Barry Ferguson has called out three Rangers stars who he he feels must produce more when it matters against Celtic.
The Ibrox outfit go head to head against their city rivals on Sunday in the Scottish Cup semi-finals as Michael Beale aims to get a victory against Ange Postecoglou.
Ahead of the fixture, Ferguson has given his thoughts on Rangers' potential starting XI and he has pinpointed attention on Alfredo Morelos, Todd Cantwell and Malik Tillman.
He told the Daily Record: "I said before the last Old Firm game that I would have gone with Fashion Sakala up front and I’m sticking to my guns for this one as well. I believe Sakala’s blistering pace can cause Celtic’s central defence some serious problems. Obviously, that’s a big call because it means leaving Alfredo Morelos on the bench and even though I’ve always been a big supporter of the Colombian even I am now reaching the conclusion Rangers might be better off without him.
"The problem with Morelos is that you have no idea what you’re going to get from him. It’s hard to know if his heart is still in it. At his best, he can be absolutely unplayable. But all too often this season he’s been going through the motions. And Beale simply can’t afford to take any gambles or carry any passengers where this game is concerned.
"There’s no point in sitting him down, looking in his eyes and asking if he’s up for it this weekend. It’s way too late for that. Never mind Morelos, if there are any players who need to be spoken to and reminded of the importance of stopping Celtic from winning a treble then they shouldn’t be anywhere near Beale’s starting XI.
"If they don’t understand what this game means then, to put it very simply, they don’t deserve to wear the jersey. This is not a ‘must win’ match. It’s a case of ‘don’t even think about NOT winning it’. There will be no excuses and no room for hard luck stories afterwards.
"Get it won and make sure that trophy stays in the cabinet on June 3 because that’s the very least that Rangers demand of you. Anything less will be unforgivable as far as the fans are concerned. If you can’t accept that, or if you think it’s a bit harsh, then you honestly have no idea what playing for this club is all about. Stopping Celtic is everything. It’s the reason you pull on the shirt. Is that embarrassing? No. It’s just the way of life in this part of the world. It’s in our DNA."
On Tillman and Cantwell, Ferguson added: "This is when you prove you know what being a Rangers player is all about. I’m looking at the likes of Todd Cantwell and Malik Tillman and asking them how deep they are prepared to dig?
"These two guys have all the ability in the world but that counts for nothing if they don’t have the mentality to go with it. Let’s be honest, they have both been guilty of fading out of games when things aren’t going their way. I’ve played with people like that and what they need is players around them who protect them and get the best out of them by doing the hard yards. I worry that Rangers look a bit soft when Ryan Jack isn’t doing that enforcer job in the midfield.
"But the more creative influences like Cantwell and Tillman also have a responsibility to step up and grab the bull by the horns. I don’t want them turning it on when things are going well. I need them to make a difference when the game is on a knife edge.
"Sometimes, it’s about rolling your sleeves up and getting wired in and, worryingly, I didn’t see too much of that last weekend at Pittodrie when the game was getting away from them. They might have felt that three points against Aberdeen didn’t really matter all that much as the title had already gone and even though Celtic slipped up at home to Motherwell, they were never going to claw them back anyway. But that attitude sums up the whole season to this point.
"I have no doubt Beale has got some quality players in his squad. But sometimes talent is not enough. Sometimes finding a way to win is the be all and end all. The manager will find out on Sunday who has the character required to go the distance with him as he plans for the journey ahead."
