Barry Ferguson on Barisic

I'd sell while we can still get a good wedge for him. What other player that has flopped in our recent history has been given such a long grace period? He's doing it for Croatia at a higher level, so why isn't he doing it for us? Personally I think he wants away himself (just my opinion obviously). If we could get ~£4 million for him I'd be delighted.
 
For me it's all down to his attitude. He has the ability ,given after the U23s game against Liverpool he was the only one to apologise to the Manger that does give some indication of attitude but the performance against Killie was poor,so who knows. If he gets it right he could be a great asset.
 
I'd sell while we can still get a good wedge for him. What other player that has flopped in our recent history has been given such a long grace period? He's doing it for Croatia at a higher level, so why isn't he doing it for us? Personally I think he wants away himself (just my opinion obviously). If we could get ~£4 million for him I'd be delighted.

He's not even been at the club for a year yet, and spent significant spells injured last season. The jury is very much out as far as I'm concerned but I think it's not quite a prolonged period that we've been saddled with a dud for, which is what your post implies?
 
This is a tricky one, he deserves another chance with a pre season behind him.

Many players all over the world have had a poor first season and can be transformed the next.

I do question the heart he has for the rough and tumble of the Spl though and that does concern me, he doesnt seem to commit 100% to challenges or bombing forward, we saw less and less crosses coming from him as the season went on.
 
Borna isn’t shite by any stretch of the imagination but he might not be suited to Scottish football
Just so strange how he can look so comfortable on the international stage but when he pulls on the blue shirt he looks like a rabbit in the head lights and most of the time looks disinterested! Hope he stays and ups his level for us next season.
 
Nobody really knows how it will work out for Barisic - based on his form for us getting £2 or £3 million for him would be (crazy good) business but then again if he does settle, remains injury free and gets back to the player we all hoped for, he would be worth a hell of a lot more ...

Not really any correct answer in all this so no point anybody trying to be the clever bugger by telling us any different - it is only your opinion and like the rest of us we don't know how it will turn out - could go either way but it would need to be some turnaround for him.
 
He's not even been at the club for a year yet, and spent significant spells injured last season. The jury is very much out as far as I'm concerned but I think it's not quite a prolonged period that we've been saddled with a dud for, which is what your post implies?

We signed him on the 7th of August last year, so he's been here for a season. Granted he's had injury problems, but that in itself is another can of worms. How many times was he genuinely not match fit, how many times was there another issue? Remember the Helsinki friendly, he copped a tough (but fair enough) tackle and went down screaming and slapping the ground. The gaffer looked genuinely worried until he was up walking a minute or two later then carried on the game as if nothing had happened. Then there was the time that he stayed over in Croatia after a game and returned here late because he'd picked up an injury. He also is supposed to have told Stevie G that he'd prefer not to play on plastic pitches. Listen, his ability isn't in question-the guys clearly got it when he's turning out for Croatia every game but you have to admit that he's bombed at Ibrox so far. Question is why, and how long do we persevere with him when other players would have been jettisoned a long time ago.
 
If he cant play 100% in every game then not for me. During 9IAR far better players than him gave it all in every match. To me that was Walter's doing. Keeping guys revved up game after game season after season takes so so much effort by management. Maybe something Gerrard hasnt got just yet?

Attitude comes from the player - nobody else can install the desire in them. Coaches, teammates or managers can try to inspire with words and actions but if a player genuinely can’t motivate themselves then it is down to them.

I would never try to claim that playing for Rangers in Scotland puts a player in any sort of elite competitive environment but the demands of playing for this club exceed the demands just about anywhere else in the world - maybe even more so given the relative worth of the league and the competition.

Great players have come here, not got it or been able for it and left quickly.

I’m all for giving Barisic, or anyone else, time to settle but if he doesn’t start next season with his very best form then I think he will be moved on relatively quickly, or as soon as Gerrard and his team identify another leftback who can provide the required level of performance.
 
His talent isn't in doubt. It never has been.

But do you trust him to burst a gut at Pittodrie or Parkhead ? Or Tynecastle or Easter Road ? Do you trust him not to shit a 50/50 ? Do you think he has the ability to take a heavy tackle and get up ? Not to let his head drop because the winger has went by him once or twice ?Because if the answer is no then no amount of talent will compensate for those flaws in this league.

How can Barisic go from being turned inside out at Shittodrie by Greg Stewart to competing well with Gareth Bale?....

Is it attitude?
 
