10 Jun 2026 10:16:12
@ Iron
Thought I'd reply to you, so you don't mis it mate.
You asked a question about Connor,
This is my opinion mate and why I like him.
This is my personal stance on Connor and not looking for a pile on or argument.
This is just what I see and think when I watch him.
I like Barron for his energy and his efforts to break up opposition play. He puts in good tackles, is strong in the challenge, and spends the entire time he's on the park chasing down opponents and putting them under pressure.
The boy has some engine on him, and I actually think he was improving the more games he got.
Then the injury hit.
We lack that anywhere else in the squad. No one else does the amount of pressing and chasing that he does. He wins possession back through the pressure he puts on opponents, and I also think he has very good anticipation.
Everyone wants silky players who can spray passes all over the pitch, split defences with through balls, and produce moments of magic. That's great, but football teams need balance.
Barron helps keep the ball moving, and when we lose possession, he's often the first player hunting it down, putting pressure on opponents or flying into a tackle to win it back. Why wouldn't we want that in the team?
There should be other players around him providing the creativity and fancy footwork, but we still need a Connor Barron for all the reasons I've highlighted.
Funnily enough, before his injury, his attacking game was improving as well. He was delivering more dangerous balls into the opposition box and becoming more effective in the final third.
He also made us much harder to play through because of the work he does pressing and tracking opposition players.
The problem is that when the whole team is playing poorly, nobody notices the things Barron does. The dirty work often goes unseen, so people end up deciding he's not good enough.
I'd love to see him playing in a midfield with more quality around him. I think we'd see an even better and more effective Connor Barron
Hope this answers your question from my stand point! ?.
10 Jun 2026 11:09:06
Agree with most comments here. Every team needs a player like Barron. He moves the ball quickly and presses well. Big weakness is his lack of goal threat. Could do well with quality around him, as the Stig said. Pity he isn't at the World Cup as imo he could have filled in for Gilmour to some extent.
10 Jun 2026 11:34:26
Stig
His work rate and desire is not in question. He puts a shift in. ? I don't dislike him. I just think he does anything particularly well. I'm of the belief that every team needs a few worker bees, but maybe I'm greedy and would like someone who can run, press, and pass the ball well.
Now, would you accept an offer of £5 million for him and is he replaceable, mate?
10 Jun 2026 11:49:48
I actually love Barron, in fairness. He isn't the best, but he's absolutely brilliant at breaking up play and he gives us 100 percent every game. For me, Dio and Barron are must keeps. I think they play better after they have been dropped, or someone alongside them steps up their game, so with the possibility of Ferguson and Neill playing with them, it could really step up and improve their game.
10 Jun 2026 10:40:26
I agree with you, Stig, the water carrier side of the game that should let others do their job. I like Barron to break up play and force turnovers. A job Ryan Jack used to do, but he also had a slick pass and gossip in his game.
10 Jun 2026 10:41:41
Don't really see much "hate" for him to be honest. Some rate him higher than others. Personally, I really like him but still, if we have the opportunity to upgrade the midfield with a player like Ferguson then great.
Barron has mostly been a squad player due to injuries or managers' choices, so wouldn't really be that much of a miss, and we seem to be looking at other number 6s too.
10 Jun 2026 10:50:56
Agree with you, Stig, on Wee Barron, every team needs someone in his mould. I believe Stuart McCall was great at all the so-called donkey work, and in my eyes a club legend. Also, when Paul Lambert was at Dortmund, he was their player to break down the opposition and ended up winning the Champions League with them. Every team needs one.
10 Jun 2026 10:52:36
I like Barron and would be happy to keep him. He is a hard worker and is a good player to have in the squad.
I don't really think he has improved in the final third since he's been here. He seldom assists and he certainly doesn't score.
10 Jun 2026 12:16:00
It's not hate with Barron, some just don't think he is a good footballer, which he isn't. His attacking play wasn't getting better. All the good things you mention is the bare minimum to expect from a footballer imo, mate.
10 Jun 2026 12:46:00
Bang on the money, Stig. Barron is more than just a grafter, his reading of the game and positioning has improved. I like that he keeps things simple and tries to retain possession for the team. This will be a big season for him. I hope it's in a Rangers jersey.
