5 Barry Ferguson decisions pay off as Rangers boss looks his players in the eye and gets the result he wanted

Ferguson pulled yet another rabbit out of the hat thanks to a number of gutsy decisions

Barry Ferguson gave the passionate speech. He made the big selection calls. In clear fashion, his demands for fight were dramatically heeded.

And his boldest pick of the lot paid off spectacularly in the shape of spot-kick hero keeper Liam Kelly.

Chosen in favour of Jack Butland in a huge move, the stand-in capped a terrific performance with the magical late moment to vindicate his boss.

Ultimately, Ferguson didn’t get the victory he craved to take to Spain for the second leg.

But in terms of everything else, he got as much as he could have asked for in the circumstances.

Battered early by a red card for Robin Propper that left his team with 10 men for almost all the contest – and just nine when Dujon Sterling was stretchered off in stoppage time.

Bruised by the sight of teenager Bailey Rice stretchered off in the second period.

But not broken as Kelly’s brilliant late penalty block from Athletic sub Alex Berenguer ensured a clean sheet to stave off a sixth straight home loss.

Ferguson had looked his players in the eye at the beginning of the week and laid out his demands. He felt he got the right responses then. More importantly, he also did so last night where it counts.

On the park, Ernesto Valverde’s team dominated the game with their man advantage and return to their Estadio de San Mames with the tie balanced in their favour at home.

But the fight, the desire, the determination to run until they dropped, demanded by the interim boss and the punters were all there, as the Light Blues stood their ground and kept themselves alive, heading to Spain.

It was gritty and it was gutsy. It wasn’t glamorous but after Propper’s red card, it couldn’t be.

It was about performing with backs to the wall and, in a major Euro quarter-final, Rangers also scrapped through 12 minutes of stoppage time.

No win but passion and, crucially, pride. It was highly commendable given how it unfolded at the outset.

The teamsheet was a bombshell. Keeper Butland axed for Kelly. Rice plunged into the engine-room for just a second competitive start with Mohamed Diomande suspended.

With John Souttar also banned, Leon Balogun and Propper also came into the side along with Ridvan Yilmaz and Vaclav Cerny’s early strike was a decent sign. However, it turned out Propper’s outing would be fleeting as, in the blink of a 10th-minute eye, he was central to a catastrophe.

Striker Maroan Sannadi had already dragged one wide for Athletic when Rangers got themselves into defensive trouble and the dangerous Inaki Williams was cut down by the Dutchman’s challenge as he attempted to surge into the penalty area.

At first, referee Istvan Kovacs was content to flash a yellow card in the direction of Propper.

But the issue wasn’t done. A word in the ear of the whistler from the VAR officials took the Romanian to the TV monitor and, from that moment, it was inevitable.

Propper was summoned towards Kovacs for an upgrade to red and – with the match barely started – Ferguson’s plans had to be revised.

It was a devastating blow and the alteration to back three at kick-off had to instantly return to four in the reshuffle with an already tough task stiffened yet further. However, Rangers showed instant defiance with Cyriel Dessers, selected to start up front, rifling a strike on the swivel just wide.

But naturally, it would be more about resilience and staying in the contest at that stage and there were tests as the Spaniards sensed blood.

Having drawn the challenge that led to Propper’s ordering-off, Inaki Williams maintained the menace. Twice he unleashed shots.

The first was blocked by Balogun and the second by Yilmaz, who had found space beyond during the opening period.

Kelly had to race out of his box to deal with another dangerous situation as Valverde’s outfit mixed up their probing. Ferguson was barking instructions and invested. And he went into the ref’s book for remonstrating over a decision as he showed the fire his side would need to replicate.

Approaching the interval, Kelly was up to proving his worth with a quickfire double stop to ensure it would be blank at the break.

Firstly, the keeper was alert to touch over an instinctive shot inside the box from Sannadi and, from the resultant corner, he soared to save a header from midfielder Oihan Sancet.

Ianis Hagi celebrating a defensive clearance in stoppage-time and Dessers heading over signalled home desire – and the second period would need more of the same. Athletic regained control from the restart. Ferguson’s team had to organise, shuffle, cover and scrap.

Sterling’s block as Sannadi prepared to pull the trigger typified the efforts.

But the attacker soon blew a glorious chance when picked out in the box by skipper Oscar de Marcos when he flashed wide.

And moments later, Rice was down in a heap and subsequently stretchered off in another bitter blow as Connor Barron took over, with Jefte replacing Yilmaz at the same time.

It was a struggle to hang in there but, just as the dam seemed set to burst, Kelly produced major heroics with 11 minutes of normal time remaining. Athletic thought they led when Berenguer drove past Kelly into the net, only for VAR to take Kovacs back to the monitor. The ref’s decision was to chalk off the strike and award a penalty against Sterling for handball.

Berenguer stepped up but Kelly superbly blocked to keep it all square.

In stoppage time crocked Sterling was unable to continue, leaving Gers with nine men. Then Jefte won a free-kick – but there would be no more twists in this draw Rangers will have felt was more like a victory.