Barry Ferguson warned his players from the Rangers that they will have to develop new heights against Fenerbahce if they want their adventure in the Europa League to continue beyond the last 16.
In his previous role as club ambassador, the 47 -year -old watched Philippe Clement’s team reject their inconsistent inner form when they entered the European arena.
With the victories on Malmo, Nice and Union Saint-Gilloinme, points drawn from Tottenham and Olympiakos saw the Ibrox club ending in the top eight of the reworked competition.
But after looking in depth the Jose Mourinho team in recent days, the temporary boss considers that the challenge that the Turks will present will be at a different level.
“We understand what they are running,” said Ferguson. “They come up against a very good team. Players like (Dusan) Tadic, (Edin) Dzeko at the front.
“They have so many other high -level players and we expect a difficult night. We have to be our best if we want to get a good result here.
The acting manager Barry Ferguson will lead the Rangers to combat at the Sukru Saracoglu stadium
Rangers players had a training session on Fenerbahce’s field after being gone from Glasgow
Ridvan Yilmaz, James Tavernier and Cyriel Dessers will all have a big role to play for Ferguson
“We had two full days to prepare properly and to go through certain scenarios in the match against a team which, I think, could potentially win the Europa League.
“So we have to be there, we must be organized, we must be prepared and we have certainly done it in recent days.
“I have been to all the matches this season, at home and outside, and certainly some of the best performances of this season were in the Europa League. There is no doubt about it.
“I think we are coming to a different team level, honestly, after looking at so much Fenerbahce in the past few days.
“But, listen, they have proven that at the highest level, they can compete. They know it. And I will expect this same kind of performance tomorrow.
Three years after his last manager published in Alloa, Ferguson finds himself head-to-head with the legendary Mourinho.
Jose Mourinho was in a generally colorful form while he was addressed to the itinerant Scottish media
Ferguson is wary of the threat that Fenerbahce has in advance with Dusan Tadic and Edin Dzeko
“It’s easy to say, but it’s a high-level manager,” he added. “He won, I think, 26 titles in Portugal, England, Italy. I can’t wait to see himself against him.
For all Mourinho have the reputation of being mainly a defensive manager, on the evidence he has seen, Ferguson thinks that it is not quite true.
“They play in a way,” he said. “I know that many people say he is a defensive coach, but he is also a high -level coach. He knows how to set up teams and the way they play.
“We have probably watched 10 games in the last four days and I don’t see how his team plays as a defensive team.
“If we look away on the ball at any stadium, then they will do one thing, and that hurt us.”
Ferguson, who hopes to be able to call on John Souttar and Leon Balogun, says that he will be inspired by three of his former managers while he will do his management debut in Europe.
Liam Kelly, John Souttar and Tom Lawrence take their environment in Istanbul
Ianis Hagi refused to exclude information that he should leave the rangers in summer
“I’m going to take some inspiration, not just Walter Smith, who was a big manager, but also Dick Advocaat and Alex McLeish,” he said.
“I know that many people say I’m new in this work, and rightly so. But I played in many European matches, whether it is the Champions League or the UEFA Cup as at this stage.
“I understand the moments when you have to play in a different way. We do not enter this blind man.
Meanwhile, Ianis Hagi has circumvented the suggestions that he refused a new agreement and should leave the Rangers in summer.
Back in the city of his birth, Hagi was asked directly if the reports that came out of Turkey were true.
But he said, “I don’t think it’s a good time to talk about my future.
“My full goal at the moment is on the Rangers and the match on Thursday.”
