Rangers interim manager Barry Ferguson is relishing the opportunity to face Celtic at Parkhead on Sunday, despite anticipating a “hostile” environment. Ferguson, who guided Rangers to a Europa League quarter-final spot, is aware of the challenges that come with playing at Celtic’s home ground.
In his pre-match press conference, Ferguson provided a fitness update on his squad, stating that there are no major issues following their 120-minute outing against Fenerbahce on Thursday. He acknowledged that some players had minor issues but expressed confidence in his team’s ability to recover.
“I’ll find out in tomorrow’s session, but in terms of us going 120 minutes, I’m not going to go into Sunday and use that as an excuse. They’re well looked after here in terms of sports science guys and the masseurs and the food and supplements they get. There’s one or two, obviously, as you’ve seen as I took off, had minor issues. There are no major issues. I just need to see how they are after the session today.”
Ferguson also emphasized the importance of pride and playing for the jersey, despite Rangers being 16 points behind Celtic in the Premiership standings. He views the match as an opportunity for his players to showcase their skills and embrace the hostile environment.
“I said that last night. In my opinion, there’s still a lot to play for in terms of your pride. We’ve got some huge games coming up, some really tough games. Obviously, the one on Sunday, you don’t get much tougher. But as a footballer, these are the games you’ve got to look forward to. As a manager, I can’t wait to go and sample it for the first time on the touchline. That’ll be interesting.”
When asked about what he expects on the touchline at Parkhead, Ferguson replied, “How long have you got? Listen, I’ll just need to wait and see. It’s a place I always liked to go and play. It’s hostile. They’re the sort of environments I like to go to. I want my players to go and embrace these stadiums.”
The match between Rangers and Celtic is highly anticipated, with Ferguson’s comments adding to the excitement. Despite the odds being against them, Rangers will be looking to cause an upset and gain some momentum in the Premiership.
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