In an increasingly uncertain world it’s a comfort to know there are still some things that can be taken for granted.
As sure as day follows night, Barry Ferguson wants to get one over on Celtic.
“I’m not one for saying, ‘We just want to enjoy the occasion’. Forget that! We’re going to try to cause an upset. But it’s going to be a right hard shift and I’m well aware of that,” growls a familiar voice from down the other end of the phone.
It’s been a while since the former captain of Rangers and Scotland was under this kind of spotlight. But Ferguson’s feisty, combative edge has not been blunted by seven years spent learning his trade as a manager, getting his hands dirty in the lower reaches of the professional game.
“I’ll tell you one thing,” Ferguson says with the hint of a smile as he wrestles with the absurdity of this unexpected shot at glory, “I forgot what it was like to have people phoning and texting looking for tickets. I’ve not had that for a while!”.
A David v Goliath fourth round Scottish Cup reunion with the one team he used to enjoy trading blows with more than any other during his highly decorated playing days. The very thought has got all the old juices flowing again.
It’s just that, this time, the odds are stacked against him like never before.
Six months into the job of managing Alloa in the third tier, this tie has probably come along a lot sooner than Ferguson would have fancied. Not that he’d allow himself to admit it of course.
Having spent two years laying the foundations for Kelty Hearts to hit the SPFL running in League Two, Ferguson moved to the Indodrill in the summer to begin a similar project a couple of levels up the ladder. It’s taking more time than he had hoped.
His side is currently lurching in eight spot in a league which Ferguson had hoped to get out of at the first attempt. And yet they are also a couple of consecutive wins away from the play-off spots.
It’s been a bumpy transition thus far which has seen Ferguson clash with a small but noisy band of Alloa’s supporters - who he suspects never wanted him at their club in the first place.
“Some of it has been personal and some it has been vile,” says Ferguson before adding: “It’s a tiny minority so I don’t want to dwell on it. Let’s just say I have my own views on what the problem is.
"But all I want is for our fans to support their team during the games whether they like me or not.”
Old Firm allegiances have followed him all the way to sleepy Clackmannanshire it seems.
So he knows exactly what to expect from the fully fledged Celtic hardcore that will make that same journey today, looking to rub salt into the gaping wounds of an old enemy.
Ferguson, though, is ready for the fight. Of course he is.
He goes on: “It’s brilliant for the club and for the town in general. We’re going to have a full house with more than 3,000 people. That’s all great.
“But we’re not just turning up to make up the numbers. Look, I’m not daft. I know what’s in front of us. You saw what they did to Hibs the other night and that’s not the first time they’ve done it this season. They’ve steamrollered a lot of teams haven’t they?
“But it’s up to us to frustrate them and stay in the game as long as possible. We have come up with a game plan we think can help us do that.
“We also have another couple of things up our sleeve because, when you’re up against this kind of quality, things can change in a split second.
“But all I can ask is that the boys give it their all. If they stick to what we’re going to work on then we might have a chance of causing an upset. Who knows? Cup football is strange isn’t it?
“Listen, we’re coming up against a top quality team with top quality players. So we can’t go toe-to-toe with them.
“But if we execute our plan and the boys bring their A game then you just never know. We might have a chance. We’ve got to make it as uncomfortable as possible for them.”
Ferguson is fully aware that he too may be made to feel uncomfortable. He’s prepared for that too.
He goes on: “I’ll probably need a set ear muffs because I’m sure I’ll be getting a bit. But I have no problem with that. It’s banter. It’s what you expect.
“I’ll certainly not be losing any sleep over it, don’t worry about that. The most important thing for me is to get all the information to the players. On the day of the game I’ll be up to high doh, there’s no doubt about that. The heart will be pumping.
“But I need my players to feel the same way. Celtic are coming to town. Massive club. Big players. Live on TV. These guys are part time so this is their chance to showcase what they can do, maybe even show they should be playing at a higher level.
“There’s certainly no fear as far as I’m concerned. If you go into a game fearful then there’s only going to be one outcome.
“You’ve got to respect them but if you fear them they’ll run over the top of you. You’ve got to stand up to them. You’ve got to be brave. And that’s what I’ll ask from my players. If they do that, if they are strong mentally, then who knows?
“It’s chance for us to cause a huge upset but it’s going to be tough and we’ll need a slice of luck along the way.”
After all this time doing the managerial hard yards, Ferguson too could do with catching a break.
A shock win today might just light a fire under his own reputation.
But, if not, he’ll stick to the plan of getting Alloa back into the Championship.
He admits: “I’m a work in progress as a manager. There are things I’m not happy with that I need to work harder on - the same way I did as a player. You can always do better.
“So I’m not going to sugar coat the start that I’ve made at Alloa. It’s not been good enough and I know it.
“I’m not going to sit here and say everything in the garden is rosy. It’s not and it needs to get better in the second half of the season no matter what happens this weekend.”
