Despite being only seven as Barry Ferguson made his final appearance to Rangers, Connor Barron never required someone to evaluate him on the impact that the club’s former captain made on two spells on Ibrox.
Winner of 15 great honors between 1997 and 2009, Ferguson is a real legend of the club, a highly talented medium whose talent has distinguished him even on some of the best sides on the last years.
Thus, while the news of his elevation to the interim manager three years after his last post in Alloa raised more than some eyebrows at the time, development immediately resonated with the young man from Aberdeenshire with an inherent appetite for the self-beast.
“Barry has been brilliant,” said Barron. ‘He entered and sought to improve me as a player, which is great.
– We’re in the training field after a session a few times and I’m trying to get everything I can. He was one of the best players, so that any peck I can get from him will help me as a player.
‘I know all about your player as a player, of course. He is a legend in Scotland for this club and I watched some of his clips when I learned that he was coming as a manager. I was a little young to see him, but he was one of the best players and he’s a nice guy.
Barron praised the interim manager of impact that Ferguson had about him since he entered
Barron made a winning return to the rangers aligned in Istanbul after leaving since January
Barron suffered minor damage to the ligament during the close defeat at the Old Trafford League stage
‘The team has been brilliant since they entered. Barry can help me and he has already taken control of it. I can’t thank you enough for it.
“I just need to keep improving and he’s on the same page with it.”
Barron is grateful because the training field is once again your learning place. Having suffered minor damage to the ligament when Rangers lost to Manchester United in Old Trafford in January, he was forced to be left out seven games before returning as a substitute not used in last weekend’s home defeat to Motherwell.
Instead of considering his forced absence a time when the break button was pressed in his development, he chose to leave his mind in a different place.
“No injury is good, but it’s about how you react to it and what you learn while you are out,” he explained. It was good to see things from a different angle.
‘I studied the game a lot and bought it in different parts of my own game, I think I can improve. I left and did it and I feel better for it.
Barron says the training has been floating since the arrival of the new interim management team
– You get a lot when it’s out. You see the game from a different perspective, watching the stands. You analyze more and look at things in different positions to see what you could do best. You start watching a fan’s point of view.
‘I also looked at the nutritional side – just everything I can do to become a better professional. I’m feeling the benefits of this already.
This point was underlined in triplicates in Istanbul on Thursday. Having been forced to sit and suffer in the bank, as the poor domestic form of the Rangers continued with this loss to Fir Park’s clothes, the return of Barron to double was the dream material.
While Cyriel Descessos and Vaclav Cerny provided the goals, Barron’s midfield tenaz has released the foundations for a spectacular 3-1 win. Talk about returning to impact.
“It was hard to watch outside when the team had disappointing results, it’s never cool,” he said. “But you just need to go back and get everyone in training.”
It was brilliant to start after leaving. Every game for this club means a lot to me. I was buzzing to be thrown back.
Barron approaches Fenerbahce’s middle -time veteran, Dusan Tadic, during the impressive victory of Rangers
‘I had to go out and do a job, I’m just doing what I have to do. I don’t look at it differently and I look forward to the next one.
‘I didn’t see it as being thrown into the bottom of Istanbul’s bottom. This is where I am comfortable. I feel comfortable with this club and I know what I can do with my own performances.
‘It was just another game for me. It was a brilliant result and a great team performance. We could have won for more.
The difference between Thursday’s exhibition and many who had arrived at home recently was Stark. Passive from the first whistle against the Queen’s Park, St. Mirren, Kilmarnock and Motherwell, Rangers started the game as if they wanted business. It seems that the penny fell.
“The fast start was so important to us in the first leg,” Barron added. – The crowd was there for them, supporting them. It was very hostile, so it is important that you know your jobs to help yourself.
‘We showed Thursday night what can happen when we started quickly and we need to continue that. It is important that we do this again on Ibrox. It has to be the way we play from now on.
Assistant coach Neil McCann is Barron after his impressive performance in Istanbul
“Many times this season, we started slowly and cost us, or we had to go back to games, which is difficult. But if we start fast, we show that we can get results. ‘
Perform as they did in Türkiye this week and the Rangers will surely eliminate any remaining hope that Fenerbahce has to turn the tie. Ferguson’s players put themselves in an extremely good position against José Mourinho’s side, but they know this is not over yet.
“I hope on Thursday in Ibrox, we can put the draw on the bed and make progress in the Europa League,” said Barron. ‘This performance gives us a lot of belief, but we know they are a superior side.
‘Let’s respect them as we did on Thursday, but try to implement our style. This time we will have the support of household support, which will be great.
“It’s just the break, so it’s dangerous to think that the draw is made. As a player, you know how fast football can change. You have to do your work correctly.
“So we will have to replicate what we did in Istanbul – and go better on Ibrox.”
