Under-20s not being given the chance in the first team

[Tumshie 205]

Am I the only one who thinks this is stupid? This attitude just sums Rangers up at the minute. Instead of giving the youngsters a chance in the first team when the league has been won since October they would rather keep them in the under-20 side because they've got a chance of winning the league. The management team are so backwards in their thinking sometimes its unreal. Surely its better for their development to be playing first team football in front of 40,000 people rather than playing in the under-20 league in front of a couple of hundred.

CALUM GALLAGHER admits Rangers’ coaches have tough decisions to make on when to use under-20 players in the first team because of the prizes still on offer at youth level.

Manager Ally McCoist is keen to utilise as many youngsters as possible in the final few matches of League One.

But he has a difficult balancing act to perform because Gordon Durie’s second string is still chasing a league and SFA Youth Cup double.

Gers will play Hearts in the final of the knockout competition and results this week in the SPFL Under-20 League have sparked new life into their challenge on that front.

As much as it is important for the club’s emerging talents to get senior experience, it’s vital they learn to be successful and there’s a chance for them to do that too in the coming weeks.

Gallagher knows there are incentives at both levels for him and his team-mates and is unsure of who will play where.

He said: “A few of the boys are in contention for the first team but it’s going to be a difficult decision for the backroom staff dealing with that and the youth side.

“They’ll need to figure out where we are all going to be involved and in what matches. They need to work out what is most important.

“The boys are looking to break into the first team but we’re still chasing the league and the SFA Youth Cup as well.

“At the same time, we’ve got a deep squad and I’m sure any number of boys could come off the bench and take a jersey in place of someone who might go into the first team.

“All of that is something which is out of our hands though and we’ll just need to concentrate on our football.”

[The Godfather 71,736]

Ally would rather play his overpaid signings than give the boys a chance.

Despite form, fitness and obviously attitude he always goes with his wee favourites.

It's pathetic.

[PRW. 5,631]

League wrapped up with plenty games to go and yet we don't give youth a chance.

Instead we'll give 30 year old strikers 7k a week to play in the second tier of scottish football.

My heed hurts with how fuckin daft we are.

[topgoalie 637]

If he does not put them in at this stage .....he never will imo.

[BlueSuedeSambas 53,754]

If he does not put them in at this stage .....he never will imo.

Which is exactly what people thought last season once the league was wrapped up and it'll be the same again next season when we win SD1 with games to spare too. People will call for the kids but it won't happen.

The best chance that we ever had to change the ethos of the club is gone and that's tragic considering the opportunity and near blank canvas that we had to do it

[Loyal-Bear 229]

Ally has completely wasted an opportunity and its only to cover his failings as a manager and his master plan for next season is to bring in more players. Just a whole sorry attitude. Youth will never be given a chance and ally has put us back years.

[OzGers 425]

I've said it before, it's pure madness.

I would have thought most rangers fans would sacrifice the unbeaten run if it meant blooding some young players, particularly given our finances at the minute.

Unfortunately, the opportunity is lost with so few games remaining.

What's more baffling is the only player he has promoted has arguably been our most influential in the games he has played

[OneDavidCooper 2,505]

Its just sheer stubborness.

[Sasa_Papac_No1_Fan 605]

Fair play to the management team for not rushing the youth players to the 1st team,so we don't have another John Fleck or Danny Wilson who think they are bigger and better than what they are.

[Tumshie 205]

I've said it before, it's pure madness.

I would have thought most rangers fans would sacrifice the unbeaten run if it meant blooding some young players, particularly given our finances at the minute.

Unfortunately, the opportunity is lost with so few games remaining.

What's more baffling is the only player he has promoted has arguably been our most influential in the games he has played

You've hit the nail on the head there mate. Anyone I've spoken to couldn't give a toss about going through the league season unbeaten. If the fans can see the bigger picture why can't the management team?

[siddiqi_drinker 14,635]

Ally would rather play his overpaid signings than give the boys a chance.

Despite form, fitness and obviously attitude he always goes with his wee favourites.

It's pathetic.

Because if he plays U20 players and they impress then he cannot justify squandering money we don't have on players, Boyd Miller etc, we don't need. Ally would much rather buy a shite team than build a shite team.

