Borna Barisic opens up on Rangers future as he insists he has no issues with Steven Gerrard

BlueMeanie

Well-Known Member
The Croat has struggled during his year in Glasgow but hopes his stunning strike can be a turning point.


Borna Barisic is hoping his sensational strike will open doors for him at Ibrox – and not the one marked exit.
The Croatia international curled a stunner into the top corner to sink stubborn
 St Mirren and bag three crucial points in between the crunch Euro clashes with Legia Warsaw.
It was a moment of joy for the full-back as he embraced the warmth of the Gers support after spending so long out in the cold.
Barisic was in danger of becoming a forgotten man at Ibrox after falling behind Jon Flanagan and Andy Halliday in the left-back pecking order.
It has led to inevitable speculation the former Osijek man could be for the off but he wants his stunner to be a launchpad rather than a parting gift.
Barasic said: “I don’t know what people talk about but I only know I am fully focused on Rangers. I am a Rangers player and that is it.”


The defender relished getting on the scoresheet at last after his effort against St Joseph’s was given to Connor Goldson. There was no denying Barisic this one and he reckons his yellow card for going into the crowd was well worth it.
He said: “It was a very special moment for me.
“Officially it was my first goal but I think it was my second! It was the first time I could go straight with the fans and celebrate with them, especially when every point is important.
“It was unbelievable, very nice. I have waited for that moment. When I scored in Gibraltar I couldn’t go to the fans because Connor scored.
“This is my first official goal so I am very happy. I took the yellow card because of that.”
Barisic is determined to hang around but admitted he’s at a bit of a loss why it hasn’t quite happened for him yet in Glasgow.
Rangers fans can’t figure it out either. They see a player who is consistently selected for World Cup 
finalists Croatia yet can’t get into Steven Gerrard’s team.


Barisic tried to shed some light on it though.
He said: “It is a lot of things and it is a hard question to be honest.
“If you go from my first day at Rangers, everything was new and fine. But then when you have injuries it is very tough and especially when you come from a league like Croatia to Scotland.
“It is a different type and you need to be very prepared physically.
“Last year I wasn’t on that level but this year I have had a very good pre-season and in Croatia before pre-season I did a lot of training to be on top. Now I just want to play in every game.
“The gaffer gave me a chance to play. Has it been tough? Of course but that is normal in a career. Sometimes you have a very good day, sometimes no.
“I want to be all the time ready when the boss gives me a chance.
“We won and that is the most important thing.”
In fairness to Barisic he might have been in danger of being frozen out but he insists he’s never given his gaffer the cold shoulder.
And he is adamant there’s no rift with the boss. Barisic said: “He speaks a lot to the players and I’ve read sometimes I have problems with the manager.


“That is simply not true. I always speak with him and we have a very good relationship.”
It will be even better after Barisic helped get his gaffer out of a tricky spot at the Simple Digital Arena.
Rangers were dominant against Saints but found it hard going to find a way through Jim Goodwin’s well-drilled outfit.
It took nearly an hour for the Light Blues to break the deadlock and it came from a set-piece delivered with expert precision.
A potentially difficult slog in the sun became much more relaxing and the win provided Rangers with the ideal platform going into a week that could go a long way to shaping the season.
Legia are up at Ibrox on Thursday with the Europa League group stages in sight and old foes Celtic will head to Govan for an afternoon of friendly frivolity just three days later.
Barisic will prefer to savour Paisley for a little longer but he admitted yesterday’s victory has set Gers up for a big spell.
He said: “We always focus on the game we have and now it is Legia. Rangers are a very big club and the mentality is that you always have to win and be focused on the next game.
“It is a good start for the next seven days.”
 
I'm in the not writing him off yet camp.

I had to agree with McCoist and Rae yesterday when they summarised that there's a player in there but whether he had the mentality to play for Rangers.

We can only hope that the goal yesterday gives him the confidence required to kick on.
 
Well done Borna...what a strike young man. Kick on now & become a main stay in the team.

Would you play him Thursday? I think I would.
 
Well done Borna...what a strike young man. Kick on now & become a main stay in the team.

Would you play him Thursday? I think I would.
But not on sunday imo, thats no use.
In a normal job, come in tommorrow as the stuff we have is right up your street, but hey dont come in the next day as its not your cup of tea.
I would punt him, over a year in a job and still not trusted.
 