We signed him on the 7th of August last year, so he's been here for a season. Granted he's had injury problems, but that in itself is another can of worms. How many times was he genuinely not match fit, how many times was there another issue? Remember the Helsinki friendly, he copped a tough (but fair enough) tackle and went down screaming and slapping the ground. The gaffer looked genuinely worried until he was up walking a minute or two later then carried on the game as if nothing had happened. Then there was the time that he stayed over in Croatia after a game and returned here late because he'd picked up an injury. He also is supposed to have told Stevie G that he'd prefer not to play on plastic pitches. Listen, his ability isn't in question-the guys clearly got it when he's turning out for Croatia every game but you have to admit that he's bombed at Ibrox so far. Question is why, and how long do we persevere with him when other players would have been jettisoned a long time ago.

Like Rossiter?

(Whom I'm a fan of, by the way).

To contradict myself a bit - Gerrard has indicated recently that he's not going to fanny about with people that he doesn't trust or who just don't look like being fit. So bye bye Kyle, for example, and thanks but sorry son to Dorrans, if the stories are true. The fact he's not actively trying to punt Barisic in a similar manner, and also the fact that clubs aren't queuing up to take him, suggests to me he's going nowhere right now. If that's the case then we need to get behind him as a Rangers player.

To answer your question, I'd give him until the winter window. There's no way we're getting £4M for him just now, equally his value won't fall off the cliff a few months down the line, particularly when he's still likely to be involved in the Croatia set up. Give him a preseason with us and see how the start of the season goes. I think that would be a low risk strategy in terms of managing him. I'm on record on here after the Kilmarnock game saying that I'd ran out of patience with him too, but there's no point potentially chucking the baby out with the bathwater. I don't see what harm holding fire until xmas will do. It doesn't stop us from signing another LB in the interim.

Edit - indeed, as the poster a couple above points out, the window is still open at the start of the season. We could even look at shifting him towards the tail end of the summer if he doesn't start the season well. Given the EL qualifiers, friendlies and first few league games there might be a dozen or so opportunities for him to demonstrate that he should be in the team.
 
His talent isn't in doubt. It never has been.

But do you trust him to burst a gut at Pittodrie or Parkhead ? Or Tynecastle or Easter Road ? Do you trust him not to shit a 50/50 ? Do you think he has the ability to take a heavy tackle and get up ? Not to let his head drop because the winger has went by him once or twice ?Because if the answer is no then no amount of talent will compensate for those flaws in this league.
Rabbit in headlights is all I see when I watch him
 
I think you can see in his face at times that Borna is shocked at the physicality of the Scottish game. I don't think he can believe what players get away with and how lenient Scottish Referees are (especially against Rangers)

However that's the the shite we have to put up with in this hate filled country and if he's not up for it ... he has to go i'm afraid !!!
 
Barry seems to be placing a lot of stock on the Wales match, I saw this game, Croatia were all over them, Wales barely had a kick. I wouldn’t say Borna was anything more than average in this match

Exactly. Bale also played up through the middle for a majority of the game.

Wouldn’t be like Barry to talk utter rot in these columns.
 
His talent isn't in doubt. It never has been.

But do you trust him to burst a gut at Pittodrie or Parkhead ? Or Tynecastle or Easter Road ? Do you trust him not to shit a 50/50 ? Do you think he has the ability to take a heavy tackle and get up ? Not to let his head drop because the winger has went by him once or twice ?Because if the answer is no then no amount of talent will compensate for those flaws in this league.
this could have been written by the gaffer :)
 
Like Rossiter?

(Whom I'm a fan of, by the way).

To contradict myself a bit - Gerrard has indicated recently that he's not going to fanny about with people that he doesn't trust or who just don't look like being fit. So bye bye Kyle, for example, and thanks but sorry son to Dorrans, if the stories are true. The fact he's not actively trying to punt Barisic in a similar manner, and also the fact that clubs aren't queuing up to take him, suggests to me he's going nowhere right now. If that's the case then we need to get behind him as a Rangers player.

To answer your question, I'd give him until the winter window. There's no way we're getting £4M for him just now, equally his value won't fall off the cliff a few months down the line, particularly when he's still likely to be involved in the Croatia set up. Give him a preseason with us and see how the start of the season goes. I think that would be a low risk strategy in terms of managing him. I'm on record on here after the Kilmarnock game saying that I'd ran out of patience with him too, but there's no point potentially chucking the baby out with the bathwater. I don't see what harm holding fire until xmas will do. It doesn't stop us from signing another LB in the interim.

