Raging Rangers dressing room interrogation in full as battered boss doesn't flinch from Jack Butland truth

Raging Rangers dressing room interrogation in full as battered boss doesn't flinch from Jack Butland truth

Ferguson watched his team lose their fifth home game on the spin and the interim boss is stewing

Rangers' John Souttar, James Tavernier and Nicolas Raskin hold an inquest as it goes south once again

Furious Barry Ferguson let rip at his Rangers flops after they lost again at Ibrox to Hibs.

The interim gaffer slated the players and threatened to DROP several of them for Thursday night’s Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Bilbao.

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Ferguson watched his team lose their fifth home game on the spin as goals from Dylan Levitt and Martin Boyle secured victory for the Hibees.

David Gray’s side have now gone 16 games unbeaten in the league after picking up their first Govan win in five years.

But afterwards, Ferguson couldn’t hide his anger.

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He kept Rangers stars in the dressing-room for a lengthy period at full-time and revealed that a few ‘home truths’ were told.

Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland looks dejected once more

Keeper Jack Butland made another costly mistake for Levitt’s opener and his manager warned that no-one’s place is safe for the first-leg against Bilbao.

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Ferguson accused his side of failing to get themselves up for ‘bread and butter’ league games, while raising their standard for matches against Celtic or in Europe.

The former club captain questioned whether his players are hurting as much as he is.

Ferguson said: “God, where do I start? That’s worse than disappointing.

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“I’ve spent a bit of time in the dressing room, and a few home truths were told.

“Hibs deserved to win. That’s not a Rangers team. It’s miles from being a Rangers team.

“This is the bread and butter. European games, Celtic games, they’re the easiest to get up for.

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“But these are the games this group of players struggle with and it was evident today.

“We started well. But then another mistake and they go into their shells, feeling sorry for themselves.

“I demanded a lot more in the second half and didn’t get it.

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“I struggle to understand why they can’t get themselves up for games like this.

“They’re playing with Glasgow Rangers. If you can’t get up for games, you shouldn’t be playing.

“Especially here, at a brilliant stadium in front of these supporters.

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“They get behind you and we put on a performance like that? As you can probably hear, I’m fuming.

“Are they hurting like I am? I’ve asked them that question.

“Because when I go home tonight, I’ll be raging. I won’t want to see anybody.

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“It needs to hurt you. That’s my question to them.

“There will be a series of changes on Thursday night, I can say that right now.

“Does that include the goalkeeper? I’ve said to Jack it’s a bad mistake and he accepts that.

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“You will see some changes when you get the team lines on Thursday.

“That’s why you carry a squad. If people make mistakes or they’re off it, or they don’t run as much as I think they should run - they’re not going to play in my team.

“I watched Hibs today and they wanted it more than us. It hurts me to say that.

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“It’s my job to come up with a scenario where that won’t happen going forward.

Rangers interim manager Barry Ferguson and Hibernian manager David Gray

“I’ll work hard at doing that and I’ll make sure I do it.”

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Ferguson has vowed not just to make changes to his line-up - but also to his tactics going forward.

He hinted that his side might need to try and win ugly to get points in the league - and suggested a different approach against top La Liga side Athletic in midweek.

The stand-in boss said: “I’m not just putting it on the players. I need to go away myself because I’m the guy who picks the team.

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“I’m the one who decides how we approach games.

“But I’ve made my mind up on how we’ll go now until the end of the season.

“It might not be pretty to watch. As a Rangers fan you want to come to Ibrox and see free-flowing attacking football.

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“But I don’t think we can do that. So I need to have a long hard think with my staff.

“I’ve got a good idea what way I’m going to go now for the rest of the season. And it’s not going to change.

“I haven’t watched Bilbao because I’m game to game and I had to concentrate on Hibs.

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“My staff have watched them and obviously I will too.

“I know they’re a quality team but these are the games where you don’t need to motivate people because it’s Europe.

“It’s a different kind of atmosphere. That doesn’t concern me.

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“It’s these games today that concern me. They’ve been the Achilles heel for this club for far too long now.

“If it’s only for the next seven or eight weeks, I ain’t going to sit here and accept that.”

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