Glasgow Rangers suffered a massive setback on Sunday afternoon in the Highlands, losing 3-2 to Ross County.
This shock defeat not only hands Celtic the advantage in the Premiership title race but also ensures that the race for the league crown is out of Rangers’ hands, as they will still be one point behind their Old Firm rivals even if they defeat Dundee on Wednesday.
In truth, the performance had been coming. Against Celtic last weekend, the Ibrox side were lucky to secure a share of the points following a dreadful first-half display.
Again, the starting XI failed to produce the goods during the opening 45 minutes in Dingwall, despite taking a one-goal advantage into the break.
Philippe Clement clearly failed to inspire his team prior to the second half as they conceded three goals in just 18 minutes to lead 3-1 as the shellshocked Rangers players looked lost and certainly not like a team who were fighting it out for the title.
This display should tell Clement that there are a few first-team players who either aren’t up to the required quality or have simply lost the bottle.
One notable example is Borna Barisic, who looks like he could have played his final match for the Gers after a horror show on Sunday.
Borna Barisic’s game in numbers against Ross County
Due to Ridvan Yilmaz missing the game through injury, Barisic was given the nod against the Highland side, despite only making the bench for the clash against Celtic last week.
The left-back only lasted 54 minutes before Clement took him off, replacing him with Dujon Sterling as it was clear he failed to have any real influence on the team.
Assists
0
Passes (accurate)
21 (14)
Key passes
3
Possession lost
9
Total duels won
3/3
While he may have won 100% of his total duels contested, Barisic lost possession nine times, and managed to complete just 14 of his 21 attempted passes (fewer than Jack Butland's 18) while succeeding with just three of his eight long ball attempts, showing how careless he was in possession.
Going forward, the Croatian was even more of a liability, delivering just two accurate crosses, attempting zero dribbles and creating no big chances, failing to offer anything meaningful to an offence which needed a spark.
Glasgow World gave him a rating of just 3/10 for his woeful display against the Staggies, with journalist Lewis Anderson claiming Barisic ‘offered next to nothing in attack’ while also stating that the defender was ‘very poor’ during the encounter, and it is hard to disagree with him.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, this performance sums up his final few months at the Light Blues.
Borna Barisic’s statistics this season
There is no doubt that Barisic has been a fantastic stalwart for the club since joining in the summer of 2018, becoming one of Steven Gerrard’s first signings, yet his performances have deteriorated this term.
Barisic has started 26 matches this season, but the large bulk of these arrived prior to Christmas, making only six starts thus far in 2024.
Among his teammates, the 31-year-old currently ranks tenth for accurate passes per game (28.5) in the top flight, while also ranking 16th for successful dribbles per match (0.4), third for possession lost per game (15.2) and 17th for big chances created (one), showing how poor he has been when called up this season.
The defender has made 232 appearances for the Gers over the previous six years, winning the Premiership, Scottish Cup and League Cup, but his standards have slipped since last summer and perhaps the club should have cashed in on him when they had the chance.
Thankfully, Clement has a few options he can call upon for the left-back spot when Barisic does depart the club, suggesting he won't need to dive into the transfer market to replace him.
The players who could replace Borna Barisic
The obvious answer is, of course, Yilmaz, who has been superb since finally gaining a consistent run in the starting XI.
Not only has he created more big chances (six) in the Premiership than Barisic this term, but the 22-year-old has also succeeded with more dribbles per game (1.3), which proves he is far more effective going forward than the Croatian.
His injury arrived at the wrong time, as Yilmaz has missed crucial matches of late, but hopefully he will be back in the starting XI sooner rather than later.
Sterling has also deputised on the left side of the defence a few times this season, showcasing his impressive versatility.
The Englishman may not have delivered the performance he wanted to against County, but since being offered regular game time under Clement, there is no doubt he has improved.
Taking a look beyond the senior players, there are a couple of academy starlets who could also force their way into the first team in the next 12 months.
Robbie Fraser is captain of the B team, making 53 appearances for them over the last three seasons, chipping in with 14 goal contributions too, certainly showcasing his ability to burst forward on a regular basis down the left flank.
Another youngster, Johnly Yfeko, made his senior debut for the Light Blues during the League Cup clash against Morton back in August 2023, performing well by all accounts.
These two players have bright futures at the Ibrox side and, over time, Clement will surely integrate them both into the first team setup, giving them minutes in certain competitions.
Following Barisic’s underwhelming display on the weekend, it is evident that he must be dropped for the remaining six matches of the league campaign, especially if Rangers want to overcome this disappointment and win their 56th domestic title.
The Croatian left-back has played his part in three trophy successes during his time with the club, yet it looks as though his spell in Scotland is going to come to a relatively limp ending.
There is no room for passengers, however, and Clement knows that making tough calls like this will win him more admirers and certainly some more trophies, without a shadow of a doubt.
Clement must finally drop wasteful Rangers man who was worse than Lundstram
The Light Blues attacker put on a horrorshow against Ross County on Sunday.
ByDan EmeryApr 14, 2024