Barry Ferguson has insisted that Rangers need to reach finals of cup competitions if they want to be taken seriously in Scotland again.
Rangers put in a tepid performance and lost 1-0 to Aberdeen at Hampden Park in the semi-final of the Scottish League Cup on Sunday and failed to qualify for the final for the second season running.
Their progress in Europe has been a source of pride and much adulation for the club this season, while Steven Gerrard’s side have also shown forward movement in the league.
However, Ferguson conceded that if they keep getting beaten in the semi-finals of cup competitions, Rangers will find it hard to convince others that they are a good team.
Lewis Ferguson scored for Aberdeen in the 79th minute and the former Rangers star admits that Gerrard’s side couldn’t lay a finger on Aberdeen in the final ten minutes because of the lack of quality in their attack.
Ferguson said on PLZ Soccer’s the Football Show: “Rangers need to get to finals if they want to be made out to be a good team.
“It was disappointing.
“The quality in the final third again was very poor.
"Defensively Aberdeen were great and Rangers couldn’t cut them open.
“It was the final ball, whether it was from a free-kick or from the byline, it just didn’t happen for Rangers.
“Rangers didn’t bother them with ten minutes to go.”
Gerrard was without his two top strikers in Alfredo Morelos and Kyle Lafferty on Sunday.
