Exclusive: Hibs ace in Scottish Premiership standards verdict as Middlesbrough loanee embraces role as midfield rock
Exclusive: Hibs ace in Scottish Premiership standards verdict as Middlesbrough loanee embraces role as midfield rock.
Deadline Day signing keeps things simple: “Just give it to Josh and let him run!” In a team with a lot of moving elements, Dan Barlaser is pleased to be the immovable object.
A breakwater to safeguard the defensive against waves of opposition attack. And a provider to teammates who appear to have discovered the secret to perpetual mobility.
Of course, things are slightly more complicated than that. Hibs are currently profiting from both Barlaser’s passing range and his defensive placement.
However, the on-loan Middlesbrough midfielder, who has started the last five games for David Gray’s side, appears to be working to a very particular brief.
As a result, he’s become a constant presence, even as Grey chops and alters some of the players around him.
“I think I know my job, just to sit there and break up play for the more aggressive guys, and I think they’re kind of getting the hang of my game,” said Barlaser, 28. “So I’m really loving it.
Rangers are up next for Hibs at Easter Road
“Take Josh Mulligan, for example. He’s quite good. Very good; a superb player. “He’s very physical, so I just give him the ball and let him run!” It’s the same for Thibault and the other strikers.
We have so much speed up there; we just have to put it in the right places for them. I mean, even though Thibault isn’t the biggest person, he’s a big target because of his movement–and he’s quite good in the air, which is unexpected. I could not believe it.
But the pace we’ve got, even with wing-backs, obviously Chris and Nicky Cadden get up to put in great deliveries as well. So we’ve got a lot of good threats for me to find.”
A Deadline Day arrival, Barlaser didn’t feature for Boro before his move north. He was inevitably short of match fitness on arrival.
Getting a full 90 minutes in yesterday’s triumph over Aberdeen at Pittodrie, only his second full game of the season, will have helped with physical conditioning.
Rangers play at Easter Road on Wednesday night, so the midfielder will have little time to recover.
Read more on Straightwinfortoday.com
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.