GeneralCartmanLee 313 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Fleck worries me with the really poor choices he makes when he has the ball, three times yesterday he chose 30 yard pointless potshots when he had a pass on to one of his team mates....... This natural position stuff is an excuse for him Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
papaguy51 941 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Fleck worries me with the really poor choices he makes when he has the ball, three times yesterday he chose 30 yard pointless potshots when he had a pass on to one of his team mates....... This natural position stuff is an excuse for him A lot of players do that in our side though. McGregor, Weir, Whittaker, Mendes etc are all guilty of it. I'm starting to understand why Charlie Adam done it so much as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCartmanLee 313 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I know but i was talking about Fleck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
papaguy51 941 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I know but i was talking about Fleck That's why he should be playing games, in order to learn that sorta stuff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCartmanLee 313 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I know but i was talking about Fleck That's why he should be playing games, in order to learn that sorta stuff. He is very wasteful with the ball right now, he is still to produce anything even at SPL level that would justify a run in the team. I must admit he worries me, i am not sure his head is in the right place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
minstral 5,375 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Give Fleck a long run in the team and we will see the best of him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCartmanLee 313 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Give Fleck a long run in the team and we will see the best of him. I'm not sure what you base that on ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
minstral 5,375 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Give Fleck a long run in the team and we will see the best of him. I'm not sure what you base that on ? It will give the boy confidence to show us what he can do, instead of the odd game or being brought on as a sub. In my opinion i think he will turn out to be a good player if given the chance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
papaguy51 941 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I know but i was talking about Fleck That's why he should be playing games, in order to learn that sorta stuff. He is very wasteful with the ball right now, he is still to produce anything even at SPL level that would justify a run in the team. I must admit he worries me, i am not sure his head is in the right place. Well a lot of youngsters take a long time to learn. Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't cross a ball for his first two years, Rooney couldn't take a tackle without reacting until this year, Henry was sorely inconsistent at both Juve and Monaco before Wenger gave him some trust. Even last year, a relatively 'young' guy in Kirk Broadfoot improved greatly as a player as a result of a long run in the side. Give the lad a chance before writing him off. I don't actually think you are writing him off, but many are. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootSpeedKillLight 0 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 90% of our players get criticised for being too scared to shoot, then Fleck gets on the pitch and has a couple of shots from distance and he gets criticised for that. You truly can't win with some people. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
docspiderman 1,310 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I know but i was talking about Fleck That's why he should be playing games, in order to learn that sorta stuff. He is very wasteful with the ball right now, he is still to produce anything even at SPL level that would justify a run in the team. I must admit he worries me, i am not sure his head is in the right place. I thought he was the most composed player on the park yesterday and had the highest pass completion in our team(not hard admittedly) and apart from a couple of instances his footballing brain was a couple of moves ahead of his fellow players. Just out of interest,General, were you at the game or watching on tv? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
barcelonabear 23 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Get Wilson in the bloody team!!! It would have been suicide to bring Wilson into the team yesterday. If the boy is going to get half a chance he needs to come into a winning Rangers side so that he is coming in without being under intense pressure. The best thing Smith could have done was bring him on for McCulloch yesterday and told him to play just in front of the back four to allow the other 3 midfielders to get even further forward and told him to not go further than the half way line and not go deeper than behind Davie Weir, but of course that was never gonna happen, especially when we could have brought Fleck on who can play central mid, but who also gave the option of making another change for changes sake and moving Naismith inside. What Smith should have done is come out at the start of the season and said that in the League Cup we would be using it as a feeder competition similar to the way Arsenal and Man Utd do down south, it would have let the young boys not getting regular action due to the loss of the Reserves league get a chance against proper opposition rather than just in bounce games, and would have kept the first team fresh to focus on the league, europe and the Scottish Cup, meaning that even with a reduced squad from last season we might not look too jaded when it comes to the run in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muff 245 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 John Fleck had a good game when he came on. A few wasteful balls here and there, but we see it every game from more experienced players. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumshie 205 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Walter will probably play him out of position anyway. What other club would try and convert a striker into a right back? Waht other manager would play John Fleck, a natural central midfielder, on the right and then play Stevie Naismith in the centre of midfield? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootSpeedKillLight 0 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Waht other manager would play John Fleck, a natural central midfielder, on the right and then play Stevie Naismith in the centre of midfield? I wouldn't have said Fleck's a natural centre midfielder, but playing him in the right and Naismith in the middle was yet another baffling decision. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
