Barry Ferguson has told his Rangers players that have some major making up to do with the Ibrox faithful tomorrow.

The Light Blues host Motherwell as they return home today for the first time since last week’s shock St Mirren defeat - a result that cost Philippe Clement his job. The Belgian had been lucky to survive another humiliating loss to Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup in Gers’ previous game at Ibrox but it’s now Ferguson leading the way having been drafted in as caretaker gaffer.

The former skipper is determined to raise standards - and insists that must begin this weekend in front of the club’s long-suffering supporters. Fergie said: “The last two games at Ibrox, it's not been good enough. The performances have been well below the standard that's needed at Rangers. We need to set that straight tomorrow. I'm sure the supporters will be coming expecting us to go and make sure we take the game to Motherwell and get three points.

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“When you play for this team, you have to dominate the ball, you have to take the game to the opposition. I don't think that was the case in the last two games. My message to the players is pretty clear on what way we're going to go towards Motherwell.”

Ferguson’s dugout debut ended in a 4-2 victory over Kilmarnock on Wednesday night - but only after Gers recovered from losing two goals inside the first 15 minutes at Rugby Park. Now the interim boss has told his side he expects to see a better start when new Well boss Michael Wimmer and his team arrive.

Asked off it had become too easy for teams to play at Ibrox lately, he replied: “Yeah, I believe so. I think when you're playing at home, you've got the fans behind you.

“Coming to Ibrox, we’ve looked a bit timid at times, if I'm being honest with you. And that has to change going forward. We need to be the dominant force. I've spoken briefly to the players and tapped into that briefly. But you'll see a different team than you've seen in the previous couple of games, that's for sure.”

There will be a different picture at Parkhead later this month after Celtic chiefs agreed to hand their Ibrox rivals 2400 tickets for the March 16 Old Firm clash. And Ferguson is delighted to see an end to the allocation wars. “It’s good to hear,” he said. “It'll be good that the fans will be at Celtic Park. I've always said it's something that the fixtures has missed. In an ideal situation, it would be great if there was more.

“The way it is, the way it's happened, with the number of away tickets we’re getting, I'm just glad that away supporters are allowed back. We'll wait and see what happens, but at least it's a start.”

That is a boost for the Ibrox faithful - and so is the news that the Light Blues’ injury troubles could soon be over. Ferguson explained: “John Souttar, Dujon Sterling and Leon Balogun all trained today.

“So I just need to wait and see the kind of reaction that they have after the training session. But it was good to see them back with the squad.

“As you know, we're pretty light defensively, but I'll obviously touch base with the doctor and the medical team in the morning. Oscar Cortes is another one. He's trained the last couple of days. Again, he's been out for a lengthy time.

“I just need to see how he goes, how his reaction is. I just want these players back available because I really need competition for places.

“When you go out there and you're in that starting XI, you need to feel that. When you've got people on the sidelines and even people on the stands that are not in the matchday squad, I believe if you want to be a team that are going to be strong and going to be consistent, you need competition.

“So getting these guys back over the last couple of days has certainly brought a bit of a smile to my face. Hopefully their reaction is OK tomorrow and then at the start of the week, hopefully, I've got a full squad to pick.”