Robert Greene details the 18 regulations which determine drives – both conscious and unconscious – as well as biases and motivations in his book ‘The Laws of Human Nature’.
The bestselling author takes theories from Pericles, Queen Elizabeth I and Martin Luther King Jr, among others, and seeks to teach people to master self-control and to operate without emotion, while developing an ability to lead and understand one’s own value.
The Law of Self-Sabotage refers to how your attitude shapes your situation. The Law of Compulsive Behaviour gives you an insight into a person’s character. The Law of Aimlessness allows you to move with a sense of purpose.
The work by the acclaimed American author became essential reading for Manny Fernandez over the Christmas period. It helped him switch off from the demands of the fixture list and a run of matches that saw Rangers move themselves back into contention for the Premiership title. At a club where the head can be as important as the foot, Fernandez has shown that he has both the character and the quality to survive and thrive.
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The game today has a statistic and a metric for every aspect of a player's performance or potential or a team’s form or failings. The one unmeasurable, the one trait that no number can be attributed to, is that of mentality. If there was a data point for it, Fernandez would score highly.
When Fernandez made the move from Peterborough United – for a £3.5million fee that once looked like a mistake and has been proven to be a masterstroke – there was no evidence about how he would handle the increase in standard on the park and the rise in demands off it. Discussions before he put pen-to-paper centred on what was expected of a Rangers player in all senses and how the defender would fit into that. From the outset, Fernandez was appreciative of the opportunity that had been presented to him and determined to make the most of the most significant moment in his career to date.
After he signed, the conversations centred on what he was good at and what he had to work on. He understood the weak points in his game and committed himself to improving them in training at Auchenhowie. His calm persona and relaxed style on the ball – a manner that he carries in and around the squad - should not be mistaken as disinterest. Indeed, it is quite the opposite and multiple sources have told the Rangers Review of how hard Fernandez works in the search for marginal gains.
One area that he has focused on has been his use of the ball when playing in a back three, most pointedly on the left side. One source tells the Rangers Review that the adaptation and improvement has been noticeable as Fernandez becomes more comfortable stepping into the game and completing different tasks in different formations.
Rangers knew that they were not buying a finished product in the summer. He needed investment in terms of time and Rangers have put in the hours with him on and off the park. The clean sheet he and Nasser Djiga earned against St Mirren on Sunday was crucial to a much-needed victory and the difference in Fernandez between that outing and his previous one in Paisley, on a day that Rangers drew for a third successive game, speaks volumes.
A player of 24 is not considered as young and up-and-coming in the game but Fernandez was still relatively wet behind the ears in the summer. He has made 26 appearances for Rangers this season but just 80 in total – 42 of which came for the Posh last term - at levels of note following stints in the lower reaches of the English game with the likes of Sheppey United and Barnet.
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Manny Fernandez heads the opener and seals three points for Rangers. pic.twitter.com/P6atOam0iT— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) December 16, 2025
It was one of those outings for United where he first came to the attentions of Kevin Thelwell, the former Rangers sporting director. In January last year, Fernandez played the full 90 minutes of an FA Cup tie at Goodison Park as Everton won 2-0 thanks to goals from Beto and Iliman Ndiaye.
Fernandez played on the right side of a back three on that occasion. Naturally, his imposing frame made him stand out to any watcher. Yet, it was the way that he marshalled Beto – a contemporary of Youssef Chermiti – and his use of the ball that impressed and Thelwell ultimately pursued him months later when he was tasked with overhauling another underperforming Rangers squad.
Those attributes have been evident over the course of this campaign. One observer tells the Rangers Review that Fernandez is so comfortable in possession that he is capable of completing passes through the lines that are Premier League standard. Unsurprisingly, that skillset being shown on a bigger stage has brought Fernandez to the attention of clubs south of the border once again and Rangers are braced for interest come the summer transfer window.
The next year to 18 months of development, playing regularly at a high level and under pressure, will see Fernandez’s reputation and value continue to rise and Barry Fry, the Peterborough sporting director, has predicted a fee of up to £40million could one day be demanded. In July 2021, Posh paid less than £5000 to sign the then 19-year-old from Ramsgate after a trial period under the guidance of boss Darren Ferguson.
There is a determination at Ibrox to try and hold on to Fernandez for a second term. He is contracted for another three seasons and there is an option for a fourth to keep him in Glasgow until 2030. His form, and the potential fortunes, make a stay of that length look unlikely.