Edit - indeed, as the poster a couple above points out, the window is still open at the start of the season. We could even look at shifting him towards the tail end of the summer if he doesn't start the season well. Given the EL qualifiers, friendlies and first few league games there might be a dozen or so opportunities for him to demonstrate that he should be in the team.


I can see some similarities with Rossiter, although to give JR his due he seemed to be out of action completely rather than being able to play (and look decent) for his country then being posted missing at club level. If SG can get Barisic' mentality sorted then I'm fully confident that he'll stay and be first choice left back (certainly in games where we're going to be doing most of the pressing and in possession). For tighter games against better opposition and in Europe I'd still go with Flanagan, the jersey should be his to lose after his performances at the tail end of last season. Alternating between those two (opposition dependent) if we can sort Barisic' out would be ideal for next season imo.
 
Think the difference in performances between International and domestic appearances are easy to explain. Up till now he has put in more effort for his country. That could change and I hope it does.
 
The whole physicality of Scottish game thing..... it's a load of nonsense that I think.

loads of players all over the world are gnarly rotten shits who will kick, elbow, pinch and nip a player, who will crunch and batter into a tackle.

It's total pish to say it is a culture change when folks come and play here.
 
Some players just aren't suited to Scottish Football, it doesn't make them bad players. Look at Basile Boli, he was one of the best defenders in the world when we signed him and he struggled over here.

Cash in for me, especially if we can get decent dough for him.

We go into next season with Barišić as our first choice LB, he stays fit and performs consistentlu, then great.

It goes the other way, he continues to struggles with injuries and his form is poor and we are left with Flanagan at LB.

I like Flanagan but he's not first choice left back material.
 
The whole physicality of Scottish game thing..... it's a load of nonsense that I think.

loads of players all over the world are gnarly rotten shits who will kick, elbow, pinch and nip a player, who will crunch and batter into a tackle.

It's total pish to say it is a culture change when folks come and play here.

The difference between Scotland and the rest of the world though is that A) There's a much higher frequency of those types of players and B) There's little to no protection from the refs.

Think about:
Porteous' challenge on Coulibaly
Clare's shin breaker on Coulibaly
McGinn's shîte challenge on Coulibaly
Power's kick to Jack's face
Some Motherwell knuckle-dragger's challenge on Atakayi's debut

And these are just a few off the top of my head from this season. Bad challenges happen everywhere, but you'll be hard pressed to find many other leagues where so many bad challenges, a lot of which are clearly intentional, go unpunished or underpunished.

We're in a league where Porteous stays on the pitch after that challenge (right in front of the ref) but Candeias is ordered off the pitch for blowing a kiss. Something is seriously wrong.
 
The difference between Scotland and the rest of the world though is that A) There's a much higher frequency of those types of players and B) There's little to no protection from the refs.

Think about:
Porteous' challenge on Coulibaly
Clare's shin breaker on Coulibaly
McGinn's shîte challenge on Coulibaly
Power's kick to Jack's face
Some Motherwell knuckle-dragger's challenge on Atakayi's debut

And these are just a few off the top of my head from this season. Bad challenges happen everywhere, but you'll be hard pressed to find many other leagues where so many bad challenges, a lot of which are clearly intentional, go unpunished or underpunished.

We're in a league where Porteous stays on the pitch after that challenge (right in front of the ref) but Candeias is ordered off the pitch for blowing a kiss. Something is seriously wrong.


Not entirely convinced, a World Cup took place where a team booted the %^*& out the other with little punishment - it happens, there are loads of awful refereeing decisions often
 
The difference between Scotland and the rest of the world though is that A) There's a much higher frequency of those types of players and B) There's little to no protection from the refs.

Think about:
Porteous' challenge on Coulibaly
Clare's shin breaker on Coulibaly
McGinn's shîte challenge on Coulibaly
Power's kick to Jack's face
Some Motherwell knuckle-dragger's challenge on Atakayi's debut

And these are just a few off the top of my head from this season. Bad challenges happen everywhere, but you'll be hard pressed to find many other leagues where so many bad challenges, a lot of which are clearly intentional, go unpunished or underpunished.

We're in a league where Porteous stays on the pitch after that challenge (right in front of the ref) but Candeias is ordered off the pitch for blowing a kiss. Something is seriously wrong.

Michael Beale spoke about it recently. Said it's a big problem up here the amount of tackles etc that refs let go compared to other leagues and other countries. It actually has a knock on effect on the quality of the football that is played.
 
