Barry Ferguson - the player

gersandproud said:
Looking back over his career after all this time - I have to use the term
' underachievement '

There were times it was reasonable to think - this guy is destined for the very top

I recognise that Blackburn & Birmingham were always going to be limited in the amount of exposure they might attract - & if the truth be told neither team at the time would have developed him much further IMO

But the thing is - there were times at both these clubs when Barry wasn't much more than average -
Consequently the bigger clubs weren't ever tempted to risk bids

I've often wondered if the likes of an Italian, Spanish or German club had signed him before Blackburn - how things might have turned out ?

We'll obviously never know now
But I can still only arrive at the 'underachievement' tag
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Quite a high bar you’ve set him if a dozen medals is an underachievement!
Also, I’m sure I remember him being linked, and I know what a link can be, with bigger clubs than Blackburn when there.
 
Jim Prideaux said:

Is it bizarre if I say deep lying Barry of 98-00 was a better player than 02/03 box to box Barry?

The only reason I posted this is my young grandson asked me yesterday who the best Rangers players I’ve seen in the flesh was, and he didn’t expect me to say Barry.

It genuinely angers me that he never got to fulfil his potential down south, an incredibly talented footballer with the arrogance and skill to make him the best footballer I’ve seen the 50+ years I’ve watched Rangers.

Him getting in Lothar’s face, wow.
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Couldn't agree more mate. l am close to 60 and he's the best Rangers player to come through the ranks that I have watched in my years.

He had immense talent. I wonder if I will ever be fortunate enough to see someone of his ability play for us again.

Billy Gilmour is the closest I have seen to him coming through but as good as I think he is I personally don't think he has the ability of Ferguson.
 
tazzabear said:
Quite a high bar you’ve set him if a dozen medals is an underachievement!
Also, I’m sure I remember him being linked, and I know what a link can be, with bigger clubs than Blackburn when there.
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I'd agree - I've set him a high bar & that was based on him potentially looking world class at various points -

I've no wish to diminish the quality of Blackburn &/ or Birmingham at that stage in time - but with all due respect to them - they could never be considered world beaters
I certailnly wouldn't argue with his medal haul either

But all things considered- I still feel he under-acheived based on his earlier promise
 
I started going to games under Dick Advocaat and the players we had then were unbelievable. De Boer, Mols, Ricksen, Numan, Tugay, Albertz, Gio & Reyna. Ferguson was all round our best player for me and the best ever Rangers player I have seen going to games. I was just a bit young to remember Laudrup btw.
 
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At 29 years old I can easily say Barry is my favorite ever Ranger, absolutely quality player.
 
OohAhHuistra said:
Mind the game at Hampden he came back sure it was Dundee United at 31 he’s my favourite midfielder with a god memory of he was unreal
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Was at that game, remember him hitting a long pass from a quick free kick that caught everyone off guard. Put someone (possibly Novo) right through on goal. Just remember thinking so glad to have him back when he did it.
 
Should be up there with John Greig as the greatest Ranger of them all but the Blackburn move and the absolute stupidity towards the end of his Rangers career cost him that.

I accept his Blackburn move was foisted on him though.


I don't care how he performed in England, all that matters is what he did for us.
 
Jim Prideaux said:
I agree, but purely because of injury.

Was told a story by a personal friend of his that Barry was all set to join Arsenal in 03, but Wenger played down his role a bit and Barry opted for Blackburn because of Souness.

Never heard it mentioned at the time, but folk know who him will probably know who I’m referring to and it’s about as solid as you can get.

He should have replaced Keane at United, or partnered Gerrard at Liverpool.
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They were linked with him but I don't think it was anywhere near down the line as that.
 
I remember his return v Dundee United at Hampden. That Barry swagger up to the touchline when he was brought on as a sub. The biggest cheer of the night and it was great to have my hero back. About 5:55 in the video.

 
Jim Prideaux said:

Is it bizarre if I say deep lying Barry of 98-00 was a better player than 02/03 box to box Barry?

The only reason I posted this is my young grandson asked me yesterday who the best Rangers players I’ve seen in the flesh was, and he didn’t expect me to say Barry.

It genuinely angers me that he never got to fulfil his potential down south, an incredibly talented footballer with the arrogance and skill to make him the best footballer I’ve seen the 50+ years I’ve watched Rangers.

