'Time to shine' - Why Barry Ferguson is convinced underperforming Rangers star will make his mark during title run-in
Legendary Ibrox skipper is refusing to label the Danish international as a flop signing despite failing to live up to expectations thus far
Barry Ferguson has expressed complete confidence that Rangers winger Andreas Skov Olsen could have a major say in destination of the Premiership title between now and the end of the season.
The 40-times capped Danish international was one of four high-profile January signings made by the Ibrox club, but has so far failed to live up to his impressive track record, boasting vast experience in some of Europe’s top leagues.
Having starred in Italy, Belgium and Germany, Skov Olsen arrived in Glasgow with a lofty reputation but he has failed to live up to the excitement expressed over his transfer, making little impact amid a series of lacklustre performances.
The 26-year-old has been outshone by fellow new recruits Tuur Rommens and Tochi Chukwuani, while already being deemed unworthy of the £8m fee required to make his contract permanent this summer.
However, ex-Rangers interim boss Ferguson is still backing Skov Olsen to create a lasting impression over the remaining six crucial matches of the campaign.
While many have written him off already, Ferguson refuses to do so. He believes that Skov Olsen has undoubted potential and argued that now is the perfect time for the wide man to start showcasing his talent by proving his worth to supporters.
Writing in his Daily Record column, Ferguson said: “Andreas Skov Olsen hasn’t lived up to the star billing he was given at the time of his arrival. But he’d probably admit himself that he’s not hit the ground running the way he would have wanted to when he first signed for the club.
“I know from experience that sometimes moving to a new country and a different league can be more difficult that fans would probably imagine. So let’s not be too hasty in rushing to a snap judgement on his value. There’s a player in there alright. This is the point in the season when the cream usually rises to the top.”
Rangers legend draws Skov Olsen parallels to Vaclav Cerny
Ferguson has drawn parallels with another successful signing Vaclav Cerny, who also took a while to find his feet after joining on loan from VfL Wolfsburg before going on to establish himself as Rangers’ main creative attacking force.
He reckons Skov Olsen retain similar potential, despite showing clear signs of a lack of game time upon his arrival in January.
“You don’t have to cast your minds back too far to remember the last winger that Rangers brought in from German football who took a couple of months to find his feet,” Ferguson recalled. “I’ll give you a clue, his name was Vaclav Cerny.
"And I actually see a lot of similarities between Vac and Skov Olsen, even if I do accept that the Dane has looked a little rusty over his first couple of months.”
With the season approaching a critical phase, it remains to be seen if Skov Olsen will rise to the expectation of it being his “time to shine” in Ferguson’s own words.