GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - OCTOBER 03: Rangers' Connor Barron and James Tavernier look dejected after Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette scores to make it 2-1 during a UEFA Europa League Matchday Two League Phase match between Rangers and Olympique Lyonnais at Ibrox Stadium, on October 03, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Barry Ferguson has delivered a rousing defence of Connor Barron after his Europa League howler against Lyon.
Under no pressure whatsoever the former Aberdeen midfielder presented Malick Fofana with a one on one with John Souttar that was ruthlessly exploited as Alexander Lacazette slotted the ball into the net.
Instantly Barron was in the spotlight, Aberdeen fans were elated while the media predictions over a future balon d’Or winner were looking as foolish as the recent claims about Todd Cantwell and Nicky Raskin.
These days Ferguson enjoys a salary out of Ibrox as a club ambassador while sharing the good news to the Daily Record and listeners to Go Radio.
Just like under Micky Beale good times are just around the corner even though his successor is unravelling spectacularly as he clings to stats to defend himself against horrendous results.
Barron is apparently the star signing of the Clemet Revolution! Rather than being broken by his howler against Lyon the formula is to present it as the making of a future Ibrox skipper.
Reassuringly Ferguson tells Daily Record readers:
Connor Barron got it wrong with his mistake but what really matters is that he got it so right afterwards. Immediately after the error which led to Lyon’s second goal in their win at Ibrox, the boy held his hands up instantly. Barron went and got the ball out of the net himself and acknowledged the error. That tells you something straight away about his character.
I watched him closely after that moment. It was a blind pass made in misjudgement and he will learn from that, but I just loved the response. I was eyeing him going onto the next stage to gauge his reaction and what appealed to me was the fact that he didn’t hide. It is far easier to go into your shell in that situation and I have seen it myself, but that didn’t happen. He kept demanding the ball in certain areas and that’s a key sign.
A player’s response in a moment of adversity is vital to me. My standpoint is: Right, what are you going to do about what just happened? Are you going to hide? Or are you going to stand up?
Barron did the latter and that tells me he’s got a big future. I’ve never met the boy personally, but, from what I have seen, he’ll go away and make sure next time, he’ll take a touch or glance over his shoulder.
The SFA has still to set a date for the tribunal to decide on the fee that Aberdeen are due for the 22-year-old who has scored two top flight goals in his career.
12 games he lasted. Even Raskin got a season before they found him out. Is it possible they are developing a rudimentary form of intelligence? Are we witnessing evolution? https://t.co/rNpQdxhWgU
— Celticunderground (@celticrumours) October 3, 2024
Despite the fact they are bigging him up as the next Declan Rice (but with a more staunch name and no history of wearing green shirts, obvs) the laddie reminds me of Derek McInnes in his playing day – a fair-to-middling level holding midfielder who mostly got wheeled out for tousy away games and European ties where they needed to boost the ‘jock quota’.
Could’ve done that shocking pass , score 2 own goals , get sent off and then gob in a fans face on the way up the tunnel
and that clown would still be backing him up .
His attempts at staunchness are going down like a lead balloon with his family and friends back up in Aberdeen as well apparently .Say what you like but the folk up in the north east have no truck with all that stuff,as we saw when the OO were kicked out of Stonehaven
Agreed Eamonn.
I’m a life-long Tim who used to, immediately, check the fixture list for when we went to Aberdeen. Top place in my calendar. Union Street/Castle Street etc., and guarantees of laughter, fun, piss-taking and mibbaes yer Nat King Cole tae boot.
More recently I used to play golf (as a visitor in a crowd) at what was called the King’s Links, with the 1st tee just yards from Pittodrie and the clubhouse right across the road . The stand nearest the sea was locally known as Dick’s Erection. Great patter and good guys up there. BTW, Dae they now (obversely) call it the Qeen’s links?
Aye, their supporters hated huns and rightly so. I once saw a hilarious wee video (mibbaes still on youtube?) of the original huns fans buses leaving with a line-up of A’deen fans applauding each bus for leaving with many cries of “fuck off and dinnae come bakk!” Happy Days.
In my heyday of going to Parkhead they (Aberdeen fans) used to come into The LRT (London Road Tavern) and also Turnstiles and chant “We hate ‘Rangers’ * more than you”
( * ‘Rangers’ as they were known as then)…
Quite amusing indeed it was !
Good craic Clach and they still hate *rangers* today.
They laugh their fannies off (as ‘ewes’ do) at the new huns various, preposterous claims of superiority.
Great to see The Clach win their game but was it THAT J Meekings, the one of infamy that hand-balled in the box but neither Muir on the line nor McClean(ref)
CHOSE to see?
Ach, whaegiesafukk?
We’re TOTL, Europe is in our hands if Brendan doesn’t interfere (make CalMac do the tactics)……whatever happens, it’ll ALWAYS be a great day to be a Tim.
And breathe……..I’m startin’ tae feel the wine, Champuone Ale and rusty nails