Borna Barisic has apparently struggled in his debut Scottish Premiership season, but he has still produced seven assists for Steven Gerrard’s Rangers.
Kris Boyd certainly stoked the fires ahead of Saturday’s Scottish Premiership clash between Rangers and Kilmarnock at Ibrox.
Speaking to the Scottish Sun, the Killie striker took aim at Rangers left-back Borna Barisic and did not hold back.
“I look at the left-back, Borna Barisic, and see a player who doesn’t want to be at Rangers,” Boyd said.
“Every time I see him he just goes through the motions and I don’t get it. Whenever the going gets tough he seems to be injured.”
And therein lies the problem with Boyd’s quotes.
The defender struggled with a calf injury during the autumn and has not quite found his form again since.
But a lack of form and fitness is not a sign that a player doesn’t want to be there – just an indication that he is yet to find his rhythm again.
A £2.2 million signing last summer (BBC), Barisic moving to Ibrox after an outstanding performance against them in the Europa League qualifiers for NK Osijek, the Croatian international enjoyed an impressive first few months in Scotland and has tallied seven assists for the club so far with his wand of a left foot causing plenty of problems.
It is far too early for Barisic to be written off. He must be given the chance to find that form again because he has the natural talent to be one of the league’s leading full-back.
If every club got rid of a player when his form dipped then no one would ever stay for more than six months.
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