Philippe Clement aware of Rangers issue as Borna Barisic named
Borna Barisic embodies the mentality problem Rangers have had in Old Firm games over recent seasons and Philippe Clement is aware of the issue his side have, Derek Ferguson has said.
The Gers failed to beat Celtic in five attempts this season, including the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park 1-0 on Saturday (25 May).
Rangers’ record at Parkhead has been highlighted as a particular issue. Their last away Old Firm win in the league came back in October 2020 at the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, though they did claim a win at their rivals in the Scottish Cup in April 2022.
Former Rangers man Ferguson thinks too many in the squad are unable to handle the pressure cooker of the big games, naming Barisic – who is departing Ibrox this summer (Rangers Review, 25 May)- as one who has not delivered in key matches.
Speaking to Ibrox News, Ferguson said: “You’re judged on your Old Firm games, it’s your bread and butter. With the kind of players in the squad, the money Rangers have at their disposal they should be taking care of the rest of the sides, that’s why it’s so important to beat Celtic because you’re kind of on an even playing field.
“So, yeah it’s an issue, a problem, we’ll have fans back next season which might help, I don’t know but it’s just the mentality of the players, we’ve just got too many where at times there’s an acceptance that they just think maybe it’s not going to be our day. That’s not the Rangers mentality I’m afraid, we’ve got quite a few.
“I think the manager knows that. It’s a mentality problem. One or two over the course of the last few seasons I’ve watched and I’ve thought ‘Oh deary me, you don’t fancy it’.
“The one I’ve spoken about before, Barisic you could actually see in a game that he didn’t want to be there, you’ve got to love these games you’ve got to embrace them, enjoy the pressure that’s why you should be at Rangers, but there’s too many that don’t enjoy the pressure.”
Do Rangers have a mentality problem?
The simple fact is that when the going got tough this season, Rangers never got going and they paid a heavy price.
They did brilliantly to overcome a poor start under Michael Beale to become genuine title contenders under Clement but ultimately a disappointing end to the campaign saw them finish well off Celtic.
Frankly, you cannot expect to win the title if you do not win any of your Old Firm games. Yes, theoretically, Rangers could have done so but the reality is you have to take points off Celtic if you want to win the Premiership.
It’s something Clement will know he has to address if he is going to bring the title back to Ibrox next season.
In other Rangers news, another player is on the verge of signing on at Ibrox.
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