BARRY FERGUSON says he was proud of Rangers’ second half display as they fought back to claim a 4-2 win over Kilmarnock this evening.
The head coach, who was taking charge of the side for the first time after joining the club until the end of the season on Monday, saw his team come from behind to claim a win as his reign got off to a winning start.
Speaking to RangersTV to reflect on the success in Ayrshire, he commented: “Well the first 25 minutes it looked as if we were all over the place if I am being honest.
“Maybe it was a bit too much information we gave them, but we started to settle down after about 30 minutes.
“We started to have a wee bit of belief and we got the goal back and I thought we controlled it the last 10 minutes of the first half and then the second half I thought the boys were exceptional.
“They showed grit, desire, determination, a real will to win and in beside that I thought some excellent football at times.
“Overall, I think there is things that we can get better at, but coming down to Rugby Park and being 2-0 down and coming back to win 4-2 I think it is a fantastic result for us.
“It's only one game, but it is a brilliant victory for us, a brilliant three points, but there is a lot to work on.
“To be fair to the boys they understand that, we'll get back in tomorrow it'll be a recovery day but we'll sit down and we'll go through a few things that certainly we can improve.
“One thing they showed me tonight is they are playing for it; they are playing for the jersey.
“They played for myself and I was standing there proud, I was proud in the second half to manage this group of players.”
After going 2-0 down inside 14 minutes, Vaclav Cerny started the fightback before a Cyriel Dessers double turned the match on its head before Nedim Bajrami secured the result towards the end, with the former captain praising the character his side showed to claim the points.
He continued: “The message at half time was I need to see the last 10 minutes or 15 minutes of what you showed in the first half.
“It is pointless me going on about the first 30, I will deal with that probably tomorrow we will go through some of the situations that I wasn't happy with but the message was go out and have a bit of belief guys, it looked as if they were a wee bit nervy and that is maybe understandable after the last few results, certainly at home.
“They showed character and that is what it is all about playing at Rangers because there is a lot of demands on you, a lot of expectations but you need to be able to handle that and I thought they did that.
“I thought the fans were brilliant, they got behind the team and I think they seen certainly in the second half a team that was fighting for the jersey.
“I thought his work rate as it has always been was to a really high standard.
“Sometimes he frustrates a wee bit but I thought tonight he led the line ever so well and his finishes were great and his attitude was first class.”
Ferguson will now take charge of the side at Ibrox for the first time this weekend as they look to return to winning ways on home soil after suffering defeat in their last two home outings, with the head coach relishing the occasion that awaits.
He added: “It will be a special moment for myself, my family and my friends but most importantly for me it is making sure that we get three points, that is what will drive me on.
“We have got a couple of days leading up to that because the last couple of results at Ibrox have been nowhere near good enough and neither have the performances.
“We'll need to change that if they show what they did tonight certainly in the second half then that'll be the case.”