NafisaFormer Celtic defender John Hughes believes Brendan Rodgers will be quietly pleased Rangers have opted not to appoint Barry Ferguson as their manager on a permanent basis.
Hibs ambassador Hughes sought out Ferguson for a heart-to-heart on the sidelines at Easter Road on Saturday after witnessing what turned out to be the interim Ibrox manager’s final match at the helm.
So impressed was he by Ferguson’s efforts that Hughes felt moved to express his admiration moments after the full-time whistle blew on a 2-2 stalemate.
The experienced coach was then stunned to learn that Ferguson had been passed over for the role less than a day later.
And he reckons Parkhead boss Rodgers will have been pleased with the outcome after twice failing to overcome Ferguson this season in two consecutive Old Firm showdowns.
Speaking exclusively to Record Sport Hughes said: “I went to see Barry at the end of the game because I wanted to tell him how impressed I have been by him over these last few months.
“I told him I wanted him to take the job on and I wasn’t pulling his chain, I was deadly serious.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m a Hibs or a Celtic man or whatever. If I see right good football I’m man enough to say it. And I’ve certainly seen that over the time that Barry was in there.
“All I’ll say is I think Rangers have missed a real opportunity by letting him leave.
“Anybody in Scotland – anyone that knows football – could see where Rangers were going under Barry.
“I’m not just talking about your daft punter who is only wanting results. I’m talking about anybody that knows football. We can all see exactly what was going on at Ibrox and the improvements that were being made.
“Brendan over the road at Celtic, he would have seen it as well. He would have been thinking to himself, ‘If this guy gets the job we’re going to have a challenge,’.
“I’m sure Brendan will be quietly pleased at the decision they have made.
“He will have felt the same way I do – that Barry deserved it. And I’m not saying that because he’s a born and bred Rangers man, although I do think that helps too.
“I’m just purely talking as a football man.”
In fact, Hughes believes Ferguson’s deep connection with the Ibrox club may have negatively influenced the call made by sporting director Kevin Thelwell and Gretar Steinsson of the San Francisco 49ers.
He said: ”I think familiarity breeds contempt. There are Rangers fans who would have been saying, ‘That’s not good enough,’. They all want a big name like a Mourinho. But they’re not seeing what’s right in front of them.
“They should just sit back and have a right good look at the work he’s been doing and listen to the way he talks.
“The guy understands football. He recognised where the team was going wrong and he was fixing it.
“I can see these things being a football guy. And I think they should have given him a year in charge.”
Nafisa
