Treble-winning Rangers captain Barry Ferguson has backed the determined approach enforced by manager Steven Gerrard and has insisted to the current Gers team that they must keep the focus that has served them so well up to this point in the season.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Fergie praised the low key reaction to last week’s Old Firm win in contrast to the scandal and speculation which embroiled the Celtic camp, thanks to the stinging defeat and also Dubaigate.
He was the man who led Rangers, as the skipper, back in the 2002/03 season to treble glory. A high performance culture was very prevalent in Ferguson’s play back then, alongside the likes of Ronald de Boer, so he knows what it takes to be a winner and the fine margins involved.
Ferguson said, “Celtic hit the headlines this week with the furore over their trip to Dubai causing all kinds of ructions.”
“Rangers? Since the Old Firm win on Saturday, there hasn’t been a peep out of them. No interviews, no players in the papers and not even on their own club website. Nothing.”
“And you know what that tells me? That this team is totally focused on the job in hand, which is delivering this long-awaited title to their supporters who have been through so much heartache over the past decade.”
“Steven Gerrard’s battened down the hatches and after giving his players a couple of days off this week, they’ll be rested and ready to go to Pittodrie, where a win will put them 22 points clear of Neil Lennon’s team, who don’t play until Monday night.”
“But if I’m in that dressing room, I’m thinking it’s a 10-point gap and they’ve still to play us twice. That would be my motivation to maintain the standards that have been set this season, to keep us on our toes. You step out on that training ground and you work even harder.”
Blinkers
Ferguson added, “I’m pretty sure there would have been no wild celebrations after beating Celtic last week.”
“I’m sure there were a few high fives and hugs for five minutes and then it was a case of ‘ job done, what’s next?’”
“The blinkers would go back on again. They’ve done brilliantly this season and clearly that’s been the case this week. The difference in this Rangers team this year is there’s a clear focus. It’s a mind shift in how they’re going about their business and that’s not going to change.”
“Believe me, when you start to get carried away and think things are won, that’s when it comes back and skelps you hard in the face.”
The demands and expectations are being set and met from inside the Rangers dressing room, so far this season. That application has to remain if they are to achieve glory, but plenty of winners like Barry Ferguson will be watching on with interest from outside to remind the current crop of the hard yards required.