Glasgow Rangers boss Mark Warburton has since made Halliday captain when Lee Wallace has been absent.
Andy Halliday
Bobby Russell has suggested that Mark Warburton’s decision to pick Joey Barton over Andy Halliday for Rangers’ clash with Celtic last month was a bit unfair on the 24-year-old, the Evening Times reports.
Halliday was a key part of the Gers’ squad that strolled to the Scottish Championship title last season, but the summer arrival of Barton meant that the former Bradford City man began the Old Firm contest on the bench and was only brought on after Niko Kranjcar had endured a dreadful first-half.
Joey Barton started the Old Firm game
And Russell – who coached Halliday when he was coming through the ranks at Ibrox before the midfielder’s departure a decade ago – suggested that Warburton made a mistake not sticking by the Light Blues supporter for the contest at Parkhead.
“I think it was a bit unfair that he lost his place but I don’t think he was playing that badly,” he told the Evening Times.
“But I understand that they are paying Barton a lot of money and the manager wanted him in the team. I think he realised he made a mistake there.
“Everybody likes Andy because he is a Rangers man. He came through the system, his heart is in the right place and he can relate to the fans, which they appreciate.”
Rangers manager Mark Warburton
While Halliday’s involvement from the start may not have changed much on that particular day, he has since proved that Warburton can no longer afford to leave him out again.
He has scored in each of his last three games, and when he was handed the armband in Lee Wallace’s absence, he demonstrated the kind of leadership that Barton arguably failed to show on the pitch before his suspension.
And while it remains to be seen what happens when Barton’s suspension comes to an end, if he is handed an olive branch by the club, he arguably still faces an uphill battle trying to force his way back into the team with Halliday performing so well.
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