Rangers shock – has flop signing just hinted at a second chance at Ibrox?

Borna Barisic has today hinted he thinks he has a future at Ibrox despite an appalling maiden season in the SPL.

Speaking prior to his country’s Nation’s League final clash with Gareth Bale’s Wales, the former Osijek man said the negativity surrounding him was all just a misunderstanding and he effectively hopes to get back in manager Steven Gerrard’s thinking for the new season.

He said:

“I had a misunderstanding with Rangers after the injury, but the matter has been resolved now. Unfortunately, because I have not been playing much, I am not at the desired fitness level just now. I will need extensive training, but I have plenty of experience to come through this. I will be up against Gareth Bale and that should be a really good battle.”

If the matter really has been resolved, then the claims in the media and from sources that Gerrard has decided the Croat is surplus does fly in the face of this and the links with former Evertonian star Leighton Baines.

In truth, Barisic, injury or no injury, has been a diabolical signing, but we’ve definitely seen his qualities on international duty and if it wasn’t for his horror showings in a Rangers shirt he’d look like he was a genuine £20M player.

Indeed, his performance against Azerbaijan may have hit the headlines for his first-ever international goal, but it was his actual play aside that which observers with more discretion would have noticed, such as a pinpoint cross that Luka Modric nearly scored from, and another that was, but for a bad touch from the recipient, a near-assist too. He also produced a number of excellent interceptions and earned rave reviews in his native homeland for the display.

He just hasn’t done that in Scotland, at all – but if he and Stevie have come to an understanding and the Croat feels he truly can deliver next season, well, the Barisic who played for Croatia that night would be an asset in the Light Blue.