I still think Gerrard will favour Flanagan for the next 2 games
I think it'll certainly be horses for courses,some games will suit him, but these two coming up will need battlers from 1-11. I'd like him to take a leaf out of Katic book and turn it around and I hope that goal marks a change in confidence.
 
He really needs to start believing in himself because that is what is holding him back. Too often he takes the safe option when we need him to be driving forward.

You can see how technically talented he is but he needs to show that mental strength that so far he has lacked
 
Yesterday was better, but he still looks like he's playing with an element of fear — terrified to make any mistakes. He just needs to go for it.

I also think he's being asked to play a lot more cautiously than Tavernier.
Fans forget that he never has and never will be a Tav style fullback, skinning players and the like, but neither will Flanagan, who doesn't get much stick for that as its not expected. He's still good going forward and provides good deliveries, but not on Tavs level or style of play. He's our first choice left back in an expansive side, Flanno should be when we need to be a bit more solid.
 
Flanagan will be back in this Thursday and Sunday.

It's difficult not to like Borna though in terms of his personality and attitude etc. I won't be joining in with the witch hunt and shocking abuse some people dish out to him.
Horses for courses mate. I'll be shocked if Flanagan isn't back in. Delighted Barisic got the winner yesterday.
 
Borna certainly talks the talk and every time he does so we swing back to his side and expect him to kick on. Up to now he has seemed incapable of stringing more than a couple of decent performances together. Maybe this is his year however - I certainly hope so as he’s a talented player who received a culture shock when he moved to the Scottish football scene and could be over that now.
 
Flanagan will be back in this Thursday and Sunday.

It's difficult not to like Borna though in terms of his personality and attitude etc. I won't be joining in with the witch hunt and shocking abuse some people dish out to him.


I like him too and I feel sorry for him. Sometimes I think the gaffer changes things about too much. It must affect folks confidence.
 
But not on sunday imo, thats no use.
In a normal job, come in tommorrow as the stuff we have is right up your street, but hey dont come in the next day as its not your cup of tea.
I would punt him, over a year in a job and still not trusted.
Yeah I can’t disagree I would struggle to pick him on Sunday. However I’d play him Thursday night as the game will hopefully suit him & if he does the business then Ge55ard has a decision to make.

I’ve a soft spot for BB after listening & watching his interviews yesterday...he seems a really young, naive & innocent young man. I think everyone agrees he has the best ability between all our left back options he just needs to stand up & be counted like he did yesterday.

I hope he does well & stays in the team.
 
At the end of the day we all want Borna to settle and come good for Rangers. He’s potentially a very good asset for the club and clearly has talent. For me he needs a run of games to build confidence although I think Gerrard may well rotate him and Flanagan quite often depending on the opposition. But his attitude and desire to succeed with us is a promising sign.
 
Stands off his man too much and let's attacker's turn and run at him way too often.

He needs to be more aggressive in that aspect of the game and is what I believe makes Flanagan a better option.
 
He's right in saying the league is very physical and that is Scottish football's problem and why we struggle on the international stage.

Second half, Borna got past his man only to be clothes-lined by the St Mirren player - Barisic burst his nose - Clancy "PLAY ON".

Any other league in Europe, that's a free-kick and potential yellow card.

So glad he scored - as "supporters", we should all be delighted for him.
 
Stands off his man too much and let's attacker's turn and run at him way too often.

He needs to be more aggressive in that aspect of the game and is what I believe makes Flanagan a better option.
A better defensive option but Flanno gives the ball away about 5 times per game and sometimes in horrendous areas.

Barisic is a better technical player, Flanagan has better aggression.
 
Incredible goal but his performance was honking yesterday. He should be renamed Borna Backpass.

Good one. :rolleyes:

Hes such a frustrating player but plenty of players come to British football and take a year to adapt, especially the number of niggles he had. His issue currently is that he doesn't back himself to carry the ball when wearing our jersey but everything else yesterday was fine, his positioning was far better defensively even, its another one of those situations where folk will see what they want to see with a player and lots of our fans will say hes shite unless he goes 6 months of 8/10 performances.
 
Yeah I can’t disagree I would struggle to pick him on Sunday. However I’d play him Thursday night as the game will hopefully suit him & if he does the business then Ge55ard has a decision to make.

I’ve a soft spot for BB after listening & watching his interviews yesterday...he seems a really young, naive & innocent young man. I think everyone agrees he has the best ability between all our left back options he just needs to stand up & be counted like he did yesterday.

