Ferguson fumes after Rangers draw at St Mirren
Interim boss Barry Ferguson believes Rangers has lost its fear factor after it drew 2-2 at St Mirren on the day Celtic clinched another Scottish Premiership title.
Celtic put five past Dundee United to wrap up a fourth league title in as many years, building an unassailable lead over Rangers with four games to play.
The Gers then saw their winless streak stretch to five matches in all competitions, after they squandered two leads at SMISA Stadium.
Cyriel Dessers turned his marker and fired past Zach Hemming for their 42nd-minute opener, only for Mark O'Hara to sweep home from just inside the area two minutes later.
Nicolas Raskin prodded Rangers back into the lead early in the second half, but Conor McMenamin slid Declan John's delivery home for the second equaliser in the 73rd minute.
Although the Gers avoided losing three straight league games against St Mirren for the first time since 1979-1980, Ferguson felt they had thrown two points away.
"Two really disappointing goals to lose," he said. "The goals we scored were things that we worked on, moving the ball quickly, two or three touches and when we do that we are a better team.
"Then we let ourselves go back into being really lethargic and pedestrian. That is not the way I want my team to play."
Ferguson then suggested his players were not carrying out his pre-match instructions, as he added: "It's been a problem all season and that's the reason we've not been challenging.
"You can do as much work on the training ground and say as many things as you want in meetings, but when you cross that white line, you have to deal with it yourself.
"When you speak to them individually and as a group and you ask them to do things and they don't do it, what is the point? That's the thing that frustrates me."
Rangers will record its lowest points tally in a Scottish Premiership season since 2019-2020 – 67, currently on the same amount this term – and Ferguson feels teams are no longer worried about facing the Glasgow giant.
"The issue I've got is people don't fear playing Rangers now. Whether that's at home or away, they enjoy coming to Ibrox," he said.
"And then when you go away from home, teams look to see if they can bully you, run hard at you and get in about you.
"And that's something that, again, needs to change going forward."
Rangers play champion Celtic next weekend in the final Old Firm derby of the season, with nothing more than pride to fight for.
