Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg has publicly addressed the growing concern surrounding Connor Barron, insisting the Rangers midfielder’s complete lack of match minutes is down to bad luck rather than poor performance.

Barron secured a deadline-day move to the Riverside on a season-long loan after Derek McInnes sanctioned his departure – a decision that split the Ibrox support given how highly the 24-year-old is rated in Glasgow. However, his spell in the EFL Championship has quickly turned into a nightmare scenario.

Having failed to even make the matchday squad during his initial weeks in England, Barron has sat as an unused substitute in three consecutive league fixtures since the international break. Despite scoring the winner in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Newcastle United, he is still waiting to kick a ball in competitive action for Boro.

The situation led former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson to publicly warn that decision-makers at Ibrox should be deeply concerned with how the loan is unfolding.

Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg hails Connor Barron’s ‘exceptional’ work ethic

Now, Middlesbrough boss Hellberg has pushed back on suggestions that Barron has failed to adapt, while bluntly outlining the reality of squad competition. He said, via the Northern Echo:

“My job is not to give people things or be kind. You have to measure things all the time. Sometimes it’s down to competition, sometimes it’s down to the performance, how they train and all those things. For both Connor and Leo [Castledine], they’ve done a lot of good things lately on the training ground, and sometimes for a player it can be down to a little bit of luck. Both of them are doing everything they can on the ground.”

Hellberg went on to heap praise on Barron for his “exceptional” work ethic off the pitch, suggesting that it is only a matter of time before the Rangers loanee gets his chance to shine. He added:

“That’s sometimes the balance as a coach, I should rest people, and I should not rest people, they should come in, and they should not come in. For everyone, the message is just to keep going.

“The chance will come if you work hard, and the difficult thing for players when you don’t get the minutes is to keep working hard. Both Leo and Connor are exceptional in that, and that is important because their chance [of playing] goes up. Then you need to be ready.”

Rangers fans demand Barron loan recall in January

Hellberg’s explanation is unlikely to placate the Rangers support, where frustration over Barron’s treatment has reached a tipping point across community discussions on TalkingPoints.

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robertdelussey

Disgraceful he is a decent player and doesn’t deserve this bring him back and if there’s no room in the Rangers team get the lad a team where he gets game time.

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ackie76

Bring him back

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While Rangers News’ Pranav Shahaney questioned why Middlesbrough signed Barron if they were not prepared to utilise his profile, Dan Owen suggested Boro’s preferred style favours expansive passers, making the move feel like flawed squad planning from the outset – though noting the busy festive schedule could offer a final window of opportunity.

Meanwhile, marlinsteven1962 advocated bringing the midfielder back to Ibrox in January, a sentiment gaining massive traction among fans who fear a full season on the bench will derail the midfielder’s development.

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dantowen81951

He’s a solid enough player but Middlesbrough have two really expansive passers in the midfield. I don’t think Barron quite has the ball-playing they’re looking for Bring him back if you can and send him somewhere more suited to his talents

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marlinsteven1962

Thought it would have been a great chance to give him game time but that has not happened so bring him back in jan

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