Mark Warburton begins his summer talent hunt

[JFK-1 516]

RANGERS boss Mark Warburton has kicked off his summer talent hunt by visiting a number of the most powerful sides in the Barclays Premier League to sell the Ibrox outfit as the perfect destination for loan players.

Warburton has already brought Dominic Ball from Tottenham Hotspur and Gedion Zelalem from Arsenal on year-long deals and was back touching base with both clubs earlier this week over a range of matters as he bids to strengthen his squad.

Head of recruitment Frank McParland and assistant manager David Weir are also talking to other prominent sides including Manchester City in an attempt to forge relationships that will be mutually beneficial.

“Frank does it from his recruitment point of view and through his contact base, which is really extensive,” explained Warburton.

“David and I will go into Everton, Liverpool or Manchester City. We know the guys at City really well.

“If I’m back home, I go into to Tottenham or Arsenal. They are tremendous clubs and we can learn so much from them.

“If we can strengthen those relationships, we will be in a good place.

“I was at Spurs this week and speaking with Arsenal. They know what is expected up here.

“We look at players we think can add value and who we can help in terms of their development, but there are a number of clubs going for the same players, so we have to try and sell Rangers.

“Sometimes, it is a sales pitch. We can show them our performances in the league, we can compile video to show them what we are about, show them the environment at Murray Park and how it can work for them.

“If you are at Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea or any big club, you want your first-team players to play in front of 40, 50 or 60,000 people.

“I don’t think there are many other loan moves in the world which can replicate that type of playing experience. That’s a real plus for us.

“The gap (between England and Scotland) is getting wider and we have to recognise it.

“They will plunder the best Scottish players because that’s where the value is, but you are far better working with them than against them.”

Warburton first gained access to football’s top table when arranging a Europe-wide competition for the Under-19 teams belonging to the game’s most notable academies and still calls on those relationships today.

“I’m very fortunate that the NextGen tournament was good for that,” he said. “We worked with Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Everton and Aston Villa.

“Football is like any other industry where personnel changes, but I hope they know how we work, what we want from a player and how we will look after their players.”

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/rangers/14348766.Warburton_kicks_off_summer_talent_hunt_by_opening_talks_with_English_big_guns/?ref=eb

[dan_ger 1,454]

He's a cracking manager. End of. 

[allgers 735]

With all Respect to Mr Warburton, do we see ourselves as a nursery club, the days of signing multi million pound player's might be gone but we need to be signing players of a certain standard and youth players ain't it.

 

[mabawsa 888]

Man City? Isn't the Emperor's of The East son working there and assisting in getting all these recent Man City players to CP? Would be earth we don't get a dud sent our way! 

[Dazzler 2,428]

Cant really complain about how he has gone about his business so far.

Would prefer permanent deals in order to make money off the players we are developing however we are probably getting to use players we couldn't otherwise afford. We are where we are. 

[Vwbear 399]

Denny johnson 

then bid for cummins just to get another wiliam Wallace speech out of stub

[cushynumber 25,178]

1 hour ago, allgers said:

With all Respect to Mr Warburton, do we see ourselves as a nursery club, the days of signing multi million pound player's might be gone but we need to be signing players of a certain standard and youth players ain't it.

 

All scottish clubs are feeder clubs - as soon as a someone comes in with a decent price the player will be off. Its not nice but unfortunately its the reality. I would imagine - just as he is doing now - that loan players will be part of the squad, with the permanent signings as the core of the team. Both permanent signings and loan players have to be of a certain standard regardless - i.e good enough to help win the Premiership. Look at the last few weeks - barely a loan player has made it on to the park (not that we actually have many) though Ball has done an excellent job when asked in midfield. If we can get players of that standard that MW wants and dont have to pay money its a superb piece of business.

Coupled with that our own youth system has to start producing players who can go into the 1st team squad as soon as possible, so we dont need to buy players or go and look at loan deals (at least not as much) - if it doesn't then essentially its a complete waste of time and money.

