While Rangers are struggling in their own country with some hope for silverware, but is over, can the Europa League be their salvation again this season?
They dropped to their third consecutive defeat on Saturday in Ibrox with head coach Barry Ferguson Warning that they will be confronted with “heavy defeats” if they continue to perform the way they did against Motherwell.
They are 16 points behind Celtic in the Premiership, lost the League Cup final of their old sturdy rivals and were beaten from the Scottish Cup by Queen's Park, but somehow are for the fifth consecutive time in the last 16 of the Europa League.
There is apathy from some parts of the support, but in principle a takeover supported by the US has been agreed, so a result against Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce would go a way to win back more fans.
It is a non-chartered territory for Ferguson in management, but he is devastated by Rangers of the then UEFA Cup final in 2008, before losing 2-0 to Zenit St. Petersburg.
In recent years there has of course been a huge change at the club. Of the current team, only James Tavernier and Leon Balogun played in their run to the final in 2022, when they lost on punishments for Eintracht Frankfurt.
Rangers are in the knockouts after the end of the competition phase, which despite four of the seven other teams ending in that section -including Manchester United, Tottenham, Lyon and Olympiakos.
That was of course under Philippe Clement – but it is Ferguson who now has to come up with a plan that this group can see producing a new strong run in this competition.
Ferguson does not go into 'Blind' while El Clash is waiting
Ferguson insists that he is not “blind” in the Last-16 draw of Rangers' Europa League against Fenerbahce.
The former Gers captain takes the lead over the light blues for the third time against Mourinho's men in Istanbul.
It will be Ferguson's first European game as a manager, but he pointed to the playing experience that he and his new back room staff from Billy Dodds, Neil McCann and Allan McGregor, all ex-rangers players, can bring to the game.
“I will take a little inspiration, not only from Walter Smith, who was a great manager, but also Dick Advocaat and Alex Mcleish,” said the former Alloa, Kelyte Hearts and Clyde manager, who hopes that defenders John Souttar and Leon Balogun come through training without problems.
“I know that many people say that I am new to this job, and rightly so, but I played in many European games. Whether that is the Champions League or the UEFA Cup.
“I understand the times that you have to play in a different way. That is something I and my coaching staff have sat down and spoken.
“Like I said, the coaching staff has a lot of experience in Europe. We are not going into this blind. We come across a very good team with very good players and in my opinion a top manager.
“So we expect a tough night, but we are prepared. The boys know their job.”
Ferguson refused to get involved in the spit between Mourinho and former Gers -Baas Clement. When the draw was made, Clement claimed not to be a fan of Mourinho's pragmatic playing style. The Portuguese boss responded on Wednesday and said that he expected Ferguson to give him a harder test than Clement, which was too limited by “philosophy”.
Ferguson said: “That is up to other people to decide what they think of Mourinho, but he is a top manager and he has won so many titles and he succeeded in so many top teams. He has won, I think, 26 titles, round.
“Titles in Portugal, England, Italy. So in my opinion a top manager and I am really looking forward to getting against him.
“I know that many people say he is a defensive coach, but he is also a top coach. He knows how to set up teams and the way they play.
“We have probably watched 10 games for the past four days and I don't see it, I don't see the way his team plays as a defensive team.
“I expect a difficult game. The players know that too. So we are prepared as much as possible and we have to go and certainly give a performance that I expect from them.”
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