10 Jun 2026 12:53:44
The bottom line is that whether you rate Barron or not there are a lot of players at Ibrox who do a lot less than him and should be gone before he is. He works his socks off, does his defensive stuff and is a decent passer of the ball, long and short. We would also see how good he is at dead balls if we would take some of the prima donnas off them.
He needs to add goals and be a bit more creative, but he has a role in the midfield and, similar to Ryan Jack, will improve. Of the 4 midfielders on the books he had by far the best season last season and showed how good he was before he got his injury.
10 Jun 2026 13:00:14
Stig, completely agree with you on Wee Barron, he's exactly what you need in the SPL. We need someone who can pick up the 2nd ball when it's bouncing about, and he can keep possession when needed.
We didn't lose the league and finish 3rd because of Barron; it was because we continued to play guys like Tav, Aasgaard, Dio, Chukwuani, Antman, Gassama etc who really didn't offer much when the chips were down.
10 Jun 2026 13:12:16
I will start that I am not comparing Barron with this player but different types of mf player perform different functions for a team. Some players are used to break up play and pass it to the nearest more gifted teammate. The player I remember best at this was Didier Deschamps, aka the water carrier. He did the simple stuff really easily and fills the same mf role as Barron is trying to fill. In 16 seasons DD scored 25 goals. So to be effective you don't need to score goals etc, you just need to do what the coach wants you to do to make the team more effective.
We need to stop putting square pegs in round holes. If Rangers want Barron to develop further and try to fill that water carrier role then I am more than happy for him to be kept. If we don't or we have someone better then fine by me also, but seems odd that we want a Scottish core and then get rid of one of the few we have.
As I say, not comparing players, just a specific role possibly.
10 Jun 2026 13:41:14
Stig & the others that have posted their liking of Barron, I'm in complete agreement with yous all. I liked him when I first saw him, even at Aberdeen, in fact after I saw him playing his first few games with us I said on here that he would one day captain Rangers FC, I hope we keep a hold of him.
He is that wee grafter that's needed imo.
10 Jun 2026 13:49:49
We need a lot, lot better than Barron.
10 Jun 2026 14:01:48
Storm, it may be the bare minimum u expect but still hasn't been shown by half our team. Would we love even better, yes, but he still offers more than a lot of them. And they need removed before him. I'd much rather a headless chicken, as u say, than the gutless, heartless ones.
10 Jun 2026 14:10:03
Spot on, Angus. Plenty of players played that role and rarely scored. Makalele literally had the role named after him, and Kante was the same. Obviously a far higher standard, but reckon some would still say they offered nothing because they couldn't shoot.
10 Jun 2026 14:47:49
Barron gives his all, think we all agree on that, but we need more than that if we are to progress. Any decent offer for Barron will be accepted by the club, not sure he is part of Rohl's long term plan, whatever that may be or for how long.
Maybe Barron fancies a move abroad if some of the rumours are true.
10 Jun 2026 14:56:10
Agree fully, Jasp. You're biting the hand off anyone who offers north of 4 million.
10 Jun 2026 15:00:12
Jasp, my point being, "we know what Barron does in a Rangers shirt" can we say the same about Ferguson? People are saying get rid of Barron & bring in Ferguson, his club weren't interested in selling him until he got his knee injury, now they're willing to sell, yet no one has shown interest except us.
I'm fed up with money being spent on players recovering from injuries.
10 Jun 2026 16:19:35
Correct, Fraser, and they play different roles, so getting rid of Barron and replacing him with Ferguson doesn't close the gap of the No 6 we need. I thought Barron was being taught to play that, as it isn't his natural role either. An experienced player coming in and mentoring him would improve the way he does in that role.
Never mind, in 3-4 years, when we lose a league, we will be looking for a Scottish core again and paying £15M to get him back, using Curtis as the makeweight. ?
10 Jun 2026 18:08:35
Too much for some, they see him as a cm, and expect goals from cms.
10 Jun 2026 18:27:31
Angus, lol, yea for sure, could have got Ferguson for nowt, now his price has gone from 20 million, to 10 million with Barron, so yea in my eyes Barron should be staying, with a mentor, maybe Barron's not everyone's cup of tea, but at least he tries, unlike a few that only like the money.