The Ibrox hero stepped into the dugout in the final third of last season following Philippe Clement’s dismissal
Former Rangers Captain and Head Coach Barry Ferguson
Rangers legend Barry Ferguson admits his love for the club will always leave the door open for a second stint as manager at Ibrox.
But the former skipper is adamant he would only consider taking on the reins on a full-time basis were the opportunity to rise once more.
Despite Russell Martin insisting he still retains the full support of Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers, supporters are desperate to see Martin given the boot in Glasgow after picking up just four wins from his first 14 matches in all competitions at the helm.
His latest defeat came on Thursday night as 10 men Rangers went down 1-0 to Belgian side Genk in their Europa League opener, with ex Celtic striker Oh bagging the only goal of the game after Mohamed Diomande saw red in the first half.
The Light Blues sit second bottom of the Premiership with just four points from their first five matches and face a daunting trip to West Lothian to take on Livingston on Sunday.
Ferguson replaced the sacked Philippe Clement for the final three months of last season, winning six of his 15 games in charge in all competitions, including leading the club to the quarter finals of the Europa League.
The 47-year-old and Record Sport columnist made it no secret that he would have loved the job on a permanent basis before Martin’s appointment but insists he would not be willing to go in as an interim manager again while the club plan their next move.
Asked on GO Radio about taking on the job again, he replied: “You’ve put me on the spot here! You know what the club means to me.
“But at the end of the day, I am not just going in to take a job for somebody else then to come in and take it off you.
But listen, Russell Martin is still the manager at this moment of time.”
Ferguson’s Gers went down to 10 men after 13 minutes in their Europa League showdown with Athletic Bilbao at Ibrox last season, grinding out a goalless draw before suffering a 2-0 defeat away from home in the reverse fixture.
And the ex captain reckons Martin’s desire to continue to play on the front foot at all times contributed to spaces opening up that led to Genk’s all-important goal.
Referee Matej Jug awards Rangers’ Mohamed Diomande with a red card (Image: SNS Group)
He added: “It’s the way Russell wants to play. He wants to play high up the pitch.
“I just think sometimes, when you are down to 10 men, let them come onto you a wee bit but make sure you are solid and compact.
“Don’t give them any hope whatsoever.”