Biggest surprise and the biggest letdown? (Rangers' signings)

[Gaz52 11,837]

****Not just this season****

So, for you, who surprised you most and turned out to be a good player for Rangers when you weren't expecting much from him? And who was the biggest letdown when you wee expecting a lot from him?

I think my two might be mirrored by a lot of people on here

 

Sasa Papac, especially after PLG was sacked, I thought like the rest of his signings that would have been the last we saw of him.. But thankfully I was wrong, Smith turned him in to a solid, good player for us, won many trophies and I've never met a fan that doesn't like him. He's a player who gave you his all no matter who we were playing or what was at stake, he also played left back for us when his primary position was centre back. So he's my biggest surprise.

The biggest let down is Barton, I think it's clear he had the ability to play for us but simply didn't have the character - he done all his talking weeks before a ball was kicked and pretty much done a lot of teams/players team talks for them, there's a reason we stay dignified and silent in the media but he didn't seem to understand this, taking to Twitter every 5 seconds to talk a lot of shite and not back it up on the pitch, He'll cite a few different reasons for the fall out with MW that resulted in JB being sacked but deep down he 'll know it was because he couldn't live up to what he'd promised and he was found wanting in games vs Hamilton, Killie etc, the OF was the final straw

 

So who are yours?

[ForeverAndEver 71,502]

Cuellar - Was only a wee guy and had never heard of him, but he's maybe the best centre back I've seen play for us.

 

Barton - Talked him self up, spoke constant shite on radio and on Twitter, and was awful. If Alves doesn't improve then he'll be a shout.

[OhW 4,669]

 

[OhW 4,669]

 

[stewaj3 1,446]

Rod Wallace - thought he did great and was involved way more than I though

Kanchelskis- loads of ability but thought he'd have a bigger impact in Scotland and in Europe.

[stewaj3 1,446]

2 minutes ago, OhW said:

I would probably agree with both of those over the two I chose. 

The two you chose were good. Buffet was quite popular but to me he disappeared way too often and I expected more.

Don't think anyone was optimistic about miller 2nd time round but he was great

[K.A.I 36,183]

Papac was alright but personally wouldn't have him in either bracket. Did a job but no more no less.

Plesantly surprised :

Cousin - Never heard of him and thought great average player from France after the likes of Rodriguez, Hemdani, FanFan, Stanger, Ponroy etc but the big guy was ideal for the SPL... big, strong, good finisher etc. It's a shame his heart was never really 100% in it, if it was he'd have been a sensation.

Naismith - Thought he was just a better side of average SPL player but Smith obviously seen something in him I didn't. I thought at 1.5-million or so we were being had but was wrong.

Boyd - Similar to Naismith. I still wasn't a big fan of his, a lot of games he was fucking murder but when you see people like Miller, Morelos, Waghorn in the past couple of season miss constant easy chance after easy chance you realise his value. All the goals he scored for us for 500k was a bargain even if he never really done it in Europe or against celtic for us. 

Wishart - Signed on a free from Falkirk I think and said to myself fuck sake Smith ... but a good, solid, stand-in right back ... came in and played a couple of times against the fenians and was outstanding IMO. 

Cueller - Didn't really know what to expect but was probably our best center-half since Amoruso.

Weir - I watched him his whole career - Falkirk, Hearts, Everton and for Scotland and thought he was an absolute joke of a defender - I was livid we signed him at that age but I was wrong ... some of his performances touching 40 were mind blowing - shame he's soured his legacy with that prick Warburton.

Alexander - he probably surprised even Walter Smith in fairness. Bought as a back-up, average goalkeeper but peaked for us Manchester season. One of our most important players that season.

Stevie Thompson - got a rough ride from the fans but I liked the big guy. Was sad to see him go in the end. 

Dissapointments :

Boli - a genuine world-class defender ... came here and just flopped. Part of that was Smith playing him at right-back, granted but someone of his talent and ability should have been doing a lot, lot better.