His “unlocked hidden ability” seems to become greater with each passing day.
 
He is clearly massively short of confidence when playing for us, every time he gets the ball he looks to go backwards and not take any risks which is really not his game.

Hopefully a full pre season will help in addition to the experience he has had this season which he can build on. There is definitely a player there but he has to show next season he has the mentality.

don't usually agree with Ferguson but he is spot on here
 
I think he’s too good a player to write off but, he’s got to bring Croatia form to the Rangers shirt.
Unfortunately for Rangers, this would have to be immediately next season.
We only have till the end of August to have a decision made and a replacement found as we can’t go through till January with a Flanagan or Halliday as first choice left back.
It's not if he shows up well in pre-season and back in the form that made us sign him in the first place.
If he starts the season well, as in July and August, I’d look to keep.
If he doesn’t start well, I wouldn’t want him kept beyond the window.
We’d need to replace him for the August to December period so why pay for two if you can avoid it.
 
Id be interested to see what his injury record was like prior to signing. And wether or not this was something we looked into before going ahead with the transfer. Hes got a lovely left peg but for a Croatian he seems soft as shit and picks up injury after injury.

He should be looking at his Captain on the other side of the park and trying to emulate.
 
I'm keen to keep BB at the club. He's got the skill to be a standout. His application is the doubt. He needs to step up this season. The pre season training camp in Portugal will define his season going forward imo.
 
Barasic is a good player. He absolutely can come good for us - not that he's actually been that bad. However, he does need to settle in again. Would be silly to just dismiss him at this stage.
 
The whole physicality of Scottish game thing..... it's a load of nonsense that I think.

loads of players all over the world are gnarly rotten shits who will kick, elbow, pinch and nip a player, who will crunch and batter into a tackle.

It's total pish to say it is a culture change when folks come and play here.

Nonsense. This league is faster and definitely more physical than most. Barisic made that point after his first couple of games himself - when he said Scottish football is less technical than Croatian football and more aggressive. He was not the only player in our team to make the same point last season.

Loads of players make similar points, and your own eyes can see it watching European games. Individual players in those countries being tough has nothing to do with the typical style of play in comparison.
 
He reminds me of Papac in his first season. He looked too powderpuff for Scottish football despite obviously being a good player. He turned it around so hopefully Barisic can.
 
Nonsense. This league is faster and definitely more physical than most. Barisic made that point after his first couple of games himself - when he said Scottish football is less technical than Croatian football and more aggressive. He was not the only player in our team to make the same point last season.

Loads of players make similar points, and your own eyes can see it watching European games. Individual players in those countries being tough has nothing to do with the typical style of play in comparison.


Faster? Your having a laugh.
 
Hard to forget how vocal Gerrard was in calling out Barisic in numerous press conferences this year.

I bet he drives Gerrard crazy.

Peter Crouch has spoken about being with Stevie G at Liverpool, and SG would go through players who lacked it physically or mentally in games or training.

Is imagine the frustration would be doubly so with Gerrard as manager as he can’t affect things in the pitch as a player. He’s staking his reputation on players like Barisic, and if tongue aren’t cutting it SG will dump them.
 
SPORTOPINION
Borna Barisic would make Rangers a tidy profit but cashing in now would be wrong - Barry Ferguson
Barisic is the ultimate conundrum at Ibrox but Barry is convinced he can shine in the problem left back area if given another chance.




Anyone tuning in for the Wales game in Croatia last weekend would’ve been impressed with the guy who was doing a marking job on Gareth Bale.
The Real Madrid man took a good throw in at one point but barely got a sniff against the left-back.

If you didn’t know any better you would think the player snuffing out Bale was plying his trade in one of the top leagues in Europe – or if he wasn’t he would be costing someone a serious wedge.
He looked a class act taking on one of the best players in the world but I would bet a fair few folk would have been shocked to discover Borna Barisic can’t get a game for Rangers.
READ MORE

It’s a tough one to get your head around even for those of us who know the situation.
Barisic looked a class act and he’s now a regular starter for an international team that got to the World Cup Final last summer. Yet he ended up the season fourth choice at Rangers.

Steven Gerrard ended up playing right-footed Jon Flanagan instead, or Andy Halliday, who we all know is a midfielder, and even Lee Wallace got in ahead of him for a clash against Aberdeen last month.

It was a hard one to work out because Barisic looked the real deal when he played against Rangers for Osijek in the Europa League qualifiers last year. For whatever reason it didn’t quite happen for him.


