Football: BAZ: TIME TO SAVE GAFFER.Byline: By Neil Cameron
BARRY FERGUSON Barry Ferguson MBE (born Hamilton, Scotland, February 2, 1978) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays in midfield. He currently plays for and captains both Scottish Premier League club Rangers and the Scotland national team. last night admitted he thought Rangers boss Alex McLeish Alexander "Alex" McLeish (born January 21 1959, Barrhead, Renfrewshire, Scotland) nicknamed "Big Eck",[1] is a former professional footballer and is currently manager of the Scotland national team. was set for the sack over a year ago. But the Ibrox skipper promised to do all he can to help his manager escape the axe this season. Ferguson was at Blackburn when Rangers lost to Portuguese minnows Maritimo in a UEFA UEFA Union of European Football Associations UEFA n abbr (= Union of European Football Associations) → U.E.F.A. Cup qualifier qual·i·fi·er n. 1. One that qualifies, especially one that has or fulfills all appropriate qualifications, as for a position, office, or task. 2. at the start of last season, a result which appeared to be the beginning of the end of McLeish's reign before they eventually scraped through the tie on penalties. Despite going on to win the league, which admittedly appeared impossible with just two minutes of the campaign remaining, McLeish is in the same sorry situation once again just over a year later. Ferguson is wise enough to realise that a defeat at the hands of Artmedia Bratislava in Slovakia tonight will in all likelihood signal the end for the man who brought him back to Govan beloved in January. McLeish has battled through the bad times before and Ferguson insisted he and his team-mates will do everything in their powers to make sure the boss keeps his job He said: "Of course I don't want the gaffer to lose his job. But it's a resultdriven business we are in. It's results which matter. I'm right behind the gaffer. I will do everything I can to try and keep him in the job. "The manager puts 11 players on the pitch and expects them to perform to their highest capabilities and sometimes we haven't managed that. So I think it's down to hard work now and to give everything we can. "I watched that game in Maritimo. Obviously I kept in contact with a lot of people who played with the club at the time and they said to me that they thought the gaffer was out last year. But look what he did then. "He came back, showed great character which is certainly something he has going for him. He never stops believing. He believes in his ability and that is a massive factor. "He never has a go at the players in public, which is the mark of the man. But I can tell you he has a go behind closed doors. That's the right way to go about things." Ferguson almost harked back to the days of Jock Wallace Jock Wallace is the name of two former footballers:
He said: "Right now tactics are out the window. It's a matter of just going and giving it ago. It's just not going for us now.Hopefully, it will bea different game to the one at Ibrox because they sat back. If they come forward at us it could leave space at the back. "I watched the Celtic game over here. That night Artmedia were different class.They are not a great team, but they are also not a bad team. "They're decent. You have to give them credit because they've beaten good teams and ran Inter Milan close at their own place. So we're expecting a difficult game." And while all is not well at Rangers, Ferguson insists he wouldn't miss tonight's match for the world. Ferguson said: "I enjoy playing with pressure.You have to expect this type of pressure when you play for a club like Rangers.Obviously, I'm used to it now because I have played here for most of my career. "Five or six years ago I didn't like the pressure but I've grown to realise that this is what it's all about. I just wasn't used to it before. "This is a time when you see who the characters are. We're not playing the way we can at the moment. If you watched the game on Saturday against Inverness Inverness, town, Scotland Inverness (ĭn'vərnĕs`), town (1991 pop. 39,736), Highland, N Scotland, on the Moray Firth at the mouth of the Ness River. , especially in the second-half, then you would have seen that the players showed a lot of commitment. "I do think we need to win here.We spoke briefly about what we have to achieve against Artmedia. Anyone who watched that game would have seen that we should definitely have won. We got a point which isn't the worst but this time we certainly have to win three points." A win would also gain some much-needed respect from supporters growing increasingly disenchanted dis·en·chant tr.v. dis·en·chant·ed, dis·en·chant·ing, dis·en·chants To free from illusion or false belief; undeceive. [Obsolete French desenchanter, from Old French, with their club. Not that the captain has a bad word to people who pay his wages. Ferguson said: "The fans are going through a hard time the same as us and have voiced their opinions which I'm 100 per cent behind. They pay good money and, again, we're going to have a massive support in Bratislava. "They are right if they want to have a go at us because we're not winning games. But I can assure then that we are determined to get it right CAPTION(S): ART ATTACK: Ferguson heads for Bratislava focused on a victory |
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