The days appear to be gone when we can buy our way to success and a new approach is required. Loan deal - for the right players - will be a part of that under MW. I am just glad we have someone who actually has some contacts in the game down south.

[JFK-1 516]

1 hour ago, allgers said:

With all Respect to Mr Warburton, do we see ourselves as a nursery club, the days of signing multi million pound player's might be gone but we need to be signing players of a certain standard and youth players ain't it.

 

I will be happy if he is signing players "of a certain standard" and using these loan deals to help provide a sufficient squad depth in the short term because it may take a few years to build a strong squad rather than just a strong first 11.

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

Everytime he talks you get a warm fuzzy glow all over. 

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

1 hour ago, allgers said:

With all Respect to Mr Warburton, do we see ourselves as a nursery club, the days of signing multi million pound player's might be gone but we need to be signing players of a certain standard and youth players ain't it.

 

Every club in the world uses the loan system, 2 loan players scored in the Bayern/Juventus match last night are they wrong to use loans. 

[Inigo 32,534]

This is why Zelalem will get a fair amount of game time once he's fit. MW has to show that these players will get game time if they come here.

As long as we get players of a good standard, which I'm sure MW will, then this seems like more evidence of MW being the supreme all round professional. 

 A loan or two every year to supplement our own activity would suit me just fine. 

[Briton 394]

12 minutes ago, cushynumber said:

All scottish clubs are feeder clubs - as soon as a someone comes in with a decent price the player will be off.

That applies to just about every club in the world.  It's all relative.  Personally I don't much like the idea of borrowing BPL players, particularly youngsters. 

[STEPPS BOY 74,225]

Harry Kane

Vertonghen

David Silva

Eden Hazard

Disappointed if we dont sign these 4, tbh

[Mr Soprano 13,964]

1 minute ago, STEPPS BOY said:

Harry Kane

Vertonghen

David Silva

Eden Hazard

Disappointed if we dont sign these 4, tbh

Davis, Whittaker and Naismith for me.

[allgers 735]

19 minutes ago, Courtyard Bear said:

Every club in the world uses the loan system, 2 loan players scored in the Bayern/Juventus match last night are they wrong to use loans. 

Love us to sign those two.....

[Creampuff 22,628]

2 hours ago, allgers said:

With all Respect to Mr Warburton, do we see ourselves as a nursery club, the days of signing multi million pound player's might be gone but we need to be signing players of a certain standard and youth players ain't it.

 

Are you from the eighties? A player being young doesn't mean they're not good enough. 

[Dazzler 2,428]

14 minutes ago, Mr Soprano said:

Davis, Whittaker and Naismith for me.

No Lafferty?

[allgers 735]

Just now, Creampuff said:

Are you from the eighties? A player being young doesn't mean they're not good enough. 

It does if they are at Auchenhowie.....

[Inigo 32,534]

In relation to Zelalem, and potential young loanees in general, a mild rebuke for we fans from the manager?...

“Gedion Zelalem played a game a few weeks ago in which his first two passes went astray and the crowd got on his back,” recalled Warburton. “He never hid and the next thing he did was get back on the ball.

“We need players who are brave and who can deal with a mistake.

“If the first pass goes into Row X and the next goes behind the goal and the crowd are maybe not quite baying for blood, but you can sense their feelings, then – at that moment - you need players with the character to deal with it.

“A crowd of 50,000 is great when it’s going well, but it’s not easy when it’s not.”

I suppose he's also saying our impatience can be a good experience for a youngster, though, and praising Zelalem's handling of it.

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

11 minutes ago, allgers said:

Love us to sign those two.....

Just a bit. 

[cushynumber 25,178]

3 minutes ago, Inigo said:

In relation to Zelalem, and potential young loanees in general, a mild rebuke for we fans from the manager?...

