THE Old Firm encounters brought out the best in Ian Ferguson. Now, Rangers are fearing the worst.

Ferguson went from the terraces to the middle of the park as he lived the dream in Light Blue and became an integral part of the famous nine-in-a-row side.

These days, the tables have turned. It is Rangers who are on the back foot and Celtic who are celebrating title triumphs.

Read more: Ian Ferguson: Rangers have to stand up and be counted in Old Firm semi-final showdownGlasgow Times: Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha

The form will count for little at Hampden this weekend, though. The stakes are high and the rewards are substantial for Pedro Caixinha and his players.

The semi-final shoot-out success twelve months ago has been followed by a Parkhead drubbing, last four exit and Ibrox defeat.

The draw in the East End last month will give the Light Blue legions hope and Ferguson insists it is time for an under-fire squad to step up and play.

He told SportTimes: “The manger is going to be there and it is going to be his team so he will be in the firing line for it.

“But I think it is down to the players. They have got to show a bit of courage in these games.

“The last time we played Celtic it was a draw and Rangers got some plaudits for it.

“They have got to take heart from that game and the last few games under the new manager and I hope that they show the right attitude against Celtic.

“The manager said after the Aberdeen game that if they don’t perform then they will be dropped, so there is a fear there now that I don’t think was there before.

“Every training session and every game, you have to be at your best. That drives competition within the squad so I hope the players take heed of that and understand that there are no guarantees at a club like Rangers. You must earn the right to be in that team.

Read more: Ian Ferguson: Rangers have to stand up and be counted in Old Firm semi-final showdown

“When you are playing Celtic, it is a one-off and they are special. You don’t want to go through your Rangers career having not won an Old Firm game and there are players in that category right now.

“You can’t go out after an Old Firm game, you hate showing your face if Celtic beat you, and vice versa if you beat them.

“When you win, you feel ten feet tall. I hope the players realise how important these games are to the club and the fans, and to themselves importantly.”

It will be a step into the unknown for Caixinha on Sunday but the Portuguese needs his side to take a stride forward if they are to move within 90 minutes of cup glory.

His messages have helped to win over the doubters amongst a discerning support while his players are steadily adapting to his methods.

The 46-year-old’s passion and desire has shone through in his first few weeks at Ibrox and Ferguson hopes the Gers squad can feed off his energy at Hampden.

He said: “He is showing them what he wants from them and he is wearing his heart on his sleeve.

“He will tell the players and he is in the media and that passion will rub off on the squad.

“There are some statements I have seen when people have said they should be showing the same passion as Pedro and that is right.

“At the end of the day, you should be giving even more than Pedro because he is the manager and you are the players on the park.

“You should want success at Rangers so the players have to do their best. The minute you come through those doors at Ibrox, that passion should be in you.

Read more: Ian Ferguson: Rangers have to stand up and be counted in Old Firm semi-final showdown

“You have got to have that winning mentality to make sure that Rangers are lifting trophies again soon.”

Rangers head to Hampden with a point to prove to themselves and their critics. In a campaign of poor performances and poorer results, it is the last chance to end on a high note.

Caixinha’s ambition of securing second spot in the standings may not come to fruition but the Scottish Cup dream is still alive ahead of Sunday’s Celtic showdown.

Victory at Pittodrie was the biggest win of his reign to date and Ferguson hopes the Gers can go one better to prove Caixinha’s faith in his players is not misplaced.

He said: “You see things and you read things and the manager has been coming away with some comments that, I don’t think, were needed.

“We should be keeping a low key at the moment rather than coming out saying we have the strongest squad and things like that.

“He will obviously be educated on it all because people will pick up on everything that he says. He has got to be mindful and careful of what he says and how he says it.

“Some of it will be tongue and cheek but saying you have the best squad doesn’t sit well when you are nearly 40 points behind Celtic. I am sure he will get used to it.

“He got a positive result up at Aberdeen. I watched the game and until the last 10, 15 minutes it looked like they were the ones that would go on and win the game.

“But it just shows you how quickly things can change and I think that will stand the players in good stead.

“They will have a bit of belief that they can win big games, hard games. It was a big result for Rangers and I am glad they got through the game.”