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Leon Balogun meets Rangers fan anger head on and warns pals you must deal with it – unreasonable or otherwise
Leon Balogun has called on his team mates to prove they can handle the weight of the Rangers jersey and get fans back on side. Ibrox was a cauldron of nerves on Sunday evening as Philippe Clement’s side held on for a jittery 1-0 win over Hearts.
The manager claimed his players created the anxiety in the stadium with a second half display punctuated by wrong decisions in key moments. Sloppiness crept into Rangers' play and Hearts smacked the post as they hunted down an equaliser which would have left the Ibrox side 11 points off leaders Celtic and Aberdeen.
And Balogun insists it’s on the players to ease the tension by killing off games early and igniting the support in a positive way. The 36-year-old defender admits the flak can feel unreasonable at times. But he accepts that’s the way at a club with big expectations. Balogun said: “It's my fourth season at the club. I know what it can be like and you just have to get on with it, to be very fair and to be very honest.
“There are moments probably where you think ‘okay, that's a bit unreasonable’, but it's just this club. You have to put that weight on your shoulders as soon as you put on the shirt and deal with it. Obviously it can have an impact every now and then, sometimes for some players more than for others. Especially if they're a bit younger if they're not used to it.
“But like I said you have to get on with it and make sure you dig in and turn the momentum around. If you do then score or if you do take control you get the opposite from the fans in terms of the support. And that's probably something that we need to ignite even more.”
Clement admitted nerves had infiltrated his side at half-time in last week’s League Cup semi final victory over Motherwell at Hampden. But Balogun knows there can be no hiding place for players as Rangers look to resurrect their season and claw back the nine point gulf on the table toppers.
He said: “It's not always easy, but there's a time when the player just has to step up and deal with it. Even if it’s a game where we're really far off it, sometimes you have to really dig in. I can only repeat myself, you have to get on with it and change the momentum.”