“Gedion Zelalem played a game a few weeks ago in which his first two passes went astray and the crowd got on his back,” recalled Warburton. “He never hid and the next thing he did was get back on the ball.

“We need players who are brave and who can deal with a mistake.

“If the first pass goes into Row X and the next goes behind the goal and the crowd are maybe not quite baying for blood, but you can sense their feelings, then – at that moment - you need players with the character to deal with it.

“A crowd of 50,000 is great when it’s going well, but it’s not easy when it’s not.”

I suppose he's also saying our impatience can be a good experience for a youngster, though, and praising Zelalem's handling of it.

Warbs oot!

 

I prefer to see it as a realistic appraisement of the situation - and even if it is MW, thats the reality and he can like it or lump it.

 

[BlueSuedeSambas 53,962]

We need to assemble as strong a squad as we can and if we can add two or three loan players who will add something to the squad (at minimal cost) then I'm all for it.

I don't know why some people are so against it.

[Inigo 32,534]

34 minutes ago, cushynumber said:

Warbs oot!

 

I prefer to see it as a realistic appraisement of the situation - and even if it is MW, thats the reality and he can like it or lump it.

 

Or take a middle ground, which he appears to be doing.

[DrLaudrup 4,684]

3 hours ago, allgers said:

With all Respect to Mr Warburton, do we see ourselves as a nursery club, the days of signing multi million pound player's might be gone but we need to be signing players of a certain standard and youth players ain't it.

 

I understand your point but I don't think taking the odd young quality player on loan makes us a nursery club. If the whole team was full of loan players I'd think differently. None of our loans have been regular starters but have all been useful at various points in the season. 

It gives us access to a market that we would not have access to otherwise. It is simply a product of reality. Being a big club is about fanbase and history. We are as big if not bigger than all of those clubs (certainly Man City) yet we simply do not have billionaires bankrolling us (to huge losses it must be said - ManU are 700million in the red) or vast pots of TV money. Until that situation changes we need to do whatever we can to be competitive on an off the pitch. These sort of arrangements also show that we are professionally run behind the scenes, which is important for restoring our reputation, which unfortunately has been damaged by recent years events. Having these sorts of players come in is a massive incentive for our youth players also...at the end of the day we want Auchenhowie to be successful and under this strategy I have been happier with the young players coming through there than I have been in years.  

This does not mean we are not a big club or a nursery club. The same applies to Ajax, Porto, and of course Celtic (who quite frankly are pissing away money they don't have trying to keep us at bay). We are all scunnered by playing in small countries with little TV income. I'm sure as things settle down we will be able to pay more for players but we are simply not going to be paying 5-10million for players anytime soon. 

[allgers 735]

6 minutes ago, DrLaudrup said:

I understand your point but I don't think taking the odd young quality player on loan makes us a nursery club. If the whole team was full of loan players I'd think differently. None of our loans have been regular starters but have all been useful at various points in the season. 

It gives us access to a market that we would not have access to otherwise. It is simply a product of reality. Being a big club is about fanbase and history. We are as big if not bigger than all of those clubs (certainly Man City) yet we simply do not have billionaires bankrolling us (to huge losses it must be said - ManU are 700million in the red) or vast pots of TV money. Until that situation changes we need to do whatever we can to be competitive on an off the pitch. These sort of arrangements also show that we are professionally run behind the scenes, which is important for restoring our reputation, which unfortunately has been damaged by recent years events. Having these sorts of players come in is a massive incentive for our youth players also...at the end of the day we want Auchenhowie to be successful and under this strategy I have been happier with the young players coming through there than I have been in years.  

This does not mean we are not a big club or a nursery club. The same applies to Ajax, Porto, and of course Celtic (who quite frankly are pissing away money they don't have trying to keep us at bay). We are all scunnered by playing in small countries with little TV income. I'm sure as things settle down we will be able to pay more for players but we are simply not going to be paying 5-10million for players anytime soon. 

I have nothing against the loan system, if we are bringing in players like Weiss, will we though....