‘Ryan Kent could run amok’ ‘Gio has shown he can roll out plans A,B,C and D’ Barry Ferguson explains how Ange has been SUSSED

Two months can be a long time in football, especially if you are an unemployed manager.

Back in January Ange Postecoglou experienced the football thinking of Barry Ferguson when his Alloa team booted Celtic all over a Scottish Cup tie with the support of Don Robertson.

Within a month Fergie was mutually consented.

With a cosy portfolio of media work you are never too far from the thoughts of the former Alloa boss, his comments on Go Radio are quickly picked up by newspaper websites with a weekly column for the Daily Record a particular highlight.

Back at the start of September Fergie was relishing the first Glasgow derby of the season in the safe knowledge that Giovanni van Bronckhorst had got Ange SUSSED.

Not only was the Celtic boss about to be shown up for not having Plan B, C or D, like his opponent but apparently Ryan Kent was going to run amok against the Celtic defenders.

Briefing Daily Record readers ahead of the big match Ferguson explained:

Put it this way, yes Celtic are in great shape but they haven’t faced a test anywhere close to what’s coming their way tomorrow. Rangers, on the other hand, have already come through some massively important matches just to make it through the early qualifiers. They certainly don’t need to be scared or intimidated by a trip across Glasgow city centre. But they do need to be prepared for it.

Celtic are going to come at them like a hurricane right from the kick-off and if they’re not ready for what’s coming then they run the risk of being blown away before the game has even properly started – just like they were the first time they went to Parkhead last season.

For me, the key will be the first 10 to 15 minutes because what happens in those early exchanges could very well set the tone for the entire match. But no one will know that better than Gio and there were signs towards the end of last season that he might have got Ange Postecoglou sussed. Put it this way, the 1-1 draw at their place at the end of the season should have been a Rangers win and that tells me that the manager knows exactly how to combat Celtic’s all out attacking style.

He won’t go there looking to stand toe-to-toe with them. He’ll want his team to be nice and compact and solid from the start. Most importantly of all, he’ll demand his players match the energy of Celtic’s because these guys will be coming at them from all angles.

If Rangers aren’t prepared to go with them stride for stride, matching their runs, then it could quickly become a very long afternoon. But I really believe Gio has worked that out for himself. He’s a guy who studies every opponent and then comes up with his own plan for that specific opponent.

While Big Ange has only one way of playing, Gio has shown he can roll out plans A,B,C and D. Sometimes in the course of the same 90 minutes! So he’ll know what is required from his players. Keep it tight, withstand the early onslaught and then, once they’ve grown into the game, look to pick Celtic off on the counter because, let’s be honest, they don’t half leave themselves wide open at the back.

A guy with the pace of Ryan Kent could run amok if Rangers hit them at the right moments and use the space behind Celtic’s central defenders. And that’s where I see this game being won and lost, even though it’s very difficult to second guess what van Bronckhorst’s starting line-up will look like.

Nine months after leaving Alloa it looks increasingly like Ferguson will be lost to football management.