Just a few months ago, that notion would have been almost unthinkable. At a time when almost all of the summer recruits were being castigated, Fernandez himself was all but written off as he struggled to get into the team.
A hamstring injury set him back for several weeks. Former boss Russell Martin enjoyed working with Fernandez on the training ground but was hesitant to put him into the team, wary of the rough edges in his game being more prominent than the rounded ones. At a time when Martin was fighting a losing battle – both in terms of performances and results – Fernandez became a victim of circumstances at Ibrox.
Perhaps Danny Rohl had those same reservations at first. Fernandez did not start a match until the German’s seventh in charge as he opened the scoring in the win over Livingston at Ibrox. That was his second goal of the campaign and four more have followed. Such is Fernandez’s prowess as an attacking threat that he was asked about being Rangers’ top scorer earlier in the campaign, a notion that he downplayed.
In the negotiations that saw Fernandez move from London to Glasgow, Peterborough were determined to include a goal clause in the deal, such was their confidence that a player with a 6ft 5' frame would be a regular scorer. A sell-on fee ensures that the League One outfit will benefit from Fernandez for some time to come.
German giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen were credited with an interest in Fernandez during the winter window. On the day that Martin made his Ibrox debut as boss, Club Brugge enquired about Fernandez after seeing him in action for just 30 minutes. Players of his profile – big, strong, quick and comfortable on the ball – will always hold value in the market.
The weeks after that debut were the frustrating ones for Fernandez. Those who have seen him at close hand this term speak of how impressed they have been with his ability to take it all in his stride, how he carried the burden of early criticism and now carries the weight of responsibility as Rohl’s first pick at centre-back and a threat at the other end of the park.
The faith that Fernandez had in himself has been shown in him by Rohl. Like many of those who were also new to the club this term, the Englishman just needed a bit of time to settle and the chance to show what he could do. Again, one source references Fernandez’s character, how he got his head down and worked to get the best out of himself for the benefit of the team.
He spoke earlier in the term about the role that Rabbi Matondo had played in keeping him focused and the importance of his communication with the out-of-favour winger. James Tavernier and John Souttar are in the same category. He has formed a close bond with another summer signing that moved from London, on loan Brentford left-back Jayden Meghoma. As the campaign has unfolded, Fernandez has become an increasingly prominent voice in the dressing room.
The appointment of Scott Fry as set-piece coach has undoubtedly benefited Fernandez. The pair work closely together on both defensive and offensive dead-ball situations, where the plan is to keep Fernandez isolated or with only one marker so that he can attack the delivery. When you have a weapon like that in your armoury, you must use it.
🗣️ ‘Scott understands what I’m good at and what I want to do…’
Manny Fernandez praises Scott Fry’s impact and says that hitting double figures for goals is achievable this season pic.twitter.com/mVD844J8n2— The Rangers Review (@RangersReview55) January 21, 2026
Fry identified Fernandez as a player who could make a difference even before he agreed to join up with Rohl’s coaching staff. Fry prepared a full analysis of the squad ahead of his interview at Ibrox and believed Fernandez had all the attributes required to be a valuable asset in both boxes. That difference has been clear, and four of the six goals Fernandez has scored this season have come with his head.
The stopper is now one of the first names on the team sheet and his form for his club has opened international doors. The Rangers Review revealed on Tuesday that Fernandez has received his first call-up for the Nigerian national side – who he is eligible to represent through his parents – and could take part in a four-team tournament in Antalya later this month.
That recognition is well deserved and has been hard earned. Yet the ultimate ambition remains the same now as it was on day one for Fernandez as he looks to lead Rangers to the Premiership title. As Rohl has stated, there are just eight cup finals to go and Fernandez has his sights on a second medal of his career, having been part of the Posh side that beat Birmingham City in front of 70,000 at Wembley to win the EFL Trophy last April.
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There were days during the pandemic when Fernandez – without a club following his release from Gillingham – trained on public parks with his brothers just to keep himself ticking over. His eldest brother, Jimmy, made sure that the youngest of the eight siblings did not give up on his dreams and that family network has always been important to Fernandez. He wears the same No.37 jersey at Ibrox that he had at the Weston Home Stadium in tribute to one of his brothers, who passed away at that age.
He has been taken into the Rangers family this season. His patience has paid off. The gamble has paid off. Will Fernandez hold the silverware high above his head come May?
If he does, it will conform to Greene’s 17th Law, that of Generational Myopia, which is defined as seizing the historical moment. In more ways than one, Fernandez stands on a brink. His next steps will be forward ones, and big ones.
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