Guivarc'h - world cup winner and goalscoring sensation for Auxerre. We tried to sign him before he went to Newcastle, he knocked us back but we went back in for him about 6-months later .. lazy, un-interested French bastard. Thankfully we got most of our transfer fee back when we punted him.

Hemdani - thought a UEFA Cup winning Marseilles captain would be a real coup but he wasn't my type of player at all. He didn't do anything the majority of players couldn't do if asked i.e just stand there and play the ball 5 yards to the nearest man, take no responsibility and hide.

Maniero - as I said yesterday he came with a goalscoring pedigree in Seria A and for Italy ... thought he was a smashing signing as he was big and strong and found the net all his days - no idea why he never worked out, have to ask McLeish that.

There will be loads more that's just some from top of my heed.

[stewaj3 1,446]

Not sure about cousin, purely for the flaws you've mentioned. Still will forgive him for the way he left us.

Also maniero is a great shout. I thought he'd score goals for fun here. Sadly wasn't to be.

I thought hemdani was different class.. it just shows you how different two people watching the game can have opposing views. I think you look at the top teams now and there is always room for that kind of player.

[Malkytfp1 18,594]

Surprised - hard to beat Papac. But for me Alan Hutton...from the start of his Gers career to the white cafu he became.

Dissapointment - Seb Rozenthal.

[theclothmonster 1,707]

Pleasantly surprised:

Michael Mols - I genuinely believe Mols would have gone on to the highest level if not for his injury, absolute class player. 

Biggest disappointment:

Oleg Salenko - Remember him scoring the five goals against Cameroon in the World cup and being all hyped when we signed him. 

Basil Boli - Came with a massive reputation and was just such a let down.

[OhW 4,669]

 

[TMB 14,167]

Rod Wallace is the biggest surprise.  Never even heard of him before he signed and he didn't even cost a transfer fee.  The wee guy banged them in for fun.

Lafferty is one of the biggest let downs for me.  over £4m for the transfer fee, countless millions on wages while he was here, and he was a complete donkey who walked out as soon as the club was in a bit of trouble.  

[TMB 14,167]

Van Vossen was a goal machine over in Holland and even got call ups for the Dutch national team.  For us he couldn't even score in front of an empty net.  Really strange.

[McEwan's Lager 30,524]

Marvin Andrews. Was raging when we signed him. Proved me wrong.

Probably Basil Boli, Bruno Alves, Jerome Rothen or Nuno Capucho for biggest letdown.

[the old guard 2,323]

Biggest surprise, ally McCoist, shite at Sunderland, prolific at Rangers. 

Biggest letdown, fredrico nieto, mcleish sayed he had unearthed a diamond, far far from it. 

[TheKingObv 10,646]

Aluko and Barton

[CF2 WINNIE 1,006]

Have to be in my time watching Rangers, biggest surprise definitely Papac as mentioned above, never great but for me never had real stinkers was always happy to give his all and consistent 7/10 every week, 

 

let downs fuck been a good few hard to pinpoint one but I’d have to say James Beattie up there, Boyd on return and most of Le Guens signings 

[BillyG93 154]

26 minutes ago, TheKingObv said:

Aluko and Barton

Aluko was quality during his short spell with us

 

[Brown Brogues 223]

Biggest Disappointment would probably be Tore Andre Flo. His goal to game ratio isnt too bad and there have been worse players, but i remember all the hype at the time. The fact he remains the Scottish transfer record to this day also adds to it i think. 12.5 million back in 2000 was ridiculous considering the most expensive player at the time were around 30 million.

Surprise was Allan McGregor, Klos  had been one of my favourite players for a number of years (athough he was in decline at this point), when McGregor got his chance around 06/07 I was a bit disappointed that Klos was overlooked and seemed to be finished. I never expected McGregor to have have such quality, and to think we didnt even pay a fee and at a time when we were spending millions.

