Dave King says the way Rangers' players performed under Barry Ferguson was 'really disappointing'.
The major shareholder had no issues with how the club legend carried himself in the dugout, though, and was indeed pleased to see the levels of passion put on display by Ferguson.
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Unfortunately, in King's eyes, the players didn't show such enthusiasm for their job: "It was actually heart-warming to see someone on the sidelines that really was emotional and passionate," he told the Rangers Review.
"You could just see in his face how much he wanted it.
"I was just delighted to see the way he went about it and just how important it obviously was to him to do well. It wasn’t just because he might have a shot at getting the job, you could just see his passion for the club and the standards he set.
"Unfortunately, the squad let him down. As much as we'd probably all accept the fact that the quality of the squad has gone down, they're still better than they produced. They should be better than they were.
"Once you cross that white line and you're playing for the fans, I just think every player should be playing at his best. It doesn't always happen, but the team just looked like they were trying sometimes. It was really, really disappointing.
"But I'd say I was heartened to at least see the level of passion and almost hurt in Barry's face at the way they were performing on the day. It came down to a lack of backbone, I think, and just them not trying their heart out."
It was confirmed shortly after his interim spell at the helm that Ferguson wouldn't be getting the permanent Rangers gig.
It remains to be seen who will take the reins at Ibrox this summer, with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Davide Ancelotti mentioned in connection with the vacant Ibrox hotseat.
