Simply the best defence that Barisic has seen at Rangers
● Croatian left-back is proud of clean-sheet feat and hopes to keep the record going for longer
Rangers’ ambition this season was to be on the right side of history. A month into the season, they have succeeded in an unexpected way.
If they do not win the title – and so end Celtic’s bid for ten in a row, and the same period without major silver ware – no-one will talk about their ability to rack up clean sheets across each of their first six league encounters.
Yet, the fact they have the opportunity to set a new record for the longest span of shut-outs from the beginning of a campaign when the Premiership resumes following the international break, is genuinely significant. Even beyond having now set a new club record for such a feat and, equalling the six blanks in the ‘goals against’ column that had stood on its own as the Scottish record before Steven Gerrard’s men skewered Hamilton on Saturday.
No one seemed to know in advance of the weekend that Rangers were looking to match the six clean sheets with which Willie Maley’s Celtic began in the 1906-07 season. Everyone knew the Ibrox men have stepped it up when it comes to protecting their own goal in this fledgling campaign, though.
It is their ability to snuff out opponents–most of whom, admittedly, show no great enterprise when facing either of the Glasgow clubs – that is giving them a platform to challenge seriously Celtic’s title hegemony.
Front to middle, Neil Lennon’s men at full strength still appear more potent than the Ibrox men. Such as Ianis Hagi, despite his goal at Accies, still appear peripheral creative figures, with the ever-more penetrative Ryan Kent assuming the mantle, on that front. Kemar Roofe remains a work in progress, too, as the striker expected to produce the goals should the currently overlooked Alfredo Morelos ever get the move he craves across the next month.
Hence, Gerrard bemoaning his side’s “wastefulness” after they had gone 2-0 up after only 20 minutes in their Lanarkshire assignment.
In terms of a back five, though, Jon Mclaughlin, as it has been in recent games, or Allan Mcgregor behind a back four of James Tavernier, Conor Gold son, Filip Helander–or the presently injured Leo nb a gun– and Born abarisic offer a solidity that Celtic currently cannot match. Six straight league clean sheets don’t come along by accident. And Croatian left-back Barisic suggests Rangers have been emboldened by their ability to shut-up shop, believing this is “definitely” the most formidable backline he has been part of since joining the club last summer.
“It’s not just that we have been keeping clean sheets, but I think our opponents haven’t really created too many chances,” said the 27-year-old. “There have been a couple, but not too many. I think it’s the best defensively since I’ve been here for sure. We are going to try and keep this record going for as long as possible, but the most important thing is to win.”
Not that creating a new club record isn’t a badge of honour to him and his colleagues at the back. “It’s a very nice feeling,” he said. “We knew if we kept another clean sheet [at Hamilton] we would break the record so that was a motivation for us. Of course, our first priority was to win and the second one was to keep another clean sheet. Now we have written our own piece of histor y so I am ver y happy about that.”
The break has probably come at the wrong time for Premiership leaders Rangers. Kent is likely to be subject of an improved bid from Leeds United following the rejection of their £10 million offer. And on Saturday night, although he was respectful and grateful to the Ibrox club for the opportunity they have given him, he notably chose to use the line “who knows what the future holds” when
“We have a document that says we are elite sportsmen so we can travel normally. Of course we will be tested, but it will be no problem”
BORNA BARISIC
the discussion turned to where he might be playing his football in the near future. That their internationals like Barisic, now first-choice left back for the World Cup runners-up of 2018, have to take commercial flights in the age of Covid-19 could only leave Gerrard feeling a little apprehensive.
Barisic, though, isn’ t concerned about the travelling required for a Nations League double-header that will see Croatia in Portugal on Saturday night before a World Cup final rematch in France three days later.
“We have a document that says we are elite sportsmen so we can travel normally. Of course, we will be tested, but it will be no problem. I have no worries about it. There have been more concerns recently because we are in the summer and a lot of tourists travel now too and the clubs have been concerned about the situation and maybe it’s a little bit worse than it was a couple of months ago. But everything will be fine for sure.
“They are two good games – France, the world champions, and Portugal, the European champions. They are very good teams. If you want to progress and become a better player you need to play against better opponents and better teams to play against. I can not imagine better teams than Portugal and France.
“They are two of the best teams in the world for sure. I think the experience of playing against them will help me a lot. One hundred per cent it will help me to become a better player and will help me when I come back here with Rangers.”