Ferguson must finally axe Propper & unleash Rangers gem who "never hides"

Barry Ferguson got his interim reign at Glasgow Rangers underway with a 4-2 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in midweek.

It won’t make a difference in terms of a title challenge, as the Premiership crown is Celtic’s in waiting, yet the result did prove that the club have some fight about them.

When Killie scored twice in the opening 14 minutes, it looked as though it could be a long night for the Ibrox side. Goals from Vaclav Cerny, a brace from Cyriel Dessers and a late strike by Nedim Bajrami sealed the comeback and all three points.

All thoughts will now turn to the match against Motherwell in Glasgow this afternoon, with another three points all that matters to Ferguson and his backroom staff.

Another victory would boost their confidence ahead of the first leg of their Europa League last-16 clash against Fenerbahce next week.

If the club can play like it has done in Europe this season, there is no reason why they couldn’t secure a positive result at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.

Ferguson will relish the challenge against Jose Mourinho, but he must take things one game at a time.

For the tie against the Steelmen, a few changes will be required. That’s a certainty.

Ferguson’s potential tweaks this weekend

The first 15 minutes of the midweek clash at Rugby Park was a horror show defensively.

For the first goal, Joe Wright was left unmarked at the back post, powering in a header from a Killie corner as the Gers’ defence was nowhere to be seen. Robin Propper slipped as he was trying to cover, leaving Wright wide open to score the opener.

The second goal was a fabulous strike by Brad Lyons, but it came due to a lapse in concentration from Clinton Nsiala. Lyons stole the ball and curled a wonderful effort beyond Jack Butland in the goal.

Nsiala was subbed off after just half an hour, yet it was Propper who was arguably the poorer of the two players.

His display was dismal and he hasn’t lived up to expectations since joining Rangers from FC Twente last summer, lacking the physicality required to shine against opposition players in the Scottish top flight.

Robin Propper’s game in numbers against Kilmarnock

The Dutch centre-back has played 36 games for the Light Blues since his arrival last year, scoring twice. Despite scoring against Celtic in the 3-0 win at the start of 2025, his displays have left a lot to be desired.

The game against Killie was the nadir for the player, and also the majority of the fans who have been criticising him throughout the entire campaign.

Propper won just three of his seven contested ground duels, regularly being outfought by a physically imposing attack and this meant he completed just 79% of his attempted passes in the process.

The defender also committed three fouls, was successful with just three of his ten long ball attempts and lost possession a staggering 14 times throughout the 90 minutes.

Thankfully, those in the final third managed to register four goals to save the day for the Gers and secure a vital three points.

Writer Gavin Kelly gave Propper a match rating of just 2/10 for his performance on Wednesday evening, stating that he ‘got bullied in every duel, left runners, struggled at set-pieces and was lucky that he didn’t get taken off instead of Clinton Nsiala’, before adding that the summer signing ‘was even worse in the second half with Kilmarnock causing problems every time they targeted Propper.’

It was arguably his poorest performance for the club and he must be dropped for the clash against Motherwell this afternoon.

There is only one candidate who should come in to replace him – James Tavernier.

Why James Tavernier should play at centre-back for Rangers

Tavernier started the clash against Kilmarnock in his usual right-back slot, but when Nsiala was brought off after just 30 minutes, Ferguson instructed the Englishman to move alongside Propper at the heart of the defence, sending on Ridvan Yilmaz on the right side of the back four.

This worked a treat as the 33-year-old was composed alongside the Dutchman. Not only did he make 13 clearances and two interceptions, but Tavernier also won 70% of his total contested duels throughout the game, as well as creating a big chance and registering an assist.

Not bad considering he was playing in a different position compared to usual, and this is why he should start there against Motherwell this afternoon.

Ferguson lavished plenty of praise on his captain following the switch in position, saying: “He was exceptional, I thought he became a real leader. He’s been through a lot in his Rangers career, but he never hides.”

One thing that plenty of supporters picked up on straight after the 4-2 win was how he went and consoled Nsiala, rather than immediately going to celebrate with the away fans.

This is the mark of a true leader, and hopefully he can continue playing like he did on Wednesday between now and the end of the campaign.

The question is, will Ferguson stick with him at the heart of the defence for the Ibrox clash today? Or will someone else come in for Nsiala?

Rafael Fernandes joined on loan in January, but has featured just three times for the Light Blues, and he started the dismal 1-0 defeat to Queen’s Park a few weeks ago in the Scottish Cup.

Ferguson has proved he is capable of making the big calls. He has a massive one to make this afternoon.