Barry never put much stock in the stats claiming Ibrox club had next to no chance of finishing in the top eight
If you believed the number crunchers, Rangers barely stood a chance of fighting their way into the Europa League ’s top eight.
Hamza Igamane did a turn for the team off the left wing too while Cyriel Dessers put in one of, if not his best ever, performances in a blue jersey up front. It was a true team display from a squad down to the bare bones and they got the win they needed which, along with a little help from elsewhere, booked their place in the top eight.
OK, Clement will admits his team was outclassed by Lyon earlier in the competition but I think we’re seeing signs that Rangers are more than comfortable at this level. And I really think we should now be looking towards these March showdowns against Anderlecht, Bodo/Glimt, Twente or Fenerbahce with no fear.
There were some nerves at the end of Thursday’s game when Union got a goal back late on and had a couple of late chances as they threw bodies forward in injury-time. But Rangers managed to see it out and considering the players Clement had missing and the hectic run they’ve been for the past two months, I thought it was a heroic performance from the boys.
The little Belgian has had some difficult moments since moving to Glasgow and I admit I did struggle to see what all the hype was about following his move from Standard Liege. But I think we can now all see why Michael Beale was so keen to sign him a couple of years ago. He’s been terrific since returning to the team after a spell out injured.
The manager might have been joking about moving the skipper to centre-back permanently to extend his career but it might end up being a serious option - just not yet. For me, there’s still life left in him as a right-back but I can see the sense in moving the captain into the middle.
Europa League Barry Ferguson Philippe Clement Cyriel Dessers James Tavernier Nicolas Raskin Vaclav Cerny Hamza Igamane Manchester United FC Lyon Anderlecht
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