‘Impossible’ new Rangers forecast from Keith Jackson must have Ferguson furious.

Rangers have demonstrated their unpredictability so often this campaign it is difficult for their supporters to have any clue what might be coming next.

The performances of their side have been so inconsistent that fans will be tearing their hair out at Ibrox over the inability to play to their potential on any given week after an excellent display in a previous game.

Barry Ferguson has an inquest to solve after Rangers lost a third home game on the spin on Saturday against Motherwell (1 March), with both legs of the Europa League round of 16 tie against Fenerbahce now presenting the next tantalising challenge.

Ferguson ‘blood boiling’ at development

After Ferguson witnessed what he did on Saturday – Rangers also shipping yet another two-goal deficit but on this occasion finding the mountain too steep to climb – a major investigation will be ongoing in the dressing room.

According to Keith Jackson of the Daily Record (3 March, pg 36), the team’s “flakiness” will be “boiling the manager’s blood” as he is blindsided by what sort of performance his team will throw out on any given matchday.

However, Jackson believes Rangers are well capable of securing a draw in Istanbul this Thursday (6 March) during the first leg of their clash with Jose Mourinho’s Fener.

“It’s almost impossible to know what this team will do next and that flakiness alone must boil Barry Ferguson’s blood,” he said.

“But these players do seem to get themselves up for Thursday nights in Europe. A draw in Istanbul might not be beyond them.”

Without a Scottish Premiership contest next weekend, the Gers can throw everything into their basket for this tie, returning for the second leg at Ibrox the following Thursday (13 March) before the Old Firm at Celtic Park three days later.

Rangers can unlock new level in Europe

Rangers do appear to have a European sixth sense which must excite and frustrate supporters in equal measure.

While a run in the Europa League is always welcome, it is not a non-negotiable for a new manager, though for Ferguson there is added importance given he has walked into a club where every other competition set sail a fair while ago.

Some of the Light Blues’ best performances under Philippe Clement have come on Thursday nights this year: Tottenham at Ibrox, the heartache against Manchester United at Old Trafford, the hammering win in Nice.

Rangers bypassed the play-off round to reach this phase by stealing a top-eight berth after overcoming Union Saint-Gilloise in Govan. They are certainly more than capable.

And that is what many find so baffling. With respect to several of the sides in the Scottish Premiership, they tend not to be on a level with some of the calibre of European opponents Gers face. Yet their capabilities are “flaky” indeed and Ferguson has a major job on his plate.