No.
Le Guen wanted out about 3 games into the season.
Ferguson didn’t behave like a Rangers captain though.
Le Guen wanted out about 3 games into the season.
Ferguson didn’t behave like a Rangers captain though.
Did Barry Ferguson get Paul le Guen the sack?
- Thread starter TonySoprano
- Start date
My feelings exactly. The press were loving the opportunity to use the fallout from the le Guen debacle to take a pop at Fergie and some on here let themselves be sucked into it. Thank %^*& Ferguson did his bit to empty the dud.
BTW, Lurkers must love seeing clowns on here dismissing successful Rangers captains as bawbags etc.
Battlefield.Blue
Well-Known Member
Yeah 100% agree with this. Initially I hadn't been this excited going into a close season since 1998 when Advocaat was appointed.
The longer the summer went on though, the penny began to drop that Murray was was up to his old smoke and mirrors regarding signing targets, budget etc.
Another relatively big name we were linked with I'm sure, the big Swedish international striker that ended up at Bolton, Elmander? Of course, we signed...ehh Sebo.
I was banking on Le Guen working wonders with that squad, but history tells us he wasn't that great a coach anyway.
Glasgowsteve
Well-Known Member
There was also a rumour that there was a lack of defensive training and all tackling in training was banned.
stonewall Jackson
Well-Known Member
Your right about the no tackle training. I remember Phil Bardsley got fined for taking out someone, I think it was Sionko.
Give me Ferguson over Le Guen any day of the week.
You can say what you like about him as a person, but, as a player, he's one of our best ever.
The man is a born winner and more than held his own in what was quite possibly the best midfield we've ever had.
In fact, more often than not, he was our star man.
You can say what you like about him as a person, but, as a player, he's one of our best ever.
The man is a born winner and more than held his own in what was quite possibly the best midfield we've ever had.
In fact, more often than not, he was our star man.
Sir Know it All
Well-Known Member
The tackle was on Buffel, he was sent home for it.
I don't claim to have a great insight into training, likely is sessions of low intensity without tackling, but that has a very limited shelf life in Scotland, and it showed in our games, none more so than at Easter Road when we just looked really poorly prepared for a physical game.
You can argue the rights and wrongs of how football should work until you are blue in the face, and I am sure PLG did have gran ideas of improving players technical ability, but in this country you need to compete and earn your right to play, we rarely looked like a team who wanted to do that under him.
I don't claim to have a great insight into training, likely is sessions of low intensity without tackling, but that has a very limited shelf life in Scotland, and it showed in our games, none more so than at Easter Road when we just looked really poorly prepared for a physical game.
You can argue the rights and wrongs of how football should work until you are blue in the face, and I am sure PLG did have gran ideas of improving players technical ability, but in this country you need to compete and earn your right to play, we rarely looked like a team who wanted to do that under him.
Bristol_bnose3
Well-Known Member
ChildOfGoth
Well-Known Member
For me it was the end for David E Murray although it could be argued he should have been Out way before that for his fundamental failure . He had no strategy .
grinandbearit
Well-Known Member
Anybody said nae Barry nae Ranjurs yet?
grinandbearit
Well-Known Member
Anyway thank god for walter
Correct, Ferguson behaviour throughout his Rangers career is questionable to say the least.
Ps. There is a reason he is nowhere near us now.
Ferguson was running to his pals in the press at every opportunity. You know the ones that fucking hate us.
Give me a Richard Gough type captain every day of the week over Ferguson
linthousebear1981
Well-Known Member
I think Ferguson and some of his cronies were used as a scapegoat. I think all the players were willing to give him a chance and his methods, Charlie Adam physically improved which helped his game.
I think it became apparent quick quickly to us fans and the players that he was out of his depth. He didn't understand that he needs to win every game, he didn't understand the physicality of Scottish Football, thought that his philosophy of football should be enough to get by in this game but it was never going to be the case. You need to adapt your style to match Scottish Football and you need to understand draws against Inverness Caley, or anyone of that ilk are not acceptable and can just be brushed off. The players as far I am aware tried to explain to him but he was not for listening, to me it looked like from September onwards he was trying to force his way out.
Ferguson though a footballing hero of mine, is just a daft fucking boy. Smith giving him that opportunity and for him to behave in that manner on international duty showed the level of intelligence of the boy.
I think it became apparent quick quickly to us fans and the players that he was out of his depth. He didn't understand that he needs to win every game, he didn't understand the physicality of Scottish Football, thought that his philosophy of football should be enough to get by in this game but it was never going to be the case. You need to adapt your style to match Scottish Football and you need to understand draws against Inverness Caley, or anyone of that ilk are not acceptable and can just be brushed off. The players as far I am aware tried to explain to him but he was not for listening, to me it looked like from September onwards he was trying to force his way out.
