Barry Ferguson has declared that Rangers' days as a soft touch are over under new manager Derek McInnes, citing a renewed steeliness and intensity in pre-season friendlies.
Encouraging signs despite incomplete rebuild
While McInnes's squad remains a work in progress with four days until the season opener against Dundee United, Ferguson is encouraged by what he has seen, particularly in the performance against West Ham United.
“There’s a steeliness and an intensity which is different from what we’ve seen before,” Ferguson wrote. He noted that McInnes is still seeking wide players and difference-makers, with links to Amario Cozier-Duberry and a potential loan return for Mikey Moore, but accepts that Rangers must wait on Brighton and Tottenham's decisions.
Mentality over style
Ferguson dismissed obsessions with playing style, stressing that Rangers’ identity must be built on desire, work rate, and will to win. “As long as the mentality and the attitude inside that dressing room is rock solid, then Rangers ought to be able to find a way of winning more games,” he said.
He expects McInnes’s team to be mentally prepared in a way previous sides were not, and believes the manager’s deep knowledge of Scottish football gives him a head start over predecessors.
Domestic dominance first
Ferguson argued that European football, while financially beneficial, is a bonus until Rangers re-establish domestic control. “The league is the bread and butter,” he wrote. “It’s about winning trophies in Scottish football first and foremost.”
Standout performers
He singled out Cammy Devlin for his energy and work rate in the final two pre-season games, comparing his mentality to former Rangers Australians Craig Moore, Kevin Muscat, and Tony Vidmar. Ferguson also backed Thelo Aasgaard, who returned early from a World Cup break, to show more under McInnes after a difficult first season.
Ferguson concluded: “I’ve seen enough to make me believe we’re about to see a very different version of Rangers when they come running out of that tunnel on Friday night.”
