Borna Barisic may have helped set up Cyriel Dessers’ consolation goal during Saturday’s Old Firm derby defeat to Celtic, but one of the Croatian’s trademark clipped crosses was not enough cover up a multitude of defensive ills.
While Borna Barisic could perhaps be forgiven for struggling with the speed and movement of Liel Abada, the sight of Rangers‘ long-serving left-back being given the runaround by a 32-year-old James Forrest was concerning, to say the least.
With his contract expiring in July, this performance did little to enhance the argument that Barisic should be retained, having already lost his place to Ridvan Yilmaz before the Turk’s injury-enforced absence post-Christmas.
Rangers need a left-back to replace Borna Barisic
Rangers, then, will likely find themselves in the market for a left-back this summer.
And with confirmation over Gijs Smal‘s much-mooted move from FC Twente to Feyenoord still not forthcoming, are the Glasgow giants still in with a shot at a man who topped the Eredivisie’s assist charts in 2022/23?
Well, not quite.
It is too months now since Fabrizio Romano reported that Smal’s move to Rotterdam on a free transfer was ‘almost done’, turning down an undisclosed offer from abroad in favour of staying in the Netherlands.
But the radio silence that followed is nothing that should concern Feyenoord supporters. As explained by the Rotterdam-based publication 1908, Smal will still be on his way to De Kuip. It is only a matter of time before the announcement arrives.
Lest we forget, the transfer window does not officially open for another couple of weeks anyway.
Interestingly, the report also mentions Rangers. They say that Feyenoord have successfully managed to keep Smal out of the reach of Philippe Clement’s side, as well as their cross-Glasgow neighbours Celtic.
The chances are that, with both Celtic and Rangers needing left-backs, the two Premiership rivals could find themselves shopping in similar markets for similar players over the coming weeks and months.
Barisic and John Lundstram may both be Turkey-bound
“I’ve had players in the past who wanted to leave and because of that they dropped a level. But I haven’t had any signal like that from anybody in the building, otherwise I cannot let them play,” Clement said at the start of May, Barisic and John Lundstram both reportedly in talks over moves to Turkish giants Trabzonspor.
“They’re fighting for trophies. If you don’t have agreement with the club here you want to go in the best possible way and the best possible way is to win trophies. You want to leave with victories.
“There have been reports for months about a lot of players and a lot of things. As long as nothing is official and I see the right things in the training and the dressing room, players are selectable.
“Borna will be in the selection from what I have seen until now. I see Lunny every day the same way that he was two months ago, three months ago, five months ago. He is fighting for the club. All these players are busy with winning trophies and doing the right things together.
“Otherwise they would not be in the selection.”
Lundstram, who’s move to the Black Sea has been hinted at strongly by Trabzonspor’s president, endured a nightmare afternoon himself as Celtic moved six points clear at the top of the table.
After doubling the hosts’ lead with a calamitous own goal, the former Sheffield United midfielder was then sent off for a needless lunge on the stroke of half-time.
