For most of us, February can’t come quick enough.
We’re now into what feels like the 173rd week of 2022 and payday is still nowhere in sight.
But now the Rangers faithful have got another reason to wish away January after Borna Barisic ’s cryptic promise to reveal all about his future next month.
Gers’ Croatian ace made his puzzling pronouncement yesterday on Blue Monday, the date considered by experts to be the ‘saddest day of the year’ as the post-Christmas gloom hits its lowest ebb.
But the mood levels round the Ibrox support face another nosedive if Barisic – who is contracted until the summer of 2024 – decides to call time on his Rangers adventure after four years this summer.
The £2.2million recruit from Osijek has been a solid – at times outstanding – servant to Gers since moving to Glasgow but at 29, he is facing a major decision on whether to look for one more major payday elsewhere.
Watford have already come sniffing for the rampaging left-back this month, although the Premier League strugglers’ £2million bid was met with laughter inside the Ibrox boardroom.
Barisic joked an offer closer to £30million might straighten the directors’ sniggers but realistically the Ibrox hierarchy know the seriousness of the matter in that time is running out for them to cash in themselves.
Alternatively, Barisic has looked a far steadier figure at the back since Gio van Bronckhorst ’s arrival and perhaps he may see himself playing out the rest of his career in Scotland.
Who knows? We’ll just have to wait for February.
“The situation is that I’m focused on Rangers like I always am when [people] are talking about transfers,” said Barisic.
“I’m focused on Rangers, that’s what is most important.
“I’m not reading newspapers and things like that but I have heard what I like to say is wrong information.
“Not all of them but a lot of wrong information.
“All the answers on my situation you will have at the start of February.”
Asked if he expected to still be a Rangers player by that point, he said: “You and I are in football, you know how it goes. If somebody comes and says £30million for Borna, I will not be here! Right!
“So I cannot tell you the right answer and maybe you will say that I lied.
“Only what matters is that I’m fully professional like always and fully focused on Rangers and our next game at Aberdeen.
“All the answers, like I said, you will have at the start of February.
“Has there been interest in me this month? Yes. As I said, I don’t want to go into details now. I just said that there are a lot of rumours.
“That is a normal thing but I just want to say to people that there is always some wrong information. As I said to the answer about transfers about me, you will have it at the beginning of February
“The most important thing is Rangers. I am 29-years-old, I am very experienced. I know what this badge [means].
“You need always to be 100 percent in training, on the pitch. Without that it is impossible to play here. I am really focused on Rangers and that is the only thing that matters now.
“All the answers, one more time, will be here at the start of February.”
If Barisic is for the off, the disappointment amongst the supporters will be tempered by the knowledge that in Calvin Bassey they have an apprentice almost time served.
The former Leicester kid has started all nine games under van Bronckhorst so far and while each of those run-outs have come in a centre-back slot he’s looking increasingly more comfortable in, he’s still more naturally suited to the flank where he can use his power and strength to drive through opponents.
For most of Bassey’s time in Glasgow, he’s been forced to play second fiddle to Barisic but this recent run in the team has allowed the Croatian international to show the Englishman exactly the areas he needs to fine tune.
He said: “I feel that responsibility. He’s younger. He can play [centre-back] as you can see but he played left-back.
“So of course I try to use my experience to show him some things where he can improve.
“But also I want to say that he has played very well and I am very pleased and happy for him.
“He is a young guy who always wants to learn every day, always wants to listen to experienced players.
“It is very nice to play with him and I think our clean sheets show how our defence has played, not only the back four but the whole team.”
Gers set a British defensive record on their way to last year’s title and have looked far steadier after their early season wobbles since the new Dutch regime took over.
Bassey’s own goal against Lyon and a Bruce Anderson strike at Livingston are the only two counters Gers have shipped under van Bronckhorst.
That’s no happy coincidence. The former Feyenoord boss has clipped his full-backs’ wings but what Rangers have lost in attacking threat from Barisic and James Tavernier has been made up by new-found reliability at the back.
“Yes you can see that the full-backs don’t have the same things to do like we did with Steven Gerrard,” said Barisic.
“But it’s how the new manager wants to play and how he wants to have us positioned in the game on the pitch.
“I’m happy with that. It’s just part of the tactics. Every game is another tactic. It’s not always the same.
“For me, I can go much more up and down, other times I don’t.
“It depends on who we play.
“Of course, whatever I need to do I will do just to win the game.”
