Furious Ferguson vows to ring the changes for Bilbao clash after dismal defeat to Hibs… and goalkeeper Butland’s place is under threat

Barry Ferguson has made it clear off-form goalkeeper Jack Butland’s place is under threat for Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final with Athletic Bilbao after ripping through his players and promising a raft of changes following a two-goal home defeat to Hibs.

The Ibrox interim manager admitted he was ‘furious’ after seeing his side lose a fifth home game on the trot for the first time in the club’s history – a run in which they have scored just one goal – by going down to efforts from Dylan Levitt and Martin Boyle and has warned that big changes are on the way.

Asked specifically about Butland, guilty of the latest in a run of howlers in conceding to Levitt early on, being dropped for the first leg of the last-eight tie with Athletic, Ferguson replied: ‘I’ve said to Jack that it’s a bad mistake. He understands that, so we’ll see.

‘An hour and 15 minutes (before the game), when you get the team lines, you will see some changes. That’s why you carry a squad.

‘If people make mistakes, people are off it, people don’t run as much as I think they should run, they’re not going to play in my team – because I watched that Hibs team, who I thought wanted it more than us.

‘It hurts me to say that, but it is what it is. There will be a series of changes on Thursday night and I can say that right now.’

Goalkeeper Jack Butland wads at fault for the opening goal and may not play on Thursday

Interim boss Ferguson kicks a water bottle in frustration as Rangers toiled against Hibs

Ferguson admits he asked the players whether the collapse against Hibs hurt them and was scathing about the overall standard of the performance.

‘I’m going to go back tonight and I’m going to be raging,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to see anybody. It needs to hurt you. And I’ve asked them: “Is it going to hurt you?”. That’s my question to them.

‘It was worse than disappointing. God, where do I start? How long have we got? Spent a bit of time in the dressing room. A few home truths were told. Hibs deserved to win.

‘That’s not a Rangers team. Miles from being a Rangers team. This is your bread and butter.

‘European games and Celtic games are the easiest games to get up for. These are the games that this group of players struggle with and it was evident today.

‘Again, another mistake, go into your shells, feel sorry for each other. Second half, I demand a lot more from them and I don’t get it.

‘You’re playing with Glasgow Rangers. If you can’t get up for games of football, you shouldn’t be playing – especially here, a brilliant stadium and supporters packing it to the rafters and getting behind you.

‘And we put a performance on like that. As you can probably see or hear, I’m fuming.

‘I’ve made my mind up what way we have to go from now until the end of the season and it might not be pretty to watch. As a Rangers fan, coming to Ibrox, you want to see free-flowing, attractive football.

‘I don’t think we can do that.’

Hibs boss David Gray was thrilled with his team’s performance as they consolidated third spot

Ferguson admits he has not watched Athletic Bilbao, fourth in Spain’s Primera Liga, and is still struggling to handle his side’s domestic failings.

‘Honestly, I’ve not watched them, because I’m very much game to game,’ he said. ‘My staff have watched them. They tried to talk about it yesterday, but I’m not interested. I had to concern myself with Hibs.

‘I know they’re a quality team, but, again, these are the games where you don’t need to really motivate people, because you’re in Europe. It’s a different kind of atmosphere.

‘It’s these games out here (like Hibs) that concern me. These are the games that have been the Achilles heel of this club for far too long. I ain’t going to accept that.’

Ferguson has also stated he won’t be scared to give younger players more game time.

‘I ain’t scared, because I know what I’m going to get from the boys,’ he said. ‘They’re going to dig deep. They’re going to run hard for you. They might not be experienced, but I’ve got a lot of thinking to do over the next couple of days.’

Hibernian manager David Gray, meanwhile, was delighted with his players as they took their unbeaten league run to 16 games and admitted he had talked to them about the prospect of turning the home crowd at Ibrox against Ferguson and his team.

‘I spoke about it before the game,’ he said. ‘You want to try and quieten the home crowd, of course. If Rangers get the wind in their sails, it can be a really intimidating place to come and play – and I think it can also go against them as well, if you can get a foothold in the game.

Hibs players celebrate with the away fans at Ibrox after beating Rangers 2-0

‘So, the start was always going to be key – and I thought, even before we scored, the players settled into the game really quickly, showed a lot of composure on the ball.

‘I thought the shape, the discipline within it and then that hard work and effort that has to go along with that was there for everyone to see.

‘I don’t think I’d ever say it was comfortable. I think one thing I would say is I thought the players showed a level of confidence and belief in themselves.

‘There wasn’t a period in the game where I felt that we were under severe pressure.’

Gray believes Boyle has responded so well to being made captain and has an extra-special motivation having now scored 95 goals for the club and 16 for the season.

‘He wants to try and get 100 goals for Hibs and he’s got that mindset of trying to better himself all the time,’ said Gray.

‘Every time I put the board up and his number comes up, I can see him looking at me as if to say: “Why are you taking me off?” He’s playing full of confidence as well, which is brilliant.’