I hope he does well & stays in the team.
Nothing against him, there are younger players remember.
Talk is cheap as they say.
We just want the best on the park, at Rangers you need that extra toughness.
He doesnt have that imo and we are now into year 2 of his contract.
Lets hope the fans that dont know much about football- keep refering to the goal yesterday as they did with Rossiter against hibs.
 
I think it's fair to say he's hanging on his Rangers career by the proverbial bawhair.

I'm just not 100% confident in him at the moment. Obviously a run of solid performances will change that.
 
Wonderful free kick.

Other than that an average first half - positioning isn't great and he likes to let balls bounce. Didn't link up with Jones and the left side was a bit shit tbh.

Better 2nd half.

Flanagan walks back into the left back position for Legia Warsaw and the bheggars.
 
Borna has a great delivery.
His set-piece ability alone is an asset in certain types of game.
However, getting him up the park and into dangerous areas to deliver in open play seems to be difficult, which was never evident when he played against us for Osijek.
Or is my memory flawed?
 
Defensively he was sound yesterday but I want him haunting defences by swinging ball after ball into the box. He has the ability that he doesn't even have to hit the touchline to do that. It's frustrating that he chooses the simple pass instead.
 
Defensively he was sound yesterday but I want him haunting defences by swinging ball after ball into the box. He has the ability that he doesn't even have to hit the touchline to do that. It's frustrating that he chooses the simple pass instead.

Compare him to Tavernier he drives us forward at every opportunity no matter how many players he is up against now Barisic with either lots of space to drive into or up against one player just passes it back. It's infuriating that he seems unwilling to do anything productive.
 
When we first signed him his delivery was first class. A fit B/B can be a useful weapon this season.
 
Nothing against him, there are younger players remember.
Talk is cheap as they say.
We just want the best on the park, at Rangers you need that extra toughness.
He doesnt have that imo and we are now into year 2 of his contract.
Lets hope the fans that dont know much about football- keep refering to the goal yesterday as they did with Rossiter against hibs.
I agree with you & in my opinion he didn’t have a good game yesterday but I hope we are both wrong about him & he goes on & plays 40/50 games for us at a top level this season.

Fingers crossed ;)
 
The amount of times in the first half when he was glued to the touch-line pushed up high in space and nobody passed to him was unreal.

Hopefully yesterday's goal has given his confidence the world of good.
 
Borna has a great delivery.
His set-piece ability alone is an asset in certain types of game.
However, getting him up the park and into dangerous areas to deliver in open play seems to be difficult, which was never evident when he played against us for Osijek.
Or is my memory flawed?
His first few games with us he was tearing by players & getting crosses in. He looked unstoppable for those matches then he got injured & has struggled since. He's clearly a confidence player & recently he's had barely anything resembling confidence.
 
His first few games with us he was tearing by players & getting crosses in. He looked unstoppable for those matches then he got injured & has struggled since. He's clearly a confidence player & recently he's had barely anything resembling confidence.
Surely yesterday would have been a boost to his confidence.
I always feel confident that his delivery from set-pieces will be accurate.
I am now becoming convinced that he is our go-to guy for free-kicks around the box.
Sorry Tav.
 
His first few games with us he was tearing by players & getting crosses in. He looked unstoppable for those matches then he got injured & has struggled since. He's clearly a confidence player & recently he's had barely anything resembling confidence.
Unfortunately Ibrox is not the easiest place to play if your level of play is dependent on your confidence. As a support we're not great at giving players confidence unfortunately.
 
I dont think he will start but only because he was having issues with a tight hamstring later in the game.

But i bet i still see people saying where is Barašić, borna no even i the 18.
 
Surely yesterday would have been a boost to his confidence.
I always feel confident that his delivery from set-pieces will be accurate.
I am now becoming convinced that he is our go-to guy for free-kicks around the box.
Sorry Tav.
I feel the exact same. Defensively he's not done much wrong. That cross that went in yesterday went through his legs so was unlucky really. It's the back passing that's the issue for me. Albeit sometimes it's the only option. The times where there's space & the start of last season he would have ran at it, he decides to take the safe bet. Even then though, he still doesn't lose possession.

Tbh, some of these 'supporters' are wanking themselves into a frenzy with hate for the guy. It's like they just need a whipping boy. Both Flanagan & Halliday have had bigger howlers than any of his showings this season yet he's the one they're slating.
 
Definitely a player in there, however I feel he will let us down in big games due to his lack of confidence which is a shame, free kick was a cracker but done very little else during the 90.
 
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