Rangers Europa League progress looks preordained as Barry Ferguson presides over unexplained phenomena – Hugh Keevins

Pathetic Bilbao, otherwise known as the Matalan Catalans, will go out of Europe by losing to Rangers in the Basque country next Thursday night.

And, by virtue of their obvious ineptitude, forfeit the chance to contest the Europa League final inside their own stadium next month.

Celtic, who could be crowned Premiership champions for the fourth time in a row if Rangers should lose to Aberdeen at Pittodrie, run the risk of possibly winning the Treble for a world record-breaking ninth time and being the runners-up in the story of the season competition.

In a season in which Rangers have suffered the worst result in their history, losing to Queens Park in the Scottish Cup, and assembled the longest run of home defeats since the club began 153 years ago, the chances are Barry Ferguson will bring a European trophy to Ibrox.

I was laughed at for saying Rangers, in the midst of a domestic season that diminished their reputation, would make the Europa League final at the end of a season which began when they couldn’t make a shipment of building materials turn up on time to renovate a stand.

But some things are bigger than all of us, and fate is one of them.

Rangers progress in Europe looks to be pre-ordained because it has nothing to do with the reality of the situation, which is that Ferguson was put in interim charge because Philippe Clement was running the team, and the club, into the ground.

Now Barry’s presiding over what looks like a case of unexplained phenomena that passes beyond human understanding.

In Scottish football’s wonderful world of spite, malice and mis-trust, Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin’s personal approval rating will soar this afternoon if he beats Rangers and hands Celtic the title on a plate.

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