JOEY Barton has been urged to take responsibility for helping Rangers recover from their Old Firm drubbing by Celtic at Parkhead on Saturday.
English midfielder Barton was once again disappointing during a Ladbrokes Premiership match which the Ibrox club lost 5-1.
Mark Warburton’s team face difficult back-to-back league games against League Cup winners Ross County at home on Saturday and Aberdeen away at Pittodrie on Sunday week.
Former Rangers midfielder, Ross County manager and Aberdeen player Neale Cooper thinks Barton has to play a prominent role and lead the revival.
“I am sure Joey will be hurting,” said Cooper. “He has got to stand up and be counted. The older players have got to perform.
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“He is a good professional. With his age and experience, he is the kind of player you are looking to pick things up in training. He must take responsibility for more than performing on match days.
“When I was at Rangers we had leaders throughout the team. You couldn’t have asked for any better. Richard Gough, Terry Butcher, Ray Wilkins, Mark Hateley, Chris Woods and John Brown were all there.
“They would pick up on things we did wrong in a game at the very next training session and take an active role in turning things around. That is what Joey must do.”
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