When Michael Beale arrived as Rangers manager, one of the first things he had to to was win, just win, restore confidence in a team that was shattered by injuries and looking a shell of it’s former self.
One of the players who needed to be picked up the most is also one of the most experienced, Borna Barisic, who looked like he was terrified to leave his own half under Giovanni van Bronckhorst needed to get back to his rampaging best if he was to see off the challenge of Ridvan Yilmaz, signed in the summer for big money to replace the Croatian.
As it is, Ridvan’s long-term hamstring injury has seen Barisic be picked as an, almost, ever-present under Beale aside from his post-World Cup break and the 30-year old is looking forward to righting a few wrongs at Hampden on Sunday when asked about whether or not the past experiences of the squad will help them to prepare, as reported by The Rangers Review:
“Of course, it helps because there is a lot of experience in our squad now. It will help to have experience but it will be a tough game.
“Of course, I didn’t forget (the league cup final in 2019). I remember how we played and lost that game. Of course, that’s one motivation but not the only one, there are a lot more things. Of course, we remember it.
“When you’re together for so long you have good relationships and experience of big games. It will be a tough game but we are ready.”
Despite a couple of high profile disasters, Barisic, since he signed, has been, consistently, one of our best performers in derbies, locking up the left-hand side of the attack on numerous occasions and he will need to be on top of his game this weekend if we are to emerge victorious.
Barisic also talked about the tactical tweaks that Beale has made and his partnership with Ryan Kent has, again, looked much more like the threat it once was. The Gers forward’s license to cut inside has given Barisic more room to overlap and provide the sort of service that we all know he is capable of.
With two goals and 10 assists so far this season, Barisic has had a productive season and will be dying to prove to those that had him written off earlier in the season that, when Ridvan is fit, that he is still the man for the job – a winners medal on Sunday would go a long way in helping his cause.