Him getting in Lothar’s face, wow.
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"My" Rangers captain. From 1999 to 2003, one of the best young midfielders in Europe, if not the world. Ludicrously talented and criminally underrated. Anyone referring to Barry as a "crab" or on a par with Scott Brown should be banned from breeding.
 
Blackburn was an absolute stinker of a move for him. He was one of the best British midfielders around at the time. God knows why he chose Ewood park. Blackburn were a mid table EPL side who’d only been promoted a few years before, with the occasional foray into the Uefa cup.

Promising players left them, not joined them, like Damien Duff and David Dunn in the close years to come. They were a bit of a retirement house for guys like Andy Cole.

Just makes me wonder how things would have gone for BF if he’d gone to a top 6 side.
 
I think he made his debut against Hearts away just after we clinched 9iar. Walter was ready to offload him the following season but Advocaat who was taking over stepped in and persuaded him to stay.

His finest performance was the SCF 2002 when even at 2-1 down, he said not today scum and that free kick with the will to win won us the cup.

In 02-03 he was unplayable and only for us being desperate for the money he deserved a better move than Blackburn.
 
Hamilton’s finest.

Great to see a thread just about his playing achievements, and no other nonsense. 25 years since he made his debut for Rangers, there hasn’t been a Scottish footballer remotely near his standard since then.

I loved watching Barry the player, bossing games, spraying passes about, changing the dynamic through sheer determination. The epitome of a classic Scottish midfielder.

I was privileged to sit in the Club Deck, on a rare visit to Ibrox as guest of my season ticket holder brother-in-law, and see him score a hat trick against Dundee United: one from a free kick, one from open play with a run from near the halfway line, and the last from a penalty.

I've also been privileged to meet him: a true gentleman.

A complete footballer. He had everything.
 
academical said:
Hamilton’s finest.

Great to see a thread just about his playing achievements, and no other nonsense. 25 years since he made his debut for Rangers, there hasn’t been a Scottish footballer remotely near his standard since then.

I loved watching Barry the player, bossing games, spraying passes about, changing the dynamic through sheer determination. The epitome of a classic Scottish midfielder.

I was privileged to sit in the Club Deck, on a rare visit to Ibrox as guest of my season ticket holder brother-in-law, and see him score a hat trick against Dundee United: one from a free kick, one from open play with a run from near the halfway line, and the last from a penalty.

I've also been privileged to meet him: a true gentleman.

A complete footballer. He had everything.
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I’ve always been amazed by how quick he sprints away from the defence here. I’m never sure if it was genuine speed, or Jim Lauchlan (?) was just slow. Not sure if it’s him he bursts away from.
 
His coming of age as a player was the 98-99 season, he was magnificent.

The 2001-2002 season he was a real box to box midfield scorer, possibly my favourite season of his.
 
Just a fantastic footballer; could pass, tackle, score goals and lead his team when times were tough.

As a few have said, when it was announced he was leaving I was absolutely distraught. I couldn’t picture is without him nor him in another teams kit.

Injury aside, he definitely could have played at a much bigger team in England
 
Jim Prideaux said:

Is it bizarre if I say deep lying Barry of 98-00 was a better player than 02/03 box to box Barry?

The only reason I posted this is my young grandson asked me yesterday who the best Rangers players I’ve seen in the flesh was, and he didn’t expect me to say Barry.

It genuinely angers me that he never got to fulfil his potential down south, an incredibly talented footballer with the arrogance and skill to make him the best footballer I’ve seen the 50+ years I’ve watched Rangers.

Him getting in Lothar’s face, wow.
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I don’t disagree on anything regarding how good a player he was, but I’m going to counter you and say that 98-2000 Barry was the exact same deep lying Barry that played in 02/03.
He had just learned to make more forward runs, and when to make them.
He’d spoken about this and how Numan used to let him know at times when he could go.
Obviously he did it all himself, but Numan influenced him greatly whilst at the club.
Barry was just a magnificent player until he left in 03.
Said at the time that if he hadn’t left, he’d have become the greatest ever Ranger.
Sadly he came back and wasn’t the same player, whilst thinking he was even better and just generally fucking stinking the place out.
But Barry of 98-03, gets into my greatest Rangers team.
 
stoneybear said:
Just a fantastic footballer; could pass, tackle, score goals and lead his team when times were tough.

