Fuming Barry Ferguson insists Giovanni van Bronckorst should have been in the Rangers dressing room against Hibs no matter what.
The incoming Ibrox boss was forced to wait for his first match in the dugout due to the timeline of his work permit.
However, he was in the Hampden stand as Hibs demolished the Scottish champions in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final.
Ferguson bristled at his work permit waiting game being floated as the reason on the the Go Radio Football Show, as he cut in stating: "I would have been down there waiting work permit or not."
Asked about how it would look if he'd gone down he continued: "I think that's showing passion after that first half performance.
"Even if it turned out with Hibs winning, I don't think people would have looked at it as tainted.
"What would I do? I would have went down. That's just my character. Maybe Giovanni is a bit different.
"But looking at that first half surely you needed the new manager?
"I saw David McCallum doing an interview with Rangers TV saying they had a bit of a conversation. A bit of a conversation? Heads should have been rolling after that first half.
"I keep going on about it, but for me you have got to go down and say a few home truths. This isn't good enough and you're at Rangers to win trophies, and this is a cup semi-final."
Ferguson reckons what the new manager saw at Hampden will have left Van Bronckhorst stunned before his tenure has even started.
He went on: "I have no doubt the Rangers fans will be right behind him, but he has to start winning games quickly.
"He knows that because he was a player here. He knows the expectation and the demands, and surely the players will get a lift from him being there (against Sparta Prague).
"I thought they would have done that yesterday (against Hibs) if I'm being honest. It was all over the place that Giovanni was going to be watching the game, and that is where you as a player want to show him you want to be at Rangers and be a part of it going forward.
"I think the performance would have shocked Giovanni."
