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Barry Ferguson has warned his Rangers players they’ll need to scale new heights against Fenerbahce if they want their Europa League adventure to continue beyond the last 16.
In his previous role as a club ambassador, the 47-year-old watched Philippe Clement’s side cast aside their inconsistent domestic form when they entered the European arena.
Together with victories over Malmo, Nice and Union Saint-Gilloise, points taken from Tottenham and Olympiakos saw the Ibrox club finish in the top eight of the revamped competition.
But having watched Jose Mourinho’s side extensively in recent days, the interim boss believes the challenge the Turks will present will be on a different level.
‘We understand what they’re coming up against,’ Ferguson stated. ‘They’re coming up against a very good team. Players like (Dusan) Tadic, (Edin) Dzeko up front.
‘They have so many other top-class players and we’re expecting a tough night. We need to be at our very best if we want to get a good result here.
Interim manager Barry Ferguson will lead Rangers into battle at the Sukru Saracoglu stadium
Rangers players had a training session at Fenerbahce’s ground after jetting in from Glasgow
Ridvan Yilmaz, James Tavernier and Cyriel Dessers will all have a big role to play for Ferguson
‘We’ve had two full days to prepare properly and to go through certain scenarios within the game against a team who, I think, potentially could win the Europa League.
‘So, we need to be at it, we need to be organised, we need to be prepared and we’ve certainly done that over the last few days.
‘I’ve been at all the games this season, home and away, and certainly some of the best performances this season have been in the Europa League. There’s no doubt about that.
‘I think we’re coming up against a different level of team, honestly, after watching so much of Fenerbahce over the last few days.
‘But, listen, they’ve proved that at the highest level they can compete. They know that. And I’ll expect that same sort of performance tomorrow.’
Three years after his last manager posting at Alloa, Ferguson finds himself going head-to-head with the legendary Mourinho.
Jose Mourinho was in typically colourful form as he addressed the travelling Scottish media
Ferguson is wary of the threat Fenerbahce have up front with Dusan Tadic and Edin Dzeko
‘It’s easy to say, but he’s a top-class manager,’ he added. ‘He’s won, I think, 26 titles in Portugal, England, Italy. I’m really looking forward to coming up against him.’
For all Mourinho has a reputation for being primarily a defensive manager, on the evidence he’s seen, Ferguson feels that’s not entirely true.
‘They play a certain way,’ he said. ‘I know a lot of people say he’s a defensive coach, but he’s a top coach also. He knows how to set up teams and the way that they play.
‘We’ve watched probably 10 games over the last four days and I don’t see the way his team play as a defensive team.
‘If we take an eye off the ball at any stage, then they’re going to do one thing, and that’s hurt us.’
Ferguson, who hopes to be able to call upon both John Souttar and Leon Balogun, says he’ll take inspiration from three of his former managers as he makes his managerial debut in Europe.
Liam Kelly, John Souttar and Tom Lawrence take in their surroundings in Istanbul
Ianis Hagi refused to rule out reports that he is set to leave Rangers in the summer
‘I’ll take a bit of inspiration, not just from Walter Smith, who was a great manager, but also Dick Advocaat and Alex McLeish,’ he explained.
‘I know a lot of people say that I’m new to this job, and rightly so. But I’ve played in a lot of European games, whether that be the Champions League or the UEFA Cup as it was at that stage.
‘I understand the times that you need to play a different way. We’re not going into this blind.’
Meanwhile, Ianis Hagi has sidestepped suggestions that he’s turned down a new deal and is set to quit Rangers in the summer.
Back in the city of his birth, Hagi was asked directly if the reports that came out of Turkey were true.
But he said: ‘I don’t think it’s the right moment to talk about my future.
‘My full focus right now is on Rangers and the game on Thursday.’
