March 01, (THEWILL) – Barry Ferguson became the first Rangers manager in nearly a decade to lose his inaugural home match as Motherwell claimed a 2-1 victory at Ibrox on Saturday. The interim boss faced immediate pressure following his appointment to replace Philippe Clement, whose tenure ended after disappointing results.
Motherwell established control in the first half with goals from Luke Armstrong and Tom Sparrow putting the visitors firmly ahead before the break. Rangers attempted to mount a comeback when Nigerian forward Cyriel Dessers found the net in the 54th minute, but despite their efforts, the home side could not find an equaliser during the remaining time.
The defeat continues a troubling trend for Rangers at Ibrox, where they had previously lost to St Mirren in league competition and suffered elimination from the Scottish Cup by second-tier Queen’s Park under Clement. Ferguson made significant tactical changes during the match, including the substitution of three players at half-time, but these adjustments proved insufficient to alter the final outcome.
This result places Ferguson in rare company among Rangers managers. Stuart McCall was the previous manager unable to win his first home fixture, drawing 1-1 with Livingston in March 2015, while Tommy McLean was the last to experience a defeat, losing 2-1 to Celtic in November 1983.
The eighth-placed Motherwell executed their strategy effectively throughout the match, maintaining defensive discipline after taking their two-goal advantage. For Ferguson and the Rangers supporters, the loss is a disappointing start to his managerial reign as they search for stability following recent upheaval at the Glasgow club.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
