Barry Ferguson has been tying himself in knots over Danny Rohl.
The club ambassador and media pundit feels the need to spout that party line. Russsell Martin, what he inherited blah, blah, blah.
The bear inside Barry is as angry as any other fan at another title capitulation.
Against Motherwell and Hearts the title favourites went down with barely a whimper. It was as if they had never heard of No Surrender.
Nasser Djiga was joking and laughing with one of his international team-mates at the final whistle. Manny Fernandez helped Claudio Bravo out when he had cramp.
There wasn’t a single Scottish player wearing a blue jersey against Hearts on Monday night.
Hearts were overflowing with bears, die-hard fans. Professionally Derek McInnes, Lawrence Shankland, Craig Halkett and Blair Spittal are Jambos. It is doubtful if any of their close family celebrated Monday’s result.
THE GRIM TIMES OF BARRY FERGUSON
Ferguson was stuck in the Go Radio studio watching the agony with Charlie Mulgrew. Not something he’d have expected when he signed those side contracts with Dave Murray.
Across social media Rohl has been getting slaughtered. It is just accepted that his squad of players are bottlers and serial losers.
In public Rohl can’t agree with that. He has to stand with the players.
Ferguson faces a similar dilemma. What he thinks in private can’t be published.
In today’s Daily Record last season’s interim manager claims:
All the old questions are being asked again about the mentality of these players and Danny has defended them in public, like any good leader of men has to do.
But it’s hard not to see it any other way because time and again, this team has failed to deliver what is expected of it. If that criticism stings then, good. It should. It’s supposed to.
I know from my own playing days that it hurts like hell any time you went on holiday knowing you’d let people down. Even in seasons when we had won just one trophy, I’d be eating myself up inside, desperate to get back to pre-season so we could put things right.
Switching on the battle fever for Sunday and reminding Record readers of his intense dislike for Celtic Ferguson added:
Beating Celtic won’t make up for the recent disappointments but it would be a good start. And no, it’s not a question of doing that just to help Hearts win the title. It’s about doing it for your own professional pride, for the shirt you’re wearing and for the people it represents.
Yes. It represents failure. Repeated failure and delusions.
All of that is represented in the armband worn by James Tavernier. On a good day a journeyman, a plodder.
If he had joined Motherwell, St Mirren or Kilmarnock in 2015 he would have lasted two seasons and slipped away un-noticed. Just like Martyn Waghorn. Onto obscurity.
Instead Tavernier has survived the managerial changes and been held up as the legend of New Rangers.
THE LEGEND THAT IS CAPTAIN DISAPPOINTED
Apparently a full-back but one that can’t defend.
He takes every free-kick, corner and penalty. Now he takes the throw-ins as well. Chasing records and personal glory as opposition goals flood in from his supposed position.
A man with leadership qualities on a par with Wilfried Nancy. Tav is an empty armband but one that will be difficult to fill.
Jack Butland and John Souttar are the alternatives. In pre-season things got so ridiculous that Connor Barron wore the armband of failure in the match against Club Brugges.
Ferguson has watched Martin and Rohl fail since he was overlooked for the manager’s job.
If Steven Gerrard rejects the opportunity again there is one in-house option on stand by. He even has his blazer and brogues primed for the media conference announcing Ferguson’s return as manager.
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