Borna Barisic was a loyal servant to Rangers over six seasons in Glasgow.
But there remains a lingering feeling that the Croatian was part of a core at Ibrox who got so used to losing it – quite literally – became second nature.
Whilst Borna Barisic was a solid player with a wicked delivery and aggressive engine at his very best, the majority of his Rangers career was shrouded in criticism.
Between injury and regular crises of confidence, Borna Barisic was often found wanting in an Ibrox jersey.
Leaving the Gers in the summer for Trabzonspor in Turkey, the latest comments from the left-back about the last few seasons will make for interesting reading for Rangers fans.
But they also highlight a distinct lack of responsibility in the club’s squad which had got to change as Barisic reflects on Rangers’ recent shortcomings.
Barisic: ‘something missing after Gerrard
Borna Barisic has been quoted by the Daily Record slaughtering the set-up at Ibrox following the exit of Steven Gerrard.
The Croatian was signed by the Scouser following a Europa League qualifying clash v NK Osijek and then handed a new contract under Gerrard’s watch a few years later.
Reflecting on the last few years, Barisic claims that a lack of structure, organisation and leadership impacted the club following Gerrard’s exit and ultimately cost Rangers silverware.
“Should we have won more trophies? I’ve thought about that a lot in the last year,” said Barisic. “Maybe, yes. But it’s hard to say – because it’s not always just about players.
“A lot of things have to be well done at a club to win a league – it starts from the top all the way down to the bottom. And that hasn’t always been the case in the last three years.
“When Steven left, I don’t think all the pieces of the jigsaw were there. A lot changed. Would we have won more titles if he’d stayed?
“I can’t say for sure but in the period since he left, the balance hasn’t been right in terms of the things you need to win the league. Parts of it weren’t good. Things weren’t always working at 100 per cent. And to be a champion, you need everything to be working together.
“It’s important that things are right on and off the pitch. And every year after Steven, there was something missing.”
Lack of trophy responsibility at Rangers
There a number of reasons why Rangers failed to capitalise in the wake of winning 55 under Steven Gerrard.
The exit of the Liverpool legend certainly didn’t help, but a lack of investment and proper leadership from the Douglas Park-led regime ultimately came back to bite the club.
Gerrard jumped ship, Rangers’ squad regressed and the club missed big opportunities to cash in on their best players.
But what Borna Barisic’s comments don’t do is take enough responsibility for the squad’s desperate shortcomings over the last few seasons.
Borna was happy to pick up a wage whilst falling short and whilst these comments might help soothe the pain of his recent failures at Rangers, they symbolise a deeper problem in the club’s squad.
No one man is bigger than Rangers and this insinuation from Borna suggests too many in the club’s core were working for Gerrard and not for the club.
Steven Gerrard wasn’t on the park when we slipped up v Dundee and Ross County, and he most certainly hasn’t overseen our drastic downturn in form against Celtic, with too many of these players ready to shift the blame rather than take responsibility.
We thank Borna for his service, but if the left-back is seriously blaming the exit of one man for our overpaid squad’s failure to deliver then it says more about Barisic than it does about Rangers.
The worrying thing is, this is a sentiment we reckon has been felt across the leadership group of the team for too long and a clear out has been long overdue.
Barisic has left, Lundstram has followed him.
James Tavernier is in discussions over an exit and the murmurs around Connor Goldson are getting louder.
These guys have seemingly struggled with the exit of Steven Gerrard so much it not only justifies their pathetic performance domestically.
But it’s also cost two managers their jobs.
Philippe Clement would do well to make sure he won’t be the third.
