The former Rangers striker believes the club must rediscover that authority after years of Celtic dominance, with the pursuit of players such as Lewis Ferguson potentially helping restore the balance in Scottish football.
Rangers need to rediscover what made Ibrox intimidating
Steven Gerrard's departure from Rangers in November 2021 marked the end of a period in which the club had restored its domestic standing, winning the Scottish Premiership title unbeaten and stopping Celtic's pursuit of ten consecutive championships.
The contrast since has been considerable. Celtic have won five successive league titles, moving ahead of Rangers in the historical championship count, while Rangers have struggled to re-establish themselves as consistent challengers.
Negri, who experienced the atmosphere at Ibrox as a player, believes something fundamental has changed about the way opponents approach playing against Rangers.
He told Football Presse, “Rangers as a team have always intimidated opponents, especially when they arrived at Ibrox. Instead, now the teams coming to Ibrox have the impression and think they can take points away and put the team in difficulty.
“That is definitely a psychological aspect that needs to be reversed.”
The former Italian international was surprised by the difficulties Rangers experienced during the period discussed in the interview, particularly given the significance of the season for supporters.
“There were so many expectations because, as we know, Celtic had reached 55 titles, which is the same number as Rangers, so it was a very important season for the supporters.
“People were expecting something completely different. Unfortunately, there was a false start, especially in the league, where Rangers were in such a low position in the table, something that hadn't happened for many, many years.
“I was personally quite astonished because I was expecting something completely different. I thought there would be a much stronger battle against Celtic, but instead we had this surprise.”
The challenge is now to reverse that psychological shift. Celtic have continued to collect championships since Gerrard's side stopped their ten-in-a-row ambitions, while Rangers have gone through successive managerial changes in their search for the right formula.
Negri believes confidence is central to the recovery.
“Confidence is the most important thing in football. At the moment, the team certainly doesn't have that kind of confidence.
“They need to find the right balance and solidity in the team. Then the technical qualities will come through, because it is impossible that against teams you were beating 3-0 or 4-0 until last season, you are now struggling even to get a point or a draw.”
The relationship with supporters is another consideration for Negri, who remembers a different atmosphere during his time at the club.
“Recently, the connection and affection of those wonderful supporters has been missing a little. When I was playing at Ibrox, there were more groans and more doubts than the kind of support I remember from my own time.”
Rangers are now under Derek McInnes, the former team-mate Negri praised when discussing his work at Hearts. McInnes has the task of bringing Rangers back into a sustained title challenge, with the club currently four points behind Celtic and four ahead of Hearts, having played one game fewer than the leaders.
Lewis Ferguson could be the type of signing Rangers need
One player Negri believes has the quality to make a significant contribution at the highest level is Lewis Ferguson.
The Scotland international has established himself in Italy with Bologna, having previously impressed at Aberdeen. Rangers have been linked with a move for the midfielder, although reports in October suggested a potential transfer was more likely to be revisited in 2027 than during the January window.
Negri knows Ferguson's qualities from watching his development in Italian football and believes his progress was interrupted just as he was reaching the highest level.
“He had already reached his peak because he had produced some extraordinary first seasons.
“Unfortunately, injuries are also part of football and he suffered a very, very serious injury right at his peak, when there were rumours of interest from both Napoli and Juventus.
“That meant the big move to a big club, which he deserved on the pitch, because he was one of the strongest midfielders in the league.”
Negri also understands the difficulties involved in returning from a serious injury, having experienced the physical demands of professional football himself.
“Unfortunately, that serious injury slowed him down. From experience, when you come back from these long injuries, it takes time. You have to rediscover your rhythm, and sometimes you encounter another little problem along the way.”
Ferguson would represent an interesting addition to Rangers, particularly given the qualities Negri identifies in the Scottish midfielder. His assessment is also consistent with the wider praise he gives to the modern generation of Scottish players.
“I'm talking about Ferguson, McTominay and Gilmour. They are all midfielders with great energy, great attitude and great aggression.
“In Italian football, those are characteristics which, combined with the tactics and strategy that Italian coaches give you, can make a real difference.”
For Rangers, the prospect of bringing Ferguson back to Scotland would carry significance beyond his technical qualities. He has developed into an established Serie A player and Scotland international, and Negri's assessment provides a reminder of the level he reached before his injury.
Rangers are currently closer to Celtic than they were during the difficult period Negri discussed, but the larger challenge remains restoring the authority that once made Ibrox such an uncomfortable destination for visiting teams.
Negri remembers what that used to mean. Rangers need to make opponents feel it again.