Everton legend Duncan Ferguson AXED as Inverness manager just hours after crisis club plunged into administration

DUNCAN FERGUSON has been axed as Inverness manager.

Administrator James Stephen pulled the trigger on the Everton legend, number two Gary Bollan and goalie coach Stuart Garden this afternoon.

Willie Vass

Duncan Ferguson has been sacked as Inverness boss[/caption]

Andrew Barr

The Everton legend only took charge last season[/caption]

Ferguson had been working without wages in a bid to help the club during their cash crisis – but the BDO accountancy team still shunted him out the door.

Reacting to his dismissal, the Everton icon told BBC Scotland: “Myself and my staff now we’ve left the club.

“Of course we were expecting it over the last couple of weeks. This is the cost of administration isn’t it? So, myself and my two coaches have left as we speak.

“I’ve done the very best I can for the club and for my players. I’ve always tried to support my players behind the scenes and they all know that and that’s the most important thing for me, that I’ve supported my players.”

Asked what he learned from the experience, Ferguson continued: “It’s brutal isn’t it? It’s really tough to get a 15-point deduction.

“It all depends on how deeply they cut the playing squad, if they can manage to stay in the division, I think it’s possible.

“I think I brought a lot of good players to the club, they’ll be big assets to the club in future. So yeah, I think the club can stay in the division if they can hold onto their players.

“If not, it’s going to be a tough ask.”

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Stephen was drafted in as Caley crashed under the weight of a £3 million debt, with £1.6 million estimated to be what they need to get through to the end of the season.

Ferguson took over last season but it became immediately clear the job wasn’t what he’d been sold on his return to Scottish football.

The 52-year-old inherited a mess at the Caley Stadium and last season paid out of his own pocket for the players to have overnight stays during their battle against relegation from the Championship.

Ferguson and Bollan stayed despite dropping into League One, but things got progressively worse as the full horrors of Caley’s financial woes mounted up.

They spent weeks without a physio so couldn’t train the team at set times, with the gaffer also stepping in to pay for players’ breakfasts in a bid to retain some professionalism.

Caley adviser Alan Savage took over in August and immediately axed controversial chief executive Scot Gardiner, while admitting that administration was a real possibility.

Despite talks with interested parties last week, including local businessman David Anderson, Caley were officially put under the control of administrators BDO on Tuesday.

Stephen, who was part of the team which wound up Rangers in 2012, has wasted no time in dismissing the coaching team.

And he will now turn his attention to other club staff and players in a bid to balance the books.

Caley legend Charlie Christie is understood to have addressed the team this morning.

He has made it clear he is willing to stay on and oversee the football side if Stephen asks him to.

It appears likely he will play a role in team matters as they bid to overcome the 15-point deduction which has left them adrift at the bottom of the league.

The administrator will continue his cost-cutting over the next 24 hours before hosting a press conference on Thursday where he’ll spell out his view on the club’s long-term survival hopes.