As a few have said, when it was announced he was leaving I was absolutely distraught. I couldn’t picture is without him nor him in another teams kit.

Injury aside, he definitely could have played at a much bigger team in England
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I was the same. Genuinely got his name on my top 3 days before he handed in a transfer request!
 
His early years he was keeping world class Dutch talent out of the Rangers starting eleven.

Absolutely incredible for his age at the time, that Barry Ferguson of 99-00 arguably one of the best in the world that year.
 
womble3 said:
You never saw Ian Durrant I take it
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I did and he was an awesome player but there was something about Ferguson that means he would be in my team. Plenty of space for a box to box midfielder like Durrant next to him
 
As a player, my childhood hero. Even in his 2nd spell, he was still ‘the guy’. The Barry Passback p*sh was a weird criticism for a guy who would come through with big moments for us time & time again.

The worst thing was he created an unrealistic standard for what midfielder my generation wants in the middle for us nowadays.
 
I ended up going to games and just watching Ferguson. Felt like he was the best player on the park in nearly every game.

If it wasn’t for his injury he was going to a much bigger team than Blackburn.

When he came back his game had changed but he still had some brilliant games where he ran the show. The 3-0 win v them in October 2007 was one of them.
 
He was brilliant. Great as a youngster. Great with De Boer in a season when they were both magnificent. Still good when he came back.

Got a bit big for his boots at times and wanted to take every free kick, throw etc and le Guen period was farcical.

A genuine class player though and we could do with someone like him now

He didn't look out of place and often outperformed guys like Reyna, Tugay, Gio, Albertz and others as a youngster.
 
Always surprised when I see peoples greatest ever Rangers teams and he's not in them. Absolutely fantastic player who took games by the scruff of the neck and easily one of the greatest players in my lifetime.
 
I'm sure Blackburn were a top 6 team when he went to them. Sure souness got Blackburn into Europe
 
I’d quite like to see Barry involved in coaching our midfield and get him away from the stagnation of the shite punditry.

He was an outstanding Ranger on the park and I think he’d have good insight to share with players.
 
High praise from Numan...


Quite a few players who've been on Open Goal have basically said Fergie could've played at any level.
 
Some buzz when he re-signed in January 2005.

Mind it came out on transfer deadline day that he was itching for a move. This place was some laugh that night as the deal got done with minutes to spare! Then came off the bench a night or two later in the league cup semi final, greeted like returning son. Pretty sure he set one up that night too.
 
The Barry Ferguson before he left for Blackburn was an outstanding player, one of the best Rangers players I have seen. The Barry Ferguson we got back from Blackburn was still an excellent midfielder, just not as good as the one who left. I would have love to know how it would of panned out had Barry never left us and picked up that bad injury. I think he would have been right up there as one of our greatest ever players.
 
Our season 02/03 title is one I put down to a super-human effort by one man in each area of the field.

Klos
Moore
Ferguson
RdB

Fergie was the best, and Ronald wasn't far behind.
 
Pacman said:
I'm sure Blackburn were a top 6 team when he went to them. Sure souness got Blackburn into Europe
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Blackburn were never a ‘top 6 side’. That’d be like describing Leicester as a top 4 side when they had 1 storming season and won the league. Yes they finished there once under Souness, but that was the exception not the rule. The season Ferguson joined they finished 15th. That was their level. They were a collection of ex championship players, 30+ players who could not longer cut it at bigger sides (think Brad Friedel, Andy Cole and Henning Berg types), and randomly somehow managed to take our captain from us for 6.75m that we ended up giving them the majority of back less than 18 months later.
 
SM™ said:
Our season 02/03 title is one I put down to a super-human effort by one man in each area of the field.

Klos
Moore
Ferguson
RdB

Fergie was the best, and Ronald wasn't far behind.
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That season I remember everyone contributing.

Amo was just as important as Moore, Numan had probably his most consistent injury free season, Ricksen and Arteta were in the midfield alongside BF and Caniggia/Arveladze/Mols/McCann/Lovenkrands all more than contributed.
 
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