(Image: REUTERS)
It’s not like Gerrard didn’t give him the opportunities. Barisic made 24 appearances during the campaign and I know he picked up a couple of niggling injuries but we didn’t see the same player on show last weekend.
He arrived with a lot of promise – and a big price tag after costing more than £2million – but too often he looked off the pace. I’m willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. I’m not writing him off at Rangers.
Don’t get me wrong, if Gerrard does think about cashing in, it won’t do any harm seeing Barisic established as Croatia’s left-back. Rangers will get their dosh back and then some, if someone comes in for him this summer.
You couldn’t buy a Croatia international for £2m and the funny thing is he would cost a heck of a lot more if Rangers were trying to get him now.
But I’d like to see him given another chance. I know from experience it’s not easy for foreign players when they first come to Scotland. Barisic played at a decent level in Croatia but performing each week with Osijek is nothing like the Rangers.
I’ve seen it with my own eyes with players who played for top sides in Europe, had international caps and turned out at
World Cups. They come here maybe thinking it will be straightforward but they get a rude awakening.


(Image: SNS Group)
The pace of the game surprises them but it’s also the size of the club and the pressure that comes with being a Rangers player where you are expected to win every week.

Believe me it’s far from easy and it took a lot of guys a good while to get to grips with everything. When I was captain I’d try to have a word with them and see if I could help settle them down but a lot of the time it has to come from themselves. Sometimes it’s sink or swim in that kind of environment.
That’s why I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss Barisic. He seemed to struggle as the season went on but he has obviously worked away in the background and produced when he’s got the chance with his country.
He parachuted in to the squad during the qualifiers last year but this time around he will have a full pre-season to get up to speed along with the rest of the squad.
It’s not much of a break these days with some of the Rangers players due back in next week but the good thing for him is he won’t be needing too much of a rest as he didn’t have the gruelling campaign others went through.

Getting Barisic back and with a bit of confidence will be like signing a new player for Gerrard. He won’t be the only one as it looks like he’s keen to do his business early with the qualifiers less than a month away.
I don’t think the squad needs a huge overhaul this time but one or two bits of quality that can make the difference over the course of a title race.
There’s still talk of Ryan Kent coming back and that would be a massive boost but if Barisic can continue his international form then Gerrard can at least score out a left-back from his shopping list.
barry is spot on with this article
 
Funny how we always talk about giving players/managers time on here to adjust.

Yet with Barisic, a Croatian internationalist, he's been written off after a season on here.
 
Faster? Your having a laugh.
r

Much faster than any league I have seen in Europe. That does not mean every player in Scotland is quicker than Bolt - were talking about a quicker style/tempo of game where players go steaming in and therefore the ball is treated like a hot potato, and generally just booted upfield more because of that. English football is considered quick in European terms, but our games are more hectic than that.

Tell me a league with a quicker style of play?
 
It’s refreshing to see one of our ex-players actually talking up one of our players for once.
 
That could definitely be a part of it mate, however, there's no doubt that there's a unique pressure at Rangers, from a very demanding support, to not only win every game, but every tackle must be won too.
100% must be given in everything you do.

Many non Scots have come here and struggled with the demands.

Others like Butcher, Robert's, Gascoigne, Laudrup, Albertz, Gio, Numan, Mols etc. embraced it and became Ibrox legends.

Even a few of these guys took time to get up to speed.
 
r

Much faster than any league I have seen in Europe. That does not mean every player in Scotland is quicker than Bolt - were talking about a quicker style/tempo of game where players go steaming in and therefore the ball is treated like a hot potato, and generally just booted upfield more because of that. English football is considered quick in European terms, but our games are more hectic than that.

Tell me a league with a quicker style of play?

Christ
 
As I have said on many Barisic-related threads, the guy's ability is not in question - he is after all a starter for Croatia - one of the world's top international sides. What has always been in doubt for me is his desire to continue playing football in the SPL, where I suspect the overly-physical style might not be to his liking.
 
Cash in if anyone wants him, has the heart of a mouse and can't play on astro turf so what's the point of this guy, take his pal Grezda with him, total waste of money, it's like Pena & Herrera again
 
I would definitely give Borna another chance this season...I think we could regret if we off loaded him so quickly. I think his confidence was shot last year & when confidence is down it makes players look like they have no fight or heart for the battle...especially foreigners.

Give him a chance pre-season & take it from there. For what it’s worth I think SG will do that.
 
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