Although he was only seven years old at the time when Barry Ferguson made his last appearance for the Rangers, Connor Barron never forced anyone to assess him from the impact that the former skipper of the club made on two spells in Ibrox.
Winner of 15 major honors between 1997 and 2009, Ferguson is a real legend of the club, a very gifted midfielder whose talent has distinguished him even in some of the best sides of recent years.
Thus, while the news of its elevation to the acting manager three years after its last article in Alloa raised more than a few eyebrows at the time, the development immediately resonated with the young man of the Aberdeenshire with an appetite inherent in self-facility.
“Barry was brilliant,” said Barron. “He entered and tried to improve me as a player, which is great.
“We were on the training field after a session several times and I try to take everything I can from him. He was a high -level player, so all the little nuggets I can get from him will help me as a player.
“I know everything about his player career, of course. It is a legend in Scotland for this club and I looked at some of his clips when I knew he came as a manager. I was a bit young to look at him, but he was a high -level player and he’s a great guy.
Barron congratulated the impact that the acting manager Ferguson has had on him since his arrival
Barron made a winning return to the Rangers to align in Istanbul after being absent since January
Barron suffered minor ligament damage during the loss of the narrow league in Old Trafford
“The staff have been brilliant since his arrival. Barry can help me and he has already taken control of it. I can’t thank him enough for that.
“I just need to continue to improve and it is on the same wavelength with that.
Barron is simply grateful that the training ground is once again his place of learning. Having suffered damage to the minor ligament when the Rangers lost against Manchester United in Old Trafford in January, he was forced to sit seven games before returning as unused substitute during the home loss of last weekend against Motherwell.
Rather than considering his forced absence a time when the break button was pressed on his development, however, he chose to be thought in a different place.
“No injury is nice, but this is how you react to it and what you learn while you are absent,” he said. “It was nice to see things from a different angle.
“I studied the game a lot and I took up different parts of my own game, I think I can improve. I left and I did that and I feel better for that.
Barron says that the training has been dynamic since the arrival of the new temporary management team
“You take a long time when you have come out. You see the game under a different perspective, looking from the stands. You analyze it more and look at things in different positions to see what you could do better. You start to look from a fan point of view.
“I also looked at the nutritional side – just everything I can do to do a better professional. I already feel the advantages of this.
This point was underlined in the tripples in Istanbul on Thursday. Having been forced to sit and suffer on the bench while the bad domestic form of the Rangers continued with this loss for the holding of the fir park, the return of Barron to the Giron was the fabric of dreams.
While Cyriel desders and Vaclav Cerny provided the goals, the tenacious midfielder of Barron threw the foundations of a spectacular victory 3-1. Talk about coming back to have an impact.
“It was difficult to watch since the touch when the team had disappointing results, it’s never nice,” he said. “But you just have to return and take everyone in training.
“It was great to start after being out. Each match for this club means a lot for me. I burst to get back.
Barron approaches the veteran midfielder from Fenerbahce, Dusan Tadic, during the Rangers, an impressive victory
“I had to go out and do a job, it’s just me who did what I should do. I don’t look at him differently and I look forward to the next one.
“I have not seen it as being thrown at the deep end to Istanbul. This is where I am comfortable. I feel comfortable in this club and I know what I can do with my own performances.
“It was just another game for me. It was a brilliant result and a great team performance. We could have won more.
The difference between Thursday’s display and many that had come to the floor at home recently was austere. Passive of the very first whistle against Queen’s Park’s link, St Mirren, Kilmarnock and Motherwell, the Rangers began the game as if they meant business. It seems that the penny has dropped.
“The quick start was so important for us during the first leg,” added Barron. “The crowd was there for them, supporting them. It was quite hostile, so it is important that you know your work to help you.
“We showed on Thursday evening what can happen when we start quickly and we have to continue. It is important that we do this to Ibrox. It must be the way we play in the future.
Deputy coach Neil McCann salutes Barron after his impressive performance in Istanbul
“Too many times this season, we started slowly and it cost us, or we had to get back into games, which is difficult. But if we start quickly, we have shown that we can get results.
Unlock as they did in Türkiye this week and the rangers will surely suffocate all hope that Fenerbahce has to return the tie. Ferguson players have put themselves in a very good position against the side of Jose Mourinho, but they know that it is not yet finished.
“I hope that Thursday in Ibrox, we can put the tie in bed and progress again in the Europa League,” said Barron. “This performance gives us a lot of belief, but we know that they are a higher side.
“We will respect them as we did on Thursday, but try to implement our style. We will have support for home support this time, which will be great.
“It’s just half-time, so it is dangerous to think that the tie is over. As a player, you know how fast football can change. You have to do your job properly.
“So we will have to reproduce what we have done in Istanbul – and go better to Ibrox.
