Old Firm victory was way easier than Barisic ever thought it would be
Rangers star Borna Barisic admitted he couldn’t believe how easy it was to hammer Celtic in last week’s Old Firm showdown at Ibrox.
The Croatian international was involved in a war of words with Celtic interimmanager John Kennedy and insisted the Hoops’ coach’s claims that the Hoops were a better team were a “joke” and “disrespectful”.
Kennedy hit back that he was entitled to his opinion. But Rangers romped to a 4-1 win which put them 23 points ahead of their nearest rivals.
And Barisic, who was given the all-clear after limping off, admitted he didn’t expect the success to be so easy and puts the credit for a fantastic season down to manager Steven Gerrard (inset).
He said: “We did not expect such a convincing victory, but it is no wonder really because we have been really playing great this season.
“We are full of selfconfidence, positive energy and we have definitely shown that we are better than Celtic.
“How good we are this season is also confirmed by the fact that we secured the title two months ago.
“But it is not over yet, because we have two games left in the league, in which we want to celebrate and the season undefeated in the league and with more 100 points won.
“All this is the result of incredible dedication and exceptional quality work with our manager.
“It means a lot to us that the majority of the team has been together with Gerrard for three years. We know each other by heart, we already have a lot of great results and performances.
“Of course, we have had some disappointments, but we learned lessons and got to where we are today. “I’ve personally had a great season and I am delighted because I have played 56 games for Rangers and Croatia this season, which is a record for me, which practically no problems.
“At Rangers, we use the wings a lot and that is good for me. The manager trusts both me and James Tavernier.”
And Barisic, in an interview with a homeland publication admits he can’t wait to face Scotland at Hampden at Euro 2020 this summer.
He said: “Now I am seriously concentrating on the Euros. It’s time to prepare and think about the games.
“It’s obvious our aims are to get out of the group, which will not be easy at all, but we know our strengths, and I believe in a very successful Euros for us.
“I am also really happy we are playing in Scotland – a country which has grown close to my heart.”