I don’t think you could ever call Borna Barisic mercurial or enigmatic, but there is something about the Rangers left-back that makes him a bit of a conundrum.
One minute, his hamstring can tighten up with the hint of things getting tough but the next, he can be seen facing up to opposition players with all the menace of someone you’d expect with his family background – he’s even offered an entire away support at Ibrox a square go.
New Rangers boss Philippe Clement is getting a tune out of Borna Barisic with his more aggressive approach paying dividends for James Tavernier’s winner, the Croatian had every right celebrate in the way that he did, caught by Rangers TV’s cameras.
Borna Barisic enjoys Rangers success with key league cup impact
Since Ridvan Yilmaz signed last season, there has been a debate about who should play at left-back.
The younger, more dynamic and attack minded Ridvan, who is an easy target in Scotland because of his height, or the more experienced Barisic who has a bad habit of being one dimensional, even if he is one of the best crossers that the club has ever seen.
What we saw at Hampden was that Borna Barisic has clearly been listening to the Rangers manager.
Earlier this season, he would have crossed that first time but, instead, skipped past the defender before clipping the ball in which meant that the Aberdeen defence then had to face their own goal and not see Tavernier drifting in at the back post.
It’s the simple things that make the difference.
And the 31-year old was clearly enjoying himself in the post-match celebrations as this clip from “Away Days” shows.
Barisic is one of the players who are out of contract at the end of this season and few would have wanted an extension to be offered until Clement arrived to re-energise a tiring squad.
It is still a position that will need attention but there is a partnership beginning to build with potential long-term signing Abdallah Sima on the Rangers left with Borna Barisic offering a flexibility now, being able to overlap when his winger drives inside, or drop off for an early cross when he doesn’t.
If Barisic maintains this sort of form then he won’t have to apologise for anything ever again.
