Souness: "Walter is only bettered by Stein and Ferguson"

[Guest]

Talking in the Evening Times today, Rangers' ex-manager and club cult hero Graeme Souness has today said that the only thing that sets Walter Smith apart from other Scottish managerial greats Jock Stein and Alex Ferguson, is that the aformentioned have the advantage of successes on the European stage.

Rangers' win at the weekend in the Old Firm was Smith's 26th which puts him on level terms with ex Celtic manager Jock Stein and Rangers great Scot Symon.

View the full article

[FlippinEck 3,734]

UEFA Cup would have given that I reckon, hes still up there as one of the best though and nobody can deny that

[caseyjones 3,009]

Ferguson has done it at two clubs, one huge one, one provincial one. Stein's success came at a time when Scottish football was at it's peak.

[caseyjones 3,009]

UEFA Cup would have given that I reckon, hes still up there as one of the best though and nobody can deny that

Domestically, yes.

[boss 1,941]

Souness is talking mince. Mr Struth sits in a place that John Stein can only gaze up towards.

[simon 1,758]

European success or not, Walter is up there with the best in my eyes anyway. I know it might sound daft, but I maybe am enjoying his second stint more. 9IAR was amazing don't get me wrong but given the current circumstances we find ourselves in, each win, each cup and each title we win feel that bit better. I might be talking rubbish, but this season has been one of my favorite seasons ever.

[brissyger 8]

Ferguson is a mile better than either as much as I hate the bastard.

Stein won 9iar and a European title when Rangers were very strong as well (we got to the Cup Winners Cup final as well) but then it was probably a lot easier to take a Scottish side to a European trophy than it is now so they're probably about even. I'd say Struth is above both of them though and is never mentioned in any of these articles.

[Guest therabbitt]

Ferguson is a mile better than either as much as I hate the bastard.

Stein won 9iar and a European title when Rangers were very strong as well (we got to the Cup Winners Cup final as well) but then it was probably a lot easier to take a Scottish side to a European trophy than it is now so they're probably about even. I'd say Struth is above both of them though and is never mentioned in any of these articles.

Go ahn and write a wee article saying saying that Struth is the man....

[cooper1989 0]

Souness is talking mince. Mr Struth sits in a place that John Stein can only gaze up towards.

Beat me to it. My thoughts exactly.

[RoyalBlueRFC 0]

Arise Sir Walter

[RoyalBlueRFC 0]

Arise Sir Walter

[caseyjones 3,009]

Arise Sir Walter

He didn't hear you.

[mmrfc1873 48]

European success or not, Walter is up there with the best in my eyes anyway. I know it might sound daft, but I maybe am enjoying his second stint more. 9IAR was amazing don't get me wrong but given the current circumstances we find ourselves in, each win, each cup and each title we win feel that bit better. I might be talking rubbish, but this season has been one of my favorite seasons ever.

This, enjoying this season so much, especially under the circumstance's, hope he stays for ever

[Ryan_1 1,136]

Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest manager of all-time, no doubt about that.

After that you've got the likes of Mr Struth and Jock Stein both doing incredible jobs. I'd say that Walter Smith is the second greatest manager in the history of Rangers Football Club, behind Bill Struth.

[mmrfc1873 48]

Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest manager of all-time, no doubt about that.

After that you've got the likes of Mr Struth and Jock Stein both doing incredible jobs. I'd say that Walter Smith is the second greatest manager in the history of Rangers Football Club, behind Bill Struth.

no question

[KingKai 439]

Were we not the first British team to reach a Euro Final?? Against Fiorentina??

I dont think there WAS European competition when Mr Struth was Manager.

Would have been ineteresting to see how we would have progressed then.

[caseyjones 3,009]

Scot Symon's managerial credentials always seem to be overlooked in these sort of debates. He did well with East Fife and Preston before coming to Rangers and took us to our first two European finals. His 26 victories against CCeltic was achieved when we played them twice a season in the league.

[minstral 5,375]

Scot Symon's managerial credentials always seem to be overlooked in these sort of debates. He did well with East Fife and Preston before coming to Rangers and took us to our first two European finals. His 26 victories against CCeltic was achieved when we played them twice a season in the league.

Great post and he is up there with the best of them.

[saintbob1969 1,509]

Bill Shankly is up there as a great Scottish manager too, Jock Stein's Celtic team were kind of lucky, Zurich, Nantes and Vojvodina in the early stages, and 10 years after the Munich air disaster another Scot, Matt Busby was still rebuilding a decimated Man U, who would eventually retake the European cup in 1968, right after Celtic. Busby's accomplishments far outshine Steins. Not to take too much away from Stein but it needs to be said. Walter has not always had the luck, the finances, or the same situations, with a time machine and a level playing field his record might even surpass all these great managers.

[minstral 5,375]

Bill Shankly is up there as a great Scottish manager too, Jock Stein's Celtic team were kind of lucky, Zurich, Nantes and Vojvodina in the early stages, and 10 years after the Munich air disaster another Scot, Matt Busby was still rebuilding a decimated Man U, who would eventually retake the European cup in 1968, right after Celtic. Busby's accomplishments far outshine Steins. Not to take too much away from Stein but it needs to be said. Walter has not always had the luck, the finances, or the same situations, with a time machine and a level playing field his record might even surpass all these great managers.

Walter had plenty of money but just not very good in Europe.

[*Manticore* 1,893]

Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest manager of all-time, no doubt about that

Err, yes there is

[outlaw69uk 123]

Souness is talking mince. Mr Struth sits in a place that John Stein can only gaze up towards.

Beat me to it. My thoughts exactly.

Strongly seconded

[outlaw69uk 123]

Were we not the first British team to reach a Euro Final?? Against Fiorentina??

I dont think there WAS European competition when Mr Struth was Manager.

Would have been ineteresting to see how we would have progressed then.

We would probably have won all of it

[BLUE CYCLOPS 26]

Stein had a great side but he fell with his bum in the butter to some extent. All that great

crop of youngsters came through the ranks at Celtic at the same time and were already on Celtics

books before Stein came. Give Stein credit for buying the two experienced players they needed

to to complete the team but the fact remains that he fell into Celtic with a great team in the

wings. He never really had to build a complete side like SAF, Busby and Shankly who all done it

on a number of occasions. Stein inherited a great side once and never repeated the success any

where else. Not Celtic or Leeds. I know it sounds like sour grapes but I have always believed

that Stein (like Larson and McGeady) was hyped beyond their ability.

A very good manager, but not the Messiah he is claimed to be. The year Celtic won the Euro Cup,

Linfield reached the 1/4 finals so the standard was pretty low that year.

As well as building great sides, SAF, Busby and Shanks also set in place a club and system

that lasted for years after they had gone. Stein inherited one great crop of kids and ran with

them until they got old and was not able to build another team unlike the other guys.

[*Manticore* 1,893]

Not the Messiah?