Beattie 0 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 THE date is July 1, 2020 and Rangers' manager Barry Ferguson and his trusted assistant Lee McCulloch are plotting the club's defence of the domestic treble they won during the 2019/20 campaign. This might sound a bit far-fetched at the start of 2008 but Barry has revealed that he will take his first tentative steps into the world of football coaching at the end of this season with his good pal Lee. The Gers' captain, who celebrates his 30th birthday tomorrow, insists that he will play at the top level for at least another five years but is already making plans for when his glittering career comes to an end. Becoming the boss at Ibrox may be a distant dream for Fergie at this stage of his life but who is to say it will not become a reality in the future. If someone had said during the nine-in-a-row era that legendary goalscorer Ally McCoist and his partner in crime Ian Durrant would be back at the club as part of Walter Smith's coaching staff in 2007 they would probably have been locked in a cell in a straight jacket! McCoist and Durrant, of course, were famous throughout the 90s for their larger than life personalities and electric wit but as time has past both have become highly skilled coaches in their own right. Following in their footsteps is something that appeals greatly to Barry although he is the first to admit that he has a lot to learn as well as a lot to offer. Having made his debut against Hearts at Tynecastle on the final day of the historic 1996/97 season he has now played at the highest level for more than a decade and feels that passing his vast experience to the next generation of football stars in Scotland would give him a great deal of satisfaction. He said: "I have decided that I am going to do my coaching badges this year so that is something I am looking forward to. "I have been mulling it over for the past couple of years and finally decided to give it a shot. "The biggest thing for me would be to train young players and pass on my experience to them. "I think I would get a lot out of that but we will see if I can pass the badges I take later this year. "Myself and big Lee are going to do it soon and we will see where that takes us. "I know that Nacho did it with my brother Derek last year so if he can pass I am sure I do it also!" Hitting the big 'three zero' might be a frightening prospect to some footballers who view this as the end of their prime. Ferguson, however, insists that he has never felt better physically and feels that he is at currently at his peak in terms of fitness and stamina. He said: "There is no doubt that I feel fitter now than I was when I was 21 or 22. "Obviously when you get older you look after yourself a bit more than when you are young. "When you are in your early 20s being fit comes easy to you but I have learned a lot over the years and I am sure I will be able to play for the next five years no problem at all. "Rest, of course, is an important aspect as you get older but to be honest I would rather play in every game as oppose to train all the time. "That is not to say that I do not enjoy training because I do and I think I am working harder now than I ever have done at Murray Park. "My fitness is probably at the best level it has been in a long time." Like most people Barry feels the last ten years have flown by in the blink of an eye but having gathered eleven winners' medals during this time he has a lot of fond memories to look back on. Four League Championship medals, three Scottish Cup and four League Cup successes have cemented his position as a Gers' great but he is greedy for more and believes that Walter Smith's current squad have what it takes to bring the glory days back to Ibrox. He said: "I do not want to think about hitting 30 and, to be honest, I can't believe where the time has gone. "But to get eleven medals from my time at the club is a great achievement and I am sure I will win plenty more in the coming seasons. "I am back enjoying my football again and the whole place has been given a huge lift with the new management team coming in so hopefully I can win many more trophies before my career comes to an end. "Everyone can see when they walk into Murray Park that it is a happy place right now and that is the way it should be. "You should always feel happy coming into a place like this on a daily basis but in the past there were some players who did not feel like that. "But Walter and his staff have come in and changed everything. You look forward to going to work which is great for everyone." With Rangers currently in the midst of yet another hectic schedule of games it is not surprising that Barry will be spending most of his birthday at a hotel in Edinburgh with his teammates prior to Sunday's Scottish Cup fifth round tie against Hibs. The champagne will have to be put on ice until after the trip to Easter Road but he is hoping to make it a double celebration by securing a win against Mixu Paatelainen's side. "I have said many times that I am happy when the games come thick and fast. "People often ask me if I am tired if I play Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday but in this day if you prepare right and look after yourself you should not have any problems. "This week we have played against Hearts in the League Cup and then we follow that be taking on Hibs in the Scottish Cup. "As a footballer that is something you just have to accept and I will be looking forward to going back to Easter Road. "I think our 2-1 win there on December 29 was possibly our best performance in a long, long time but they now have a new manager in place so I expect them to be a different proposition to the team we faced prior to New Year." A daunting thought for most, I'd imagine! Happy Birthday none the less! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gersfan1985 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 i think barry will be rangers manager in the future same with alan shearer at newcastle 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewarty 2,010 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 i think barry will be rangers manager in the future same with alan shearer at newcastle I can actually picture him trying to take the goal kicks, free kicks, corner kicks, throw-ins from the dug out as well as moaning because nobody is passing to him. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gersfan1985 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 lol aye he be a good manager 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
townhead ranger 0 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 lol aye he be a good manager You're fishing, surely ? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmidd 0 Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 You're fishing, surely ? judging by his posts so far, I doubt he's that clever 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earl of leven 0 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Why on earth would he be considered for the post? His on field antics leave a lot to be desired. He shows no interest in man to man work: coaxing, cajoling...he shouts. Tacticllay he simply does what he wants. Media wise he is a very bad public speaker. Our managers should be the very best we can afford at the time, not someone we know. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,552 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Don't think I'd fancy Ferguson for the manager's position... 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earl of leven 0 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 We should really know who is up and coming, who is making their mark etc....we need a Juande Ramos, Jose Mourinho etc at the stage before they went 'stratospheric'...but we have no coaching. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gribz 847 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 We should really know who is up and coming, who is making their mark etc....we need a Juande Ramos, Jose Mourinho etc at the stage before they went 'stratospheric'...but we have no coaching. Paul Le Guen was the best up and coming manager about but look what happened there and what went on behind the scenes. (Im not sure how he is doing with PSG but he was struggling earlier this season). 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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