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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Robbie Hanratty

Former captain impresses as Rangers' interim boss with tactical nous and big results

Barry Ferguson's Rangers side secured a stunning 3-2 victory over Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, further strengthening the interim manager's case for permanent appointment at Ibrox.

Ferguson, who took over on a temporary basis following Philippe Clement's departure in February, has overseen a remarkable turnaround in the team's fortunes.

This Old Firm triumph comes just days after Rangers eliminated Fenerbahce from European competition and progressed to the quarter-finals, despite the Turkish side being managed by the experienced Jose Mourinho.

Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon believes Ferguson has done more than enough to be seriously considered for the permanent position, which is expected to be decided when the proposed San Francisco 49ers-led takeover is completed this summer.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Lennon was effusive in his praise: "Why not? He's delivering. They've knocked out Fenerbahce over two legs which is no mean feat with Jose Mourinho in the dugout.

"They've come to Celtic Park today who were imperious at Celtic Park, they've only lost to Bayern Munich all season, and they've come away and won on the back of playing 48, 72 hours earlier in an epic game."

(Image: Sky Sports)


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Lennon was particularly impressed with Ferguson's tactical approach: "So, I think he's positioned himself in the right area to be looked at. That's not just because he's the former Rangers captain because tactically the team's been very good.

“They have been excellent, today in the first half, the press was brave, they went man to man at times, they looked a threat the whole game."

Despite Celtic's reputation for dominance at home and their comeback attempt to level the score at 2-2, Rangers showed remarkable resilience to secure all three points.

Lennon acknowledged Celtic's defensive frailties while highlighting Rangers' threat throughout the match.

"Even at 2-2 I was never comfortable with Celtic although they were trying to force the game. It's a long way back from 2-0, but you always felt Celtic could do it. Defensively, I felt at times, Celtic just weren't at it today. They got punished," Lennon added.

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