Barry Ferguson sees a Celtic defence that’s there to be got at given injuries and suspensions heading into crunch Ibrox clash
Barry Ferguson wants Danny Rohl to go for Celtic’s throats in the Old Firm derby by playing two strikers against a makeshift Hoops defence.
The former Ibrox captain and interim boss believes his old club will secure a statement win in the title race against their city rivals on Sunday.
And Ferguson hopes the German gaffer goes for the jugular with his team selection.
Celtic are already without Cameron Carter-Vickers at the back and will now miss the suspended Auston Trusty.
That could see youngsters Dane Murray or on-loan Benjamin Arthur thrown into a must-win fixture for both clubs.
Rohl deployed a 4-4-2 system against Hearts a fortnight ago and pulled off an impressive 4-2 win, thanks to Youssef Chermiti’s hat-trick.
And Ferguson is keen to see Rangers adopt a similarly attacking game-plan against Martin O’Neill’s men this weekend.
He said: “I think the Rangers approach on Sunday will be to go and attack Celtic.
“Who knows what the team’s going to be. But if you go with the two strikers (Chermiti and Ryan Naderi) you’re looking at a real physical presence up there.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the way that the manager goes again on Sunday.
“What I like about Danny is that he’s flexible. He’ll change formations, whether that’s playing one or two up top.
“I’ve been really impressed with him because you always have make the opposition think.
“I don’t think beating Celtic will win Rangers the title. But it WILL be a statement.
“There at home and I was at the last game against Hearts.
“It threw me back to the Fenerbahce game last year. The atmosphere was absolutely electric.
“So it’ll be a big statement if they win.
“You always have to respect the opponent. Celtic have an experienced manager who knows his way about the game.
“I also still think they’ve got some really good players.
“But if Rangers play to their capabilities I think they can win it.”
Ferguson’s ex-Ibrox team-mate Kris Boyd reckons the loser of Sunday’s derby will be OUT of the title race altogether.
But the former skipper isn’t buying that. And he says no matter what the outcome is at Ibrox, there are still FOUR teams vying for the trophy, including Motherwell.
Ferguson praised Rohl for getting Gers back in the hunt and said: “If you look back to October when Danny came in, if you’d said to me Rangers would be in this position, I would have looked at you as if you had horns coming out of your head.
“But they’re now in a title fight with three other teams.
“Motherwell are in it, 100 percent. I’ve seen them live twice and you can’t help be impressed by them.
“They’ll have a big say in this.
“There’s going to be more twists and turns. But it’s still in Rangers’ hands.’
“I don’t agree with that (Boyd’s opinion).
“I’ve heard so many people say that but I think it’s going to go right to the wire.
“I’ve been involved in a few last day ones. They’re a bit nail-biting.
“But I would take that because of where Rangers were.
“They were in a bad place in October so you’ve got to give the manager credit because the players were written off.”
Ferguson was in the dug-out for two Old Firm games last season after taking interim charge following Philippe Clement’s sacking.
He masterminded a 3-2 victory at Parkhead against Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic before a 1-1 draw at Ibrox.
He says he enjoyed that win across the city MORE as a manager than he ever did as a player.
Ferguson said: “It was totally different from being a player but I preferred it as a manager.
“I loved it because everything’s on you.
“When you’re a player, you can affect it on the pitch.
“But as manager, you set up against a team then have to put trust in your players.
“You know if they carry it out, you have a better chance of winning.
“So it was a brilliant experience for me. And it’s even better when you get the result.”
Rangers will be led into the derby once again by skipper James Tavernier, who is aiming for a league title triumph in what could potentially be his last season at Ibrox.
The 34-year-old’s winning mentality has been questioned at times but – after working with him last season – Ferguson hailed Tavernier as a born leader.
He said: “Tav was an absolute joy to work with. I got very close to him because I was manager and he was captain.
“He’s a brilliant trainer, a leader and a really good player.
“He’ll have a massive role to play between now and the end of the season.
“Tav doesn’t hide. I’ve been with him and I know what he’s like.
“He stands up and doesn’t hide. That’s the type of guy he is and I love to see people like that.
“He’s a strong character. Some of the criticism has been over the top because he’ll fight for you.
“He’s been a brilliant player for Rangers.”
**Barry Ferguson was speaking at the Rangers museum.**