docspiderman 1,310 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Waht other manager would play John Fleck, a natural central midfielder, on the right and then play Stevie Naismith in the centre of midfield? I wouldn't have said Fleck's a natural centre midfielder, but playing him in the right and Naismith in the middle was yet another baffling decision. I watched him play there 2 seasons ago for the reserves where he totally owned Ian Black, now with Hearts, so much that Black after bleatinng to the ref and his bench was subbed. I would say he was a central midfielder or one to play off the striker. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imodium 423 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 My fear is that the day WS finally picks Danny Wilson to show what he's made of, he will play him either just behind the strikers or wide left Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amac9 2,060 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 My fear is that the day WS finally picks Danny Wilson to show what he's made of, he will play him either just behind the strikers or wide left That shouldn't have made me laugh but it did Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boab 73 Posted October 25, 2009 Author Share Posted October 25, 2009 Published on 25 Oct 2009 A reluctance to blood young players in the first team has been a stick regularly used to beat Walter Smith throughout his second term of Ibrox office; if a takeover of the club is not completed soon it seems he – or another manager – may have no choice. Unsurprisingly for a grandfather of three, the Rangers manager has always been protective of his young charges. “Maybe over-protective,” he ruefully conceded on Saturday evening. During the last few months of Ottmar Hitzfeld’s time in charge of Bayern Munich, the accusation was oft repeated that the then 58 year-old could not connect with some of the younger players in his squad. Perhaps it is something Smith can relate to. Or maybe Murray Park has simply not produced young players of a sufficient standard to be worthy of consideration. Even this season, with a reduced playing pool, an ever-growing injury list, and the burden of playing three matches every week, the Rangers manager has resisted the temptation to pitch the kids in. Until now: Smith will introduce several younger players into his squad for tomorrow night’s Co-operative Insurance Cup tie against Dundee at Dens Park. It could mean a first start for Danny Wilson, a player whose reputation continues to grow after every match he hasn’t played in, or further opportunities for the likes of Andrew Shinnie, Andy Little, and of course, John Fleck, who have been sighted occasionally. Fleck has endured a staccato start to his Rangers career but was one of the more impressive performers in light blue on Saturday, albeit his introduction only came about after an injury to Lee McCulloch. With the extent of Rangers’ financial malaise exposed in today’s Herald, it seems everyone is up for sale if a buyer for the club is not found. Smith, or his successor, will have to promote from within. Tomorrow night we should get a chance to see what that means. “Rangers is not an easy environment for young players to come in and play,” Smith said, explaining his stance up until now. “Sometimes you would prefer them to come in and play in a more settled situation. Maybe I’m being over-protective of them. “I thought of starting John Fleck against Hibs but then I wondered if it was a day to be starting young players after the result and performance in midweek. John is getting there and will do well for us, as will some of the other young boys that we have, but it might take a bit longer here than it does in normal circumstances.” Of Wilson, he added: “Danny has being doing well but he’s only 17. If he were a forward it would be easy to put him in but it’s a little more difficult to play a 17-year-old centre-half when your back lot isn’t settled. But we’re just going to have to do it. The younger boys all want their chance to play so we’re going to have to give them that opportunity.” Smith, in truth, has little alternative. McCulloch became the latest name to join a list of casualties that already includes Kevin Thomson, Madjid Bougherra, Pedro Mendes, Maurice Edu, and Kirk Broadfoot, none of whom are expected to be fit for the trip to Tayside tomorrow night. On a dreich day in Glasgow, it must have crossed Smith’s mind that, when you are down on your luck, it never rains but it pours. Rangers played far better than they did in losing 4-1 to Unirea Urziceni in the Champions League five days earlier. They created plenty of chances but still left the field to a chorus of boos after failing to overcome a tenacious Hibernian side who scooted along the M8 with a well-earned point on board. In recent years, Rangers have been criticised when winning but playing badly, jeered when playing badly and losing, and now heckled when playing well but only drawing. Smith, it seems – like his team in too many matches this season – cannot win. Rangers had plenty of chances to do so in a thoroughly entertaining match on Saturday but failed to take any of them after Kris Boyd had given them a first-half lead. Boyd, Kenny Miller, Sasa Papac, Kyle Lafferty and others were all wasteful in front of goal, while Ibrox howled for a penalty on at least four second-half occasions only for referee Charlie Richmond to shake his head every time. When the home side did finally get the ball past Graham Stack for a second time, Nacho Novo’s strike was ruled out for offside, meaning Hibs, who had drawn level via a fine Anthony Stokes volley, earned the point they fully merited. Rangers, on the other hand, trooped off to the sound of their fans’ frustrations, despite having extended their unbeaten record in the league. The young players will get their chance tomorrow night. Only time will tell how long Smith hangs around to oversee their development. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/ra...rk-tie-1.928487 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boab 73 Posted October 25, 2009 Author Share Posted October 25, 2009 Thought it best to almost merge both topics. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOLUWDC 1 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Nice one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasGers 96 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Very interesting... Throwing in the kids in a tough away match will test what they're made of Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_glasgow 2 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 We'll see what he starts Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby83 0 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Is Wilson not like 19 by now anyway? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootSpeedKillLight 0 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Regarding the younger players getting a game on Tuesday, I'll believe it when I see it. Also, did the players get booed off the pitch on Saturday? I certainly don't remember it that way. The referee got some abuse though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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