Rangers get Ibrox glowing at last but Barry Ferguson turns away in disgust at man who spurned his chance – 5 talking points
It was easy as you like for Rangers as they cruised to a 4-0 win over Aberdeen – but one man summed up a lacklustre first half
It was eighth time lucky for Rangers as Barry Ferguson finally broke his Ibrox duck.
The caretaker boss was called in to replace Philippe Clement after shock home defeats to Queen’s Park and St Mirren.
But the former skipper’s fortunes in Govan haven’t been better after his first five attempts ended with his side failing to get the better of Motherwell, Fenerbahce, Hibernian, Bilbao and Celtic.
But he was finally able to celebrate an Ibrox victory as Rangers put a huge dent in the Dons’ bid for third place.
Both sides thought they’d scored just before half-time.
VAR intervened to chalk off a Cyriel Dessers’ strike before Pittodrie Palestinian hitman Oday Dabbagh also had his celebrations cut short by an offside flag.
But it was Gers who stepped their intensity up after the break - at last getting the home win they’d waited 98 days for.
Vaclav Cerny and Dessers got them off and running with tidy finishes.
Substitute Hamza Igamane fired a screamer to put the result beyond doubt, with Jefte claiming his first goal for the club when he unknowingly diverted another Cerny strike past Dimitar Mitov in stoppage time.
Ibrox glow returns
It was retro kit day at Ibrox - and for once the home side put on a display the fans felt was befitting of the jersey.
After seven games without a win, you could hardly blame the thousands of fans who stayed home.
The official crowd might have claimed there was 50,343 fans but that was kidding no-one as the end-of-season malaise was made obvious by swathes of empty seats.
Rangers did eventually put on a show for those who turned up, but only after another lacklustre first half.
A second-half flurry sealed Rangers’ first home victory since February’s Ross County triumph as they at last put an end to a shocking run of form.
Sky Sports spelled out some shock figures that underlined Gers dramatic drop off, with the Light Blues sitting among the three worst Premiership sides when it comes to clean sheets, goals conceded, shots faced and errors leading to goals over the last 10 games.
It’s those numbers which will likely prove fatal to Ferguson’s hopes of landing the gig full-time.
Nifty Nico delivers again
Belgium boss Rudi Garcia was full of praise of Nico Raskin this week as hailed the impact the Ibrox midfielder has made on his Red Devils side.
Reflecting on his first start against Ukraine a couple of months back, he said: “He played almost 100 balls during the game with more than 90 per cent pass accuracy, while playing forward, because it's easy to have nine per cent pass accuracy when you only play backwards.”
There was more evidence of that penetrating passing range as the former Standard Liege ace finally provided Gers with the spark they had missed during a drab first half.
It was Raskin’s defence splitting pass that put Cerny through to break the deadlock on 55 minutes.
And he was the provider again as lifted his head to pick out Cyriel Dessers lurking at the near post seven minutes later, with the Nigerian striker tucking home his 26th goal of the campaign.
Bajrami misses his chance
Ferguson insisted at his pre-match presser that his side’s final three games of the season were a chance for some of his players to prove they can still play a part in the club’s new-look set-up next season.
It was a message Nadim Bajrami failed to grasp.
The Albanian was a surprise starter again as Ferguson stuck by the team who drew with Celtic.
Positioned at the tip of a midfield diamond, here was his opportunity to show he can provide the guile and ingenuity that this side have badly lacked all season.
But had he been anymore laid-back he’d have been horizontal.
Fired-up Fergie certainly wasn’t taking his lack of fight lying down. The boss gave the £3.5million man both barrels early doors when he jumped out of a 50/50 with Kristers Tobers.
And he was left looking away in disgust after watching Leon Balogun surge 50-yards forward out of defence, only for Bajrami to turn back when faced with the first defender.
So it was no shock to see him hooked at half-time by Hamza Igamane after a dismal outing.
What should be of more concern for the Light Blues higher-ups is considering how far off the level the former Sassuolo attacker has been this term, Oscar Cortes - a man who they will have to pay £4.5m for this summer - still can’t get a game ahead of him having been yet again left on the bench.
Banners make headlines again
The Union Bears certainly aren’t backing down from their fight with new Ibrox CEO Patrick Stewart.
The fan group have been in the firing line this week after unveiling their controversial Graeme Souness banner during last Sunday’s Old Firm clash.
Ibrox chief Stewart responded with a stinging statement blasting the ultras’ “unacceptable” tifo, which depicted the gun-toting former Gers gaffer above the words “take aim against Rebel Scum”.
But the Union Bears weren’t for holding back as they responded to the backlash.
Their defiant stance came just minutes into the game as they unveiled another display spelling out the words "Free Souness”.
They followed it up with a second reading: “Jumped the gun and lost the fans. No apology - no surrender.”
Stewart didn’t take notice as he kept his eyes on the action on the field - but it remains to be seen if he will pull the trigger on threats to put restrictions on future displays.
Dithering Dons spurn their chance
Hibs’ defeat at Celtic Park offered Aberdeen the chance to draw level with the Leith men in the chase for third.
Having seen the likes of St Mirren, Motherwell and Hibs come here and have a go at Gers, the expectation was that Jimmy Thelin’s men would come out swinging too.
But the Dons struggled to let their punches go and were flattened by the Light Blues’ second half flurry.
Things might have been different had Topi Keskinen done better after being played through by Jamie McGrath’s scooped pass on the half-hour mark.
But it was a tepid strike.
Dabbagh thought he had the opener just before the break but summed up an ineffective 45 minutes by going too early as Leighton Clarkson swung in his free-kick.
With clashes against Celtic and Dundee United to come, Thelin’s men are now left having to hope that Hibs will slip up in their two final fixtures.