Ferguson though a footballing hero of mine, is just a daft fucking boy. Smith giving him that opportunity and for him to behave in that manner on international duty showed the level of intelligence of the boy.
Sir Know it All
Well-Known Member
No issue with it at that time.
Le Guen was systematically attempting to remove Ferguson to create a scenario where he looked liked a victim for his own ends.
As I said before, he would have sold Ferguson with no idea of a replacement, no idea where the team was going, no plan to stay long term, just simply selling one of our best players for nothing other than to work his own way out the door.
He set after Ferguson for nothing other than to ease his own exit, it was %^*& all to do with a supposed football strategy or want to turn Rangers around.
A proper Rangers legend doesn't get asked to leave the club by our greatest ever manager because of his behaviour when representing our country.
If you are the captain of Rangers and Scotland it should be the biggest honour in Scottish football , his behaviour was a disgrace and those defending and bring Scott Brown into the argument are an embarrassment. Who wants to compare Scott Brown to any Rangers captain.
A proper Rangers legend doesn't %^*& off to Blackburn 5 weeks after signing a 5 year contract.
A proper Rangers legend wouldn't go running to his Celtic loving pals in the press to tell stories.
No issue with him running to people who hate our club? Aye ok then
Sir Know it All
Well-Known Member
At that time to help accelerate the exit of PLG, nope, him doing that caused a lot less damage than the issue that was being solved because of it.
CaptainHolt
Well-Known Member
He was made a scapegoat for what happened on international duty. Is Allan McGregor not a Rangers legend because he was involved in that?
A proper Rangers legend who was forced out because we needed the money, he never wanted to go anywhere and that's why he was back 18 months later to help us to even more trophies.
A proper Rangers legend who plays 431 times, wins 15 trophies and gave the best years of his career to us.
Embarrassing that people like Pedro Caixinha get a better backing on here than one of our best ever players.
JMCK
Well-Known Member
Had it not been for Walter, how we look back on this period might have been very different. That Walter brought improvement, virtually overnight, put the Le Guen period very much into the shade. I like Le Guen, but he didn't come to Rangers with any real understanding of what the demands of the club are and so on; I think he also admitted that himself.
Bristol_bnose3
Well-Known Member
Nobody comes out of it looking good imo, Murray, PLG, Ferguson or the other bit part players like Boyd.
No need to take sides - it was an omni-shambles.
No need to take sides - it was an omni-shambles.
Rodney Wallace
Well-Known Member
It should be enough, plenty that Ferguson is one of our better individual players and a winning captain.
It should be enough he drove us to some incredible achievements.
It's never enough for some though. Every ex-player somehow needs to be the second coming of Struth or they are cannon fodder for some.
Ferguson went on the pitch and gave us everything week in week out. That should be enough.
Throughout world football there are legends that their clubs don't use their achievements to lambast them. They thank them and don't expect the world from them in retirement.
Only we do that.
I get that as a club we have high standards. But what's the point in them if all we ever do is use them to berate folk.
Not every Rangers player needs to be a mix of Souness and Laudrup. Not every captain needs to be a brilliant human alongside being a brilliant player.
Ferguson gets way way more shite than he should on here, simply because he had a selfish burning desire to win. Yet folk cannot get their head around when the jersey comes off that selfishness and desire might not translate well into how he carries himself in retirement or that.
To want Ferguson to be any different would be having to deny him all the traits that made him a winner.
I don't give a %^*& how he acted towards PLG, he got the job done.
He very much always got the job done in our shirt.
Some folk need their head checked man.
It should be enough he drove us to some incredible achievements.
It's never enough for some though. Every ex-player somehow needs to be the second coming of Struth or they are cannon fodder for some.
Ferguson went on the pitch and gave us everything week in week out. That should be enough.
Throughout world football there are legends that their clubs don't use their achievements to lambast them. They thank them and don't expect the world from them in retirement.
Only we do that.
I get that as a club we have high standards. But what's the point in them if all we ever do is use them to berate folk.
Not every Rangers player needs to be a mix of Souness and Laudrup. Not every captain needs to be a brilliant human alongside being a brilliant player.
Ferguson gets way way more shite than he should on here, simply because he had a selfish burning desire to win. Yet folk cannot get their head around when the jersey comes off that selfishness and desire might not translate well into how he carries himself in retirement or that.
To want Ferguson to be any different would be having to deny him all the traits that made him a winner.
I don't give a %^*& how he acted towards PLG, he got the job done.
He very much always got the job done in our shirt.
Some folk need their head checked man.
We provided one of the highest rated coaches in Europe with a pittance & nothing close to the respurce he had at Lyon but he absolutely wasn't interested or up for the task at hand either & didn't adapt to the league.
..but Ferguson got PLG the sack *when* he did. It would've happened soon after regardless.
