Barisic is named top Euro star but vows there is more to come
BORNA BARISIC has promised Rangers fans there is more to come – despite being officially named by Uefa yesterday as the best Scottishbased player in continental football.
The Croat, who now has provided an assist for both of Rangers’ groupstage goals as well as creating a number of other clear-cut opportunities, was officially listed as the 20th best player in the Europa League yesterday, the highest-ranked Scottish-based player on the list and one of just four in all.
Barisic has his Rangers team-mates James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos for company in the top 100, with Ryan Christie the only Celtic player to make the list, despite their comfortable 2-0 win against CFR Cluj.
While the Croat admitted he doesn’t read too much into such statistics, and was gutted not to have been involved in a winning Rangers effort in Switzerland, the former Osijek player has backed himself to continue improving his performance levels.
It is all a far cry from the player’s struggles during his first season at the club.
“I didn’t know that, I don’t read the papers,” said Barisic. “If I was just looking at myself then I feel very good and I think everyone sees that on the pitch, but of course I am not happy because Rangers lost.
“This is the best I have played since I have come here but it isn’t the best I can be. How much more is there to come? You will see.”
The next fortnight will see Barisic renew acquaintances with Welsh wing wizards Gareth Bale and Daniel James, and he hopes to maintain the upper hand he established against the Welsh in a win earlier in the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.
First, though, he will give his undivided attention to the wingers of Hamilton Accies in the Ladbrokes Premiership at Ibrox tomorrow.
“I always enjoy going away with the national team, it is really, really good,” said Barisic. “We have some great players in our team and we have two very important games.
“The expectation on us has got much higher since the World Cup but when you finish second in the World Cup everyone wants to beat you.
“Expectations with Rangers are very high too and that is normal because it is a very big club. But it is hard to compare between club and country.
“Luka Modric is a very big player for us and I think you can learn a lot from him. He is very kind, very normal, you can speak to him. But there are also a lot of big players with a lot of experience at very big clubs,
“Gareth Bale will play but they have a couple of good players, Daniel James from Manchester United, and Aaron Ramsey who is now at Juventus. I was marking Gareth Bale in the last match, we won 2-1. But for now I am really focused on Hamilton.”
Barisic had words of support too for captain James Tavernier, who was culpable in the lead up to both goals conceded by Rangers in Bern in midweek. The mis-steps turned what might have been a famous European away win into a glaring missed opportunity.
“Of course he will be disappointed but you cannot blame him because we lost the game,” said Barisic. “We had a couple of chances too and we didn’t score.
“He slipped on the artificial pitch for the second one so I don’t want to blame him or anyone because we lost. We win and lose as a team.
“As captain he has been really good for me. He always puts himself in front of the team and if you need something he is always here. On the pitch he shows a lot too so for me he is a very good captain.
“In general, I don’t think we deserved to lose the match because we had a couple of chances and should maybe have had a penalty kick.
“Young Boys are a very good team, they have had a couple of good years in the Champions League group stage, you have to respect them. I think we deserved a point at least.”
This is the best I have played since I have come here but it isn’t the best I can be. How much more is there to come? You will see