[BlueboyG 5,229]

The only reason i can think of is that the under 20s are still in with a shout of winning their league and have a few games left yet so we may find that the ones who are good enough to move up will do when pre-season begins.

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

Fans have a pop at the board for wasting 2 years of money and rightly so, but no one at Ibrox has missed an opportunity to do it right more than Ally.

[BlueSuedeSambas 53,754]

You've hit the nail on the head there mate. Anyone I've spoken to couldn't give a toss about going through the league season unbeaten. If the fans can see the bigger picture why can't the management team?

If McCoist had come out and laid his plans bare with justifications for each thing: bleed youngsters, an U25 signing policy unless in exceptional circumstances, improve the style of football, invest in youth & scouting while trying to save as much money as we can for a return to the top flight and explained that there might be the odd poor result along the way but it's part of a bigger picture I think the support would have got on board.

The near universal trust that we as a support had in him then could have been key in rebuilding the club and he was one of only a few guys who the support would have trusted at that point.

Our rebuild has been a complete failure.

[j1mgg 3,766]

I thought one of our coaches said it was because they weren't good enough for the first team.

[j1mgg 3,766]

Fair play to the management team for not rushing the youth players to the 1st team,so we don't have another John Fleck or Danny Wilson who think they are bigger and better than what they are.

I would be more than happy with another 2 danny Wilson's, and selling them a year down the line for £5m each.

[Cos88 283]

He promised to play the youth players after the league was won and so far Gallagher is the only one who has been given a chance, absolutely shocking.

[AlBear. 8,499]

Rangers fans would take a loss to see youth blooded? Ha!

Last season when Barrie McKay would lose the ball trying to take on a full back, he would be met with groans and jeers from 40,000+ expecting better. Now he's on loan he should play every week for us...

I'm a believer in you learn more from your failures than your successes, but at a club like ours I think it's more beneficial the youth learn to achieve success than face 40,000+ of the harshest critics around every other week.

[Sasa_Papac_No1_Fan 605]

I would be more than happy with another 2 danny Wilson's, and selling them a year down the line for £5m each.

2 million with addons that would take it to 5 million if he played for liverpool, which he played like 9 games ( out of position and didn't seem to mind down there)

[there'sonlyoneamoruso 1,724]

Ally would rather play his overpaid signings than give the boys a chance.

Despite form, fitness and obviously attitude he always goes with his wee favourites.

It's pathetic.

This

[AlBear. 8,499]

People on here seem to overlook the manager gave a 16 year old his Rangers debut last season.

[OzGers 425]

People on here seem to overlook the manager gave a 16 year old his Rangers debut last season.

and where is that player now? Any more first team games?

Ally could have easily complimented our first team with some younger players and still won the league by a mile.

Imagine Sinnamon for foster. Telfer for Law in a few games to " give him a rest". Would we have been that bad? No. Would we have freshened the team and given youth a chance? Yes and yes

[The Godfather 71,736]

and where is that player now? Any more first team games?

Ally could have easily complimented our first team with some younger players and still won the league by a mile.

Imagine Sinnamon for foster. Telfer for Law in a few games to " give him a rest". Would we have been that bad? No. Would we have freshened the team and given youth a chance? Yes and yes

It says it all when our so called 'manager' comes out and tells us he played an unfit Nicky Law and another against Raith after the defeat.

WHy no players who were 100% fit? Is that not why we have a squad?

Guys not fit for this , everyone can see it bar him it seems.

[Inigo 32,526]

Rangers fans would take a loss to see youth blooded? Ha!

Last season when Barrie McKay would lose the ball trying to take on a full back, he would be met with groans and jeers from 40,000+ expecting better. Now he's on loan he should play every week for us...

Absolutely. Some fans seem to regard themselves as completely fair minded and supportive when it comes to young players. In reality, this usually lasts something like 5 games and then the groans and shouts start. Similarly, I think Rangers fans would take a loss to see youth blooded, but that wouldn't last for long.

[BILLYBOY50 1,638]

But need to keep this unbeaten run going ffs that's more important than seeing what the youngsters can do in the first team.