Ferguson's behaviour the day of the incident was selfish, arrogant and played into the hands of a Celtic compliant media - he told all the worst ones - Peter Martin (Radio Clyde, SSB wasn't on air but he was allowed to come on & break the story), Iain King (The Sun) and Billy Dodds (Radio Scotland, they *were* on air & he broke it during Sportsound)
In the case of King, according to him Ferguson was still in the Auchenhowie car park when he called.
Despite our woes, it remains the most immature way I've ever saw a captain of the club behave & I'll never look at him the same because of it.
We had just had years of blowing hot & cold & our finances going from bad to worse - we didn't need the media to be fed stuff like that.
..but Ferguson got PLG the sack *when* he did. It would've happened soon after regardless.
Ferguson's behaviour the day of the incident was selfish, arrogant and played into the hands of a Celtic compliant media - he told all the worst ones - Peter Martin (Radio Clyde, SSB wasn't on air but he was allowed to come on & break the story), Iain King (The Sun) and Billy Dodds (Radio Scotland, they *were* on air & he broke it during Sportsound)
In the case of King, according to him Ferguson was still in the Auchenhowie car park when he called.
Despite our woes, it remains the most immature way I've ever saw a captain of the club behave & I'll never look at him the same because of it.
We had just had years of blowing hot & cold & our finances going from bad to worse - we didn't need the media to be fed stuff like that.
Ferrybear73
Well-Known Member
Definitely
Ferrybear73
Well-Known Member
He was only with us for about 6 months, he hardly worked his ticket...........he was just a shite manager.
Ferrybear73
Well-Known Member
Zidane !!!! Bwahahahahaha
Ferrybear73
Well-Known Member
Whilst I do have a lot of time for Barry, he was happy to leave for Blackburn, before returning 'home'. That will always grate with some.
papacrobertson
Well-Known Member
I always remember Spiers literally jizzing over him and how amazing his management & tactics was for months when as soon as I seen his summer signings I had my doubts. I reckon the stark difference between how little Spiers thought of Gerrard and how much he still loves Le Guen showed how little he knows about football and hes clearly a Celtic supporter.
Also remember how long Le Guen pursued Sebo for and Rangers had to keep uping our bids and ended up one of the worse strikers that we paid money for.
senefelder
Well-Known Member
ClockworkOrange
Well-Known Member
The one part of Speirs' book that is genuinely interesting is the pursuit of Sebo. A comedy of errors.
Speirs' affection for PLG was what probably motivated him to write a book to explain how it went wrong. Unsurprisingly his conclusion isn't that he just wasn't very good.
Dalmuirbear
Well-Known Member
He played some part but I think PLG was the master of his own downfall.
SDF
Well-Known Member
I'm sure the Austria Vienna GM says something along the lines of him and his board being incredulous at how easy Bain was to manipulate and take the piss out of with the fee.
We started off at £400,000. We ended up paying £1.8m.
SDF
Well-Known Member
The other "yep, I could totally believe that" story about Bain and negotiations around that time was when we chased Luciano Figueroa from Rosario Central and the player's agent and the club chairman said he spent more time telling them how expensive his shoes were than he did trying to get the deal over the line
Rodney Wallace
Well-Known Member
Why does he need to do anything else?
ClockworkOrange
Well-Known Member
Sir Know it All
Well-Known Member
It’s a legit shambles some would have a player like Gaza before him in a “greatest 11” there is no logical or sensible reason for that conversation and I mean that in praise of Ferguson rather than to down talk Gazza
si72
Well-Known Member
Don’t care a jot about the plg fiasco.What gets me is Ferguson’s total disrespect to the greatest Rangers manager most of us will ever see.Ferguson was already on his last strike and Walter asked him to do one thing which was go to Hampden and keep yer head down.It was too much of an ask for Barry,so it ended badly for him and rightly so.Great player on the pitch,off it ,not so much.Slagged JJ for being a bib and cone man.The very same job he applied for.Stripped of the armband by 3 managers yet it’s them that’s in the wrong.
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grinandbearit
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't send bain out to buy ice cream in this heatwave
Brant Hurley
Well-Known Member
Mr Struth would exonerate none of the parties to that farce. The only winners at the time were the SMSM.
Scaramanga
Well-Known Member
While I agree with most of that. PLG already wanted out when Barry and co kicked up a fuss so I doubt he was even willing to attempt to ‘handle it’. Let’s not forget when he stepped out of line out of line under Walter, the great man handled it in a similar fashion by promptly stripping Barry of the captaincy and then moving him on at the end of the season. I don’t think either of these incidents are a good look for Barry.
But ultimately Le Guen never accomplished anything anywhere else so I’d say it was for the best in the end. But I don’t think players should ever really undermine the manager, even though football is rife with that now days.
CooperBlu11
Well-Known Member
Christ I forgot all about that terrible Speirs book. I actually bought it I'm ashamed to say.
PLG was also hampered by the fact he really struggled with English.
PLG was also hampered by the fact he really struggled with English.
