We've all seen THOSE brutal Barry Ferguson Rangers memes but consider one thing when he takes on Mourinho – Scott McDermott

From the Indodrill to Istanbul. In football management terms, that’s some leap.

And when Barry Ferguson was put in interim charge of Rangers last week, you could hear the cackling from the other side of Glasgow. Jose Mourinho v Ned Lasso. Everyone’s seen all the online quips. When their team is 16 points clear in the title race and odds-on for a Treble, Celtic fans are entitled to have a chuckle at their rivals’ expense. And yesterday’s 2-1 Ibrox loss won’t stop the laughter from Parkhead punters.

But as Ferguson prepares for a clash with the Special One on Thursday night, don’t think for a minute there will be any sort of inferiority complex. He’s just not built that way. It’s not in his make up to be overawed by anyone. In fact, if Mourinho thinks he’s got confidence and arrogance, he ain’t met Barry yet. And maybe right now – after the departure of Philippe Clement – that’s exactly what this group of Rangers players need.

A gaffer with a bit of swagger. When Ferguson walks out in front of 50,000 Turkish fanatics at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium and heads for the away dugout, do you think he’ll be fazed by it? When Mourinho, boasting his 20 major honours as a manager, goes to shake his hand, do you think the Rangers boss won’t look him in the eye? Of course he will. Because he’s gallus. Whether you like it or not, Ferguson believes he can hold his own in any company.

And no matter how this temporary stint at Ibrox goes, you can’t help but admire that. Mourinho certainly will. Rangers fans must hope his players do too, in order for him to get a tune out of them. Yesterday’s miserable 2-1 loss to Motherwell in Barry’s Ibrox dugout debut wasn’t ideal preparation for Thursday night but in his maiden victory at Rugby Park in