By Ben Banks

Copyright glasgowworld

Barry Ferguson has revealed three Rangers signings he’d have conducted had he been made their permanent head coach. The former midfielder was the interim gaffer at the end of last season after Philippe Clement’s appointment. He was clear that he’d be open to a permanent shot at Ibrox but new owners 49ers Enterprises and Andrew Cavenagh opted for Russell Martin, who many fans now want gone after three wins from 12 opening games. Recruitment is an area that is coming under fire after a shopping spree mainly conducted in England. Still an ambassador for Rangers, Ferguson has been put on the spot over some of the players he’d have looked to sign had he been their alternate hire. Firstly it was Vaclav Cerny, who spent last season on loan from Wolfsburg. He wrote himself into Old Firm infamy last year by spraying Celtic fans with water during a Light Blues win at Parkhead, but also scored 18 times overall in blue. Ferguson simply said “ “Yeah, no brainer” on Go Radio over signing the man who eventually joined Besiktas. Another two were Lawrence Shankland, who was out of contract after a goal-laden Hearts stint, ending up signing a new deal in Gorgie, and scoring twice on Saturday as Rangers were defeated 2-0 by Derek McInnes’ men. The other was Josh Mulligan, who’s impressed at Hibs after joining the Leith side at the end of his Dundee contract. Ferguson said: “Yes, of course. “He was one of the ones who was on the list (Shankland). You would’ve got him on a free transfer. I don’t care about his age. He’s a proven goalscorer. In my opinion, he’s got better with age. Yeah, there was a good opportunity (Mulligan). He was certainly another player who was on the radar.” He added: “When you’re a manager, it’s different than when you watch on the TV. I had the privilege of seeing some players close up, and they stood out even more to me. I do think you need a certain type to play in the Scottish league. I think there’s a real ignorance towards Scottish talent within the league. There’s no loads, but there is a number of players who could do a job, and a very good job at that. “I’ll give you a good example of a player who I thought, the club that he’s at just now suits him, and he’s very happy in playing. [Alex] Gogic. He’s a standout for St Mirren. He plays in the middle of a back three and can also play in the holding midfield role. But I’ll tell you what, see when I came up against him, and I stood on the side, I thought ‘He’s the type, I like him.’ I liked his aggression, his organisation and he’s a decent footballer too.” Next up for Rangers is a Premier Sports Cup quarter-final tie against Hibs. They are 10th in the Premiership after five winless games following defeat versus Hearts.