? I can't blame them.
10:08So, us as a group, me as a manager, we need to, we're the only people that can do something about that.
10:17Sorry.
10:19Barry, I know it's a different competition in different teams,
10:22but obviously one of your old colleagues and teammates, Mikel Arteta, last night and what Arsenal managed to do.
10:27Do you take inspiration from old colleagues and friends and teammates who do special things like that?
10:32Would you watch something like that last night and get inspired by it?
10:36I never even watched again last night.
10:39You know what I was watching last night?
10:41Yeah?
10:42I was watching Athletic Bilbao, that's what I was watching.
10:45But I've seen the result late on last night.
10:49Look, he's doing a brilliant job. What a result for him.
10:52Against, clearly, the favourites to win the Champions League.
10:58Do I take inspiration for that?
11:01Listen, it's great to see ex-teammates in jobs where they're under pressure to win games.
11:06Brilliant to see.
11:07But my only focus is on this club here and making sure that I get a reaction from what we've all seen on Saturday.
11:16Gentleman in the back.
11:19You told us that Athletic is an incredible team. What worries you more about the Athletic?
11:31Look, in my opinion, they've got quality all over the team.
11:36Certainly in the wide areas, you've got the two brothers, Williams.
11:40They're going to be a real handful.
11:43But I look at midfield, technically, very good, very hard-working.
11:48Defensively, really solid.
11:50So, we know as a group of players that we have to be at the top of our game to try and get a result.
11:58John?
12:00Barry, obviously you said you'd watched all of Rangers' games before you came into the club.
12:05You saw them against Spurs and Man Utd and Lyon.
12:08How do Bilbao compare to them?
12:11Good question.
12:13Yeah, I would probably say they're the favourites for the competition.
12:18Favourites for the competition.
12:20So, we know we've got a tough...
12:23It's a tough ask for us.
12:24But these games, I keep going back to it as a footballer.
12:27As a coaching staff, as a manager, these are the games you want to be involved in.
12:32You want to go and pit your wits against some of the best.
12:35And I think they've got real quality in their team.
12:38And I've said that to the players over the last couple of days.
12:41This is what being a footballer is all about.
12:44These big nights at Ibrokes.
12:47The fans coming in their support, playing under the floodlights.
12:52Can't get any better.
12:54Do you have three more guys?
12:55John?
12:56Barry said before the last round that Fenerbahce were going to be a step up on anything he had faced, or Rangers had faced previously.
13:02Can you give us an idea of where you see Bilbao in relation to Fenerbahce?
13:07I step up again.
13:08That's me being straight.
13:10I step up again.
13:12I watched both of them play to each other.
13:15I watched that game.
13:18Look, Fernand Batch, in my opinion, were, as I said, one of the favourites.
13:23But when you go and you watch this team, as I said, they've got a very British style about them.
13:29They can go and play out for the back, but also they're not scared to go long.
13:32So we need to be ready for all aspects of that.
13:35Can we stop them playing out?
13:37If they go long, can we be physical against them and make sure we're handling the runners?
13:42So these are all the different scenarios over the last couple of days that we've went through.
13:46And the guys are clear in what they have to do to try and get a positive result tomorrow.
13:53Ronnie?
13:54Barry, you mentioned the issues needing addressed and the changes you may have to make.
13:58I remember you mentioned on Saturday that that wasn't a Rangers team that you saw.
14:02Is there a mental aspect to that?
14:04And is this team, do you feel, mentally strong enough to perform, be a Rangers team,
14:10not just now, but going forward as well?
14:13I've seen aspects in certain games mentally strong, but other games are just way off it.
14:21You can't be like that.
14:22It's not just a switch that you can turn off and on.
14:25And that's the case.
14:26That's what we've done.
14:28As I said, the big games are the ones generally are the easy ones that you don't really need to motivate.
14:34But it's the other games that became a real issue.
14:39And that's something, again, that we spoke about as a group at length.
14:43And hopefully we've got to the bottom of it, sorry should I say.
14:49Thanks, please.
14:50Barry, you talked about the changes that you might make and obviously you won't go into detail on that.
14:56Has there been any temptation to go with the same guys or is it just a case of you've maybe had enough?
15:03Yeah, there is that part as well that when you give such a poor performance that you'll go and give them another chance.
15:13There's also thoughts that have gone through my head that they need to change it, whether that's personnel, whether that's system.
15:19And as I said to you after the game, it was a long couple of days for me.
15:24But I was more than prepared to make sure I get this right.
15:29I need to sort this.
15:31I'm the guy sitting in the hot seat just now and I'm the guy that's tasked with making sure that we start to get results on a consistent basis.
15:41Because I keep going back to it, that's been the Achilles heel all season.
15:49There's been issues.
15:51And clearly when I thought that I was getting there, obviously we suffered that result and we give that sort of performance.
16:00So as I said, there's been a lot of things going through my head.
16:04I've went and made a decision which will be on my shoulders and we'll hopefully see a real positive performance and result from what way I'm going to go about it.
16:18Barry, you mentioned the fans and the crowd a couple of times.
16:21Can you still count on that back and after five successive defeats here?
16:27And is there a fear from your perspective that the crowd could actually work against you rather than for you on a night like this given what they've seen and what they've experienced lately?
16:35I have no fear in terms of them coming and supporting us at the start of the game.
16:39But we have to dictate from the stands, we need to go and give a performance.
16:45And if we do that, then the fans will get right behind us.
16:50And as I said, I've no issue.
16:53That was tough standing in the touch lines as I mentioned a few minutes ago.
16:59Watching the place empty.
17:02I can't be having that.
17:04My players can't be having that.
17:06That's a sore one to take.
17:09And that's been in the back of my mind since Saturday.
17:13So I'll go back to what I said.
17:15Myself, my staff and the players, we're the only ones that can affect that now going forward.
17:22So when you come into certain games, I honestly believe that fans can't accept you no playing at the level.
17:32But what they can't accept is seeing a team dig deep, run harder, tackle harder, all the things that I mentioned on Saturday.
17:42And that's what I have to see from my team going forward.
17:48Because if that's not going to be the case, then you're not going to be on the team.
17:52Thank you, everyone.
17:54Cheers, guys.
17:57Cheers.
17:59Cheers.
18:00Cheers.
18:01Cheers.
18:02Cheers.
18:03Cheers.
18:04Cheers.
18:05Cheers.
18:06Cheers.
18:07Cheers.
18:08Cheers.
18:09Cheers.
18:10Cheers.