Gers strip Ferguson of captaincy

[jimmy]

Barry Ferguson has been stripped of the Rangers captaincy and seems to have played his last game under manager Paul Le Guen, BBC Sport understands.

It is believed that Ferguson will not be in the squad to face Motherwell at Fir Park on Tuesday.

The sensational move follows a recent disagreement with the manager over the importance of being Rangers captain.

And it comes after more pressure mounted on the Frenchman after Saturday's 1-1 draw with St Mirren.

Rangers sit third in the Scottish Premier League, 17 points adrift of city rivals and reigning champions Celtic.

And the signings made by Le Guen since taking over from Alex McLeish in the summer have failed to make a positive impression.

But, despite league results unacceptable to many Rangers fans, Ferguson has been in excellent and inspirational form.

And there have been increasing rumours of a personality clash between the captain and manager.

It is the second time that Le Guen has shown that he does not accept anyone questioning his authority.

On-loan Manchester United right-back Phil Bardsley had a training-ground disagreement with the former Lyon boss in October and did not play for Rangers again.

But dropping his captain comes with greater risks for Le Guen.

Ferguson is lauded by many Rangers fans, who are already questioning the Frenchman's management credentials.

The 28-year-old midfielder came through the young system at Ibrox before moving to Blackburn Rovers for £7.5m in 2003.

But, after two injury-hit and homesick years in the Premiership, he won a return to his boyhood heroes in January 2005.

PMSL 4 every 5iver my arse 17 points clear

[No1_Dave]

:eek: :eek: :(


bye bye PLG

[gazzar]

I had to check the date when i read this on the beeb (jan 1st not april 1st) WTF is going on :confused:

This is complete madness

Is PLG holding barry responsible for the recent results and dropped him for that.:confused:

[Nelly]

Ferguson is bad influence in the dressing room.Good riddance.

He done it to McLeish last season and he's doing it again.What should rangers do.........appoint a succesion of managers until we get one that Ferguson is happy with?

[PortGlasgow]

I have no idea what influence Ferguson has behind closed doors but when ive seen Rangers play without him its been some good fluid attacking football throughout the game. This was under McLeish aswell as LeGuen.

As for whats wrong in the ibrox camp? its not solely down to the newcomers as its the same atmosphere and scenarios as last season. Dominating games but not converting opportunities

Rangers with Ferguson in the middle look to static and predictable and for Le Guen to stamp his mark into the team he needs someone who will be his voice on the pitch if Ferguson has his own ideas then he has no place in the squad.

[stevej47]

The only player that provides some kind of backbone to the team.

PLG has gone mad and needs his P45

[PortGlasgow]

tim in disguise, 2 posts and calling for le guens head?

[stevej47]

tim in disguise, 2 posts and calling for le guens head?
Excuse me, but am I not entightled to my opinion?

[celticunderground]

As a celtic fan I cannot believe Rangers have fallen apart quite so spectacularly. This is a shambles to rival anything that happened to celtic in the nineties.

[stevej47]

Yes, this fiasco is bordering on the Barnes fiasco

[WeeJoe]

tim in disguise, 2 posts and calling for le guens head?


is that you complaining about timposters again port. lol surely us tims are entitled to express our opinion same as you lot even if we r not one of your master race. lol its john barnes all over again except in blue lololol:D :D

[stevej47]

is that you complaining about timposters again port. lol surely us tims are entitled to express our opinion same as you lot even if we r not one of your master race. lol its john barnes all over again except in blue lololol:D :D

Dunno why he has done that to be honest, as I am a Rangers fan. It seems if you are a Rangers fan and don't support Le Guen, you must be a Celtic fan!!

[Nelly]

I've a feeling something big is gonna happen.Just a rumour at the moment but from a usually reliable source.I'll post later about Rino!;)
I've just read something that predicted all this Ferguson shit.Bits n pieces have reached my ears from stewards and staff inside the stadium,hangers-on etc that confirms my own thoughts that Barry Ferguson thinks he's Mr.Rangers.Well,think again Fergie........no one is bigger than the club and more important than the manager.PLG is only the 12th manager in almost 130years.Rangers do not hire and fire.We are not Newcastle......players don't sack managers.

