As ignominious as presiding over Rangers’ fifth successive home loss was on Saturday, being associated with such an unwanted historic mark was not what truly irked Barry Ferguson.

Anyone who’s involved in the professional game for any period of time must accept defeat as an occupational hazard. From time-to-time, they’ll inevitably happen.

What Rangers’ interim manager witnessed across a thoroughly miserable afternoon, though, could never be deemed acceptable.

Whatever the right way to lose a game of football may be, this was about as far removed from it as you could possibly imagine.

Ferguson has spent the intervening four days trying to make peace with what he saw. A display devoid of pretty much everything he desired. The closing stages played out to a backdrop of empty seats.

Interim manager Barry Ferguson was pained by Rangers’ abject defeat to Hibs

Disgruntled Rangers fans left Ibrox early as their team slumped to defeat against Hibs

‘That was tough, standing on the touchline, watching the place empty,’ he recalled. ‘I can’t be having that. My players can’t be having that. That’s a sore one to take. And that’s been in the back of my mind since Saturday.

‘Myself, my staff and the players, we’re the only ones that can affect that now going

forward. When you come into certain games, I honestly believe that fans can accept you not playing at that level. But what they can’t accept is seeing a team dig deep, run harder, tackle harder.

‘And that’s what I have to see from my team going forward. Because if that’s not going to be the case, then you’re not going to be in the team.’

The wild oscillations in Rangers’ performance levels this season might become the subject for a future university thesis.

In the past eight months, the side has twice beaten Celtic, defeated Nice, taken care of Fenerbahce and drawn with Tottenham.

The fact that the same group of players have lost at home to Queen’s Park, Motherwell, St Mirren and Hibernian is beyond perplexing. All sense of logic left the building a long time ago.

It says much that there’s a justifiable expectation that Athletic Bilbao — presently the fourth best team in Spain — will still face a stern examination this evening.

It would actually be entirely in keeping with what’s gone before.

Ferguson addresses the media ahead of Thursday’s Europa League tie against Bilbao

‘I’ve seen aspects in certain games, (where we are) mentally strong,’ Ferguson added. ‘But other games, they’re just way off it. You can’t be like that. You can’t. It’s not just a switch that you can turn off and on. And that’s what we have done.

‘The big games are the ones, generally, where you don’t really need to motivate (yourself). It’s the other games that have become a real issue.’

Confidence, or more accurately a lack of it, is a recurring theme especially when the side go behind.

‘I think it affects them when you go a goal down early on or a mistake happens within the team,’ Ferguson continued.

‘I keep saying to them, there are plenty of minutes left in the game and I want to see players go and take the ball in difficult

situations. Look, I can accept mistakes and I can accept poor performances. But what I can’t accept is people not wanting the ball in difficult circumstances.’

Spain winger Nico Williams trains at Ibrox on Wednesday ahead of the quarter-final first leg

There comes a point when that desire to run as hard as your opponent, to make as many blocks and tackles as them, will only take you so far.

Bilbao are a truly formidable opponent. They boast a truly supreme talent in Nico Williams, the winger who was the best player on the park as Spain beat England in last summer’s Euro final.

Their manager, the wily Ernesto Valverde, has won doubles in Greece with Olympiakos and in Spain with Barcelona.

The Basques’ desire to go all the way in this tournament would be strong even were it not for the fact that their San Mames Stadium will host the final on May 21.

‘They’ve got quality all over the team,’ said Ferguson.

‘I look at midfield — technically, very good, very hard-working. Defensively, really solid. I would probably say they’re the favourites for the competition.

‘It’s a step up again. They’ve got a very British style about them. They can go and play out from the back, but also, they’re not scared to go long. So, we need to be ready for all aspects of that.

‘We have to be more physical in our game. Technically, I think we’ve got some good players, but so will Bilbao.’

With John Souttar and Mohamed Diomande suspended, Ferguson will be obliged to make at least two changes. In the moments that followed Saturday’s loss, any number felt possible.

On the back of his latest blunder against Hibs, Butland will count himself fortunate if he’s selected ahead of Liam Kelly. Cyriel Dessers will do well to retain his spot after another dismal shift in front of goal. ‘In terms of Cyriel, I would be more concerned he didn’t get into the positions,’ Ferguson insisted.

‘In terms of whether I’m considering other people to play, of course I am. I told you on Saturday that there will be some changes. I’ve told everybody there’s places up for grabs.

Rangers will hope striker Cyriel Dessers brings his ‘A’ game against Bilbao

‘When you go into my team and you play, you need to earn your right to play in the team.

‘I probably will have to make some difficult decisions going forward. I’ve had to make some difficult decisions since I’ve come into the job.

‘But it’s one thing I’m not afraid to do to try and better the team. I’ve got a job to pick the 11 that I think will go and win the game. That’s what I’ve done for tomorrow night.’

For Rangers to stand any chance of progressing, the importance of taking a lead to northern Spain could not be understated. Bilbao have lost just once in La Liga on their own patch this season, that coming against Atletico Madrid back in August.

They’ve also won all five of their Europa League matches, the last of which came against Roma.

Getting a foothold in the contest will be a tall order, but it’s a task which Ferguson feels is achievable.

‘We know it’s a tough ask for us,’ he said. ‘But I keep coming back to it. As a footballer, as a coaching staff, as a manager, these are the games you want to be involved in. You want to go and pit your wits against some of the best. I think they’ve got real quality in their team.

‘I’ve said that to the players over the last couple of days. This is what being a footballer is all about, these big nights at Ibrox, the fans coming, their support, playing under the floodlights. It can’t get any better.’