The flop of the Rangers who “will always make 3 or 4 screamers” becomes Barisic 2.0

The January transfer window is set to open next week and some big calls will need to be made between now and then. Danny Rohl and the board of directors in Glasgow Rangers.

While there will be a lot of focus on who they bring in to strengthen the team, as new signings are always exciting, there should also be a focus on who they need to leave the club.

One of the hardest parts of building a team is knowing when is the right time to move a player. The Light Blues suffered because they failed to time starts in the past, as was the case with Borna Barisic.

Why Rangers let Borna Barisic leave too late

The Croatia international spent six years at Ibrox as a left-back for Steven Gerrard, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale and Philippe Clement, making 236 appearances in all competitions, according to Transfermarkt.

However, in his final season with the Gers, the left-footed star’s performances regressed and he was no longer the same player he once was at Ibrox.

After recording nine assists in 30 Scottish Premiership Going into matches in the 2022/23 campaign, the summer of 2023 could have been the ideal time for the club to cash in on Barisic, as his contract only had 12 months left to run at that point.

Instead, they kept the Croatian defender and, as you can see in the stats above, his performances with and without possession have regressed over the course of the 2023/24 campaign.

Barisic then left on a free transfer at the end of the season, while Clement opted to go in a new direction at left-back, and Rangers may have ended up regretting not letting go of him sooner.

Current Rangers star who risks becoming the new Barisic

There is now a current Light Blues player who risks becoming the new version of Barisic at Ibrox, as he has regressed on the pitch.

During the summer transfer window, Rangers were would be interested in a deal to sign Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles, but they ended the window without adding a new keeper to Russell Martin’s ranks.

It’s a decision they may now regret as first-choice goalkeeper Jack Butland has been far too error-prone in the 2025/26 campaign and has regressed over the seasons in Glasgow.

The England goalkeeper was beaten at his near post by Lawrence Shankland in the 2-1 defeat to Hearts on Sunday, and it was his seventh error leading to a shot or goal already this season, according to Sofascore.

After this loss, the journalist Jonny McFarlane posted this “Butland, no matter how well he plays, will always do three or four howlers a season,” which has unfortunately been true since the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, the former England international made five errors leading to shots or goals in the Scottish Premiership and Europa League combined last season, four more than his first season at the club.

This regression in his consistency clearly raised alarm bells within Ibrox, as they were then interested in a deal to sign Charles from Sheffield Wednesday, possibly to replace Butland.

However, Rangers chose to support their man by avoiding any new goalkeeper signings, and they have been punished for that support as he has already made more mistakes than he did all of last season.

As was the case with Barisic, it appears the Light Blues have held on to Butland for one season too long, and Rohl could make a decision in January as a new goalkeeper to challenge the Englishman may be needed.

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