Fergie and his idiot brother have gambled and lost.Derek ferguson had it all as well and fucked it up at Ibrox.It must run in the family.Shame,really.

[WeeJoe]

something big has to happen nelly mate you lot cant go on like this. even at times when results for rangers havent been going well i can never remember this level of internal strife. its not like rangers at all. as for what you were saying about ferguson i have some friends down here who are saying exactly the same so who knows what will happen. (just heard on sky le guen resoundly booed as he came off coach for todays match)

[PortGlasgow]

BBC Sport understands that Ferguson had planned to attend Fir Park as a fan.

But he abandoned that to hold crisis talks with Rangers chairman David Murray, who has flown back from France especially.

It is thought that Le Guen had made his decision without the knowledge of a chairman who had personally made great efforts to bring Ferguson back from Blackburn Rovers.

And it is understood that Ferguson left Monday's meeting with Le Guen in tears.



Aye right :rolleyes:

Former Rangers striker Billy Dodds knows Ferguson well.

"Barry turned up for training, put his training gear on and was summoned to the manager's office," said Dodds.

"He was told he would never play for Rangers again as long Le Guen was manager.

"Barry asked the reason why and was told he just did not get on with him - and that's incredible.

"In football, you have to play with people you don't get on with for the good of the team."



Quoting from a 2nd hand source excellent work BBC.

[WeeJoe]

wether this is true or not im not 100% sure. apparently the arguement started over travelling arrangements to fir park. barry doesnt stay very far from fir park but was told to report to the training ground (murray park) in the morning to travel with the rest of the squad. from that point an arguement broke out and the rest is history. to me that doesnt sound like the kind of arguement that would have you sack your captain but im guessing that there was lot more going on behind the scenes. but like i said im not 100% sure of the accuracy of the report i read.

[PortGlasgow]

After Le Guen dropped him for fir park

"He was told he would never play for Rangers again as long Le Guen was manager.

Barry said he would never play for Rangers aslong as Le Guen was manager


"Barry asked the reason why and was told he just did not get on with him - and that's incredible.

Billy Dodds asked the reason why and was told Barry did not get on with le guen

[PortGlasgow]

Meanwhile, Ferguson's brother, Derek, who played for Rangers in the 1980s, says that Le Guen's action has taken his sibling by surprise.

"Barry is totally shocked by what's happened and is struggling to come to terms with it," he told BBC Sport Scotland.

"He is very proud to be the captain of Rangers and he didn't see this coming at all.

"The only other time I've seen him this down was when he had his bad knee injury at Blackburn Rovers.

"Barry is aggressive on the park and in the dressing room, and you tend to get that from captains and leaders in Scottish football.

"He only wants 100% from everyone," added the Stranraer assistant manager.

"But now it's really down to Barry to try and sort out the situation with John Viola, Paul le Guen and Sir David Murray."


Seems Derek is hinting that the problem lies with Barry, we could see him being shipped out in days if it isnt resolved. I see the agents already starting spouting pish about 2 people at the highest level of their club being interested.

Havent even heard of any substantial transfers linked with Rangers.

[larsson17]

i heard he is signing for celtic :p

[jimmy]

i heard he is signing for celtic :p
First Miller,now Pressley:confused: :confused:

Rangers rejects!!:p
well. we do seem to be in the business of picking up all these 'rangers rejects'... :D :D :p

[No1_Dave]

I hope Fergie signs Fergie for Man Utd :D :p

[Nelly]

Seems Derek is hinting that the problem lies with BarryThis fanny was the one to leak the captincy issue to the press so that the press could hold onto it until the morning of the last OF match to ambush PLG with it.

[WeeJoe]

personally i thought the timing of the whole thing was poor from a rangers point if view. it used to happen to us (celtic) on the morning of old firm games when we were trying to topple Walter and his goons