Glasgow, 07.11.2018, Ibrox Stadion, Fussball, Scottish Premiership, Glasgow Rangers Imago Images
Barry Ferguson admits the approach from Red Bull Salzburg for Danny Rohl arrived like a bolt from the blue, catching him completely off guard.
The Rangers boss could be heading for the exit after just eight months in charge, a situation Ferguson describes as a genuine shock to the system.
Ferguson acknowledges the appeal Salzburg would hold for the German, particularly given the opportunity to live closer to his family.
Rohl has two young sons and has spent most of three years working in British football living apart from them, something Ferguson finds deeply understandable as a father himself.
Having begun his coaching career within the Red Bull Group in Leipzig, a move to Salzburg would also reconnect Rohl with familiar faces and surroundings.
Ferguson also accepts that Rohl faces considerable pressure following the way last season concluded, with a sizeable section of the support having made their minds up on his abilities.
However, the Rangers legend firmly parts company with Rohl’s apparent thinking when it comes to the prospect of leaving Ibrox behind.
Ferguson cannot understand why any manager would walk away from Rangers when the opportunity to achieve something genuinely special remains very much alive.
He looks at the current squad and sees real potential, pointing to the flashes of quality the team produced as they fought back into the title race last season.
Getting recruitment right this summer is central to Rangers realising that potential, and Ferguson believes chairman Andrew Cavenagh identified the core issue clearly when speaking last month.
Cavenagh said: “We’ve looked at it and think the club culture needs to change. We think the leadership needs to change on the pitch and the squad needs to change. With those, the manager can succeed. But until you solve those, the manager isn’t going to succeed. That’s why it is our priority.”
Ferguson is in total agreement with that assessment and believes the signing of Lawrence Shankland represents an excellent first step in the right direction.
Shankland was born and raised a Rangers fan and demonstrated the kind of leadership that took Hearts to within touching distance of a league title, exactly the qualities Ibrox requires.
The timing of the Salzburg approach is far from ideal, with players due back in Glasgow for pre-season training next week and only six weeks remaining before the new season begins.
Transfer planning will now be placed on hold until a new manager is appointed, so that incoming targets can be aligned with whatever traits the replacement demands in his squad.
That delay is likely to frustrate Cavenagh, who pushed the boat out in January to sign players including Ryan Naderi and stood by Rohl publicly in the face of hostile fan reaction.
The chairman defended the manager last month despite considerable anger over the collapse of the title challenge, assuring Rohl that further funds would be available this summer to reshape the group.
Ferguson insists that whoever takes charge must be delivered players with genuine steel and character, qualities he sees as more important than nationality or background.
He played alongside many foreign players at Rangers during his own time at the club and believes those men all understood what it truly takes to win football matches at the highest level.
If the new manager receives the right calibre of character through the door this summer, Ferguson believes Rangers are more than capable of springing some genuine surprises next season.
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