[Marky. 6,927]

Genuinely thought Nieto was going to come in and be a world beater.

[K.A.I 36,183]

Wallace is a good shout was totally underwhelmed when we signed him as it was at the start of Advocaats money spending reign 

Seen Alves mentioned I wouldn’t write him off just yet 

[Smile 26,610]

1 hour ago, McEwan's Lager said:

Marvin Andrews. Was raging when we signed him. Proved me wrong.

Probably Basil Boli, Bruno Alves, Jerome Rothen or Nuno Capucho for biggest letdown.

We played Boli out of position think he went in the huff after that.

[hammer time 653]

2 hours ago, K.A.I said:

Papac was alright but personally wouldn't have him in either bracket. Did a job but no more no less.

Plesantly surprised :

Cousin - Never heard of him and thought great average player from France after the likes of Rodriguez, Hemdani, FanFan, Stanger, Ponroy etc but the big guy was ideal for the SPL... big, strong, good finisher etc. It's a shame his heart was never really 100% in it, if it was he'd have been a sensation.

Naismith - Thought he was just a better side of average SPL player but Smith obviously seen something in him I didn't. I thought at 1.5-million or so we were being had but was wrong.

Boyd - Similar to Naismith. I still wasn't a big fan of his, a lot of games he was fucking murder but when you see people like Miller, Morelos, Waghorn in the past couple of season miss constant easy chance after easy chance you realise his value. All the goals he scored for us for 500k was a bargain even if he never really done it in Europe or against celtic for us. 

Wishart - Signed on a free from Falkirk I think and said to myself fuck sake Smith ... but a good, solid, stand-in right back ... came in and played a couple of times against the fenians and was outstanding IMO. 

Cueller - Didn't really know what to expect but was probably our best center-half since Amoruso.

Weir - I watched him his whole career - Falkirk, Hearts, Everton and for Scotland and thought he was an absolute joke of a defender - I was livid we signed him at that age but I was wrong ... some of his performances touching 40 were mind blowing - shame he's soured his legacy with that prick Warburton.

Alexander - he probably surprised even Walter Smith in fairness. Bought as a back-up, average goalkeeper but peaked for us Manchester season. One of our most important players that season.

Stevie Thompson - got a rough ride from the fans but I liked the big guy. Was sad to see him go in the end. 

Dissapointments :

Boli - a genuine world-class defender ... came here and just flopped. Part of that was Smith playing him at right-back, granted but someone of his talent and ability should have been doing a lot, lot better.

Guivarc'h - world cup winner and goalscoring sensation for Auxerre. We tried to sign him before he went to Newcastle, he knocked us back but we went back in for him about 6-months later .. lazy, un-interested French bastard. Thankfully we got most of our transfer fee back when we punted him.

Hemdani - thought a UEFA Cup winning Marseilles captain would be a real coup but he wasn't my type of player at all. He didn't do anything the majority of players couldn't do if asked i.e just stand there and play the ball 5 yards to the nearest man, take no responsibility and hide.

Maniero - as I said yesterday he came with a goalscoring pedigree in Seria A and for Italy ... thought he was a smashing signing as he was big and strong and found the net all his days - no idea why he never worked out, have to ask McLeish that.

There will be loads more that's just some from top of my heed.

Seem to remember WIshart signing for something like 2 or 3 month short contract as cover (I think RB was a bit of a problem position) did really well playing nearly every game in that time then signed an extension and WS hardly played him after that, might be wrong though

[K.A.I 36,183]

Alec Cleland was a pleasant surprise for me too 

when we signed him and Bollan from Dundee United after they had a dispute it just looked to me like Smith was helping out his old pal McLean but thought we got a good wee return out him 

[Cedrick 8,048]

Alec clelland biggest surprise for me turned out to be an excellent signing , unfortunately big Alves been a huge disappointment ,I couldn’t wait to see him , big hard commanding central defender who will boss games for us , seen none of this so far