Walter on folk saying this team is one of the worst and on the Mowbray comments

[costablancabear 0]

Mar 9 2010 By Keith Jackson

Tony Mowbray wouldn't touch Walter Smith's tactics with a barge pole - and it seems the feeling is mutual.

Smith made this clear yesterday as he reflected on what has been one of the most extraordinary campaigns of his 18 years in management.

His Rangers side will go 13 points clear at the top of the SPL with a win at Kilmarnock tonight.

Yet lately Smith has found his players and his style of management being dismissed almost as if they are an affront to the beautiful game.

"Celtic are 10 points behind the worst Rangers team in history" is the complaint regularly voiced by Mowbray's own supporters.

But Smith begs to differ.

And not only with Mowbray - who spoke in fairly disparaging terms at the weekend when he insisted he would never resort to playing the game the Walter way. An extraordinary admission in itself given the chasm that has opened between the two sides over the first seven months of the Celtic manager's reign.

Not only does Smith resent any suggestions his side has foundsuccess from playing a shoddy, second-rate brand of football based on all-out defence.

He also bristles with indignation at claims his current crop are vastly inferior to the star names he used to have at his disposal.

Yesterday Smith rattled off the names of 10 of his top-team stars and insisted any one of them would have walked into the squad he assembled at huge expense during his first stint in charge. And he growled his discontent at a reluctance to give his players credit as they close in on a second successive league title.

Asked if he had become irked by a recent trend to damn the achievements of his players with faint praise, Smith said: "The quality of our team has not been discussed too much.

"Other aspects have been raised. Even recently, when we were creating the gap at the top of the league, other things were highlighted.

"We haven't had the credit we deserve for our level of play or the way we have tried to play."

And Smith believes this is a direct hangover from his side's improbable run to the UEFA Cup Final of 2008.

He added: "I believe a perception of Rangers was formed during that run. We had success but were branded as defensive.

"Everybody looks at our team now and says the same things. But we do not play like that in domestic football.

"We set out to try to win games home and away and I've been like that for the majority of my time in Scottish football. The exceptions were a number of visits to Celtic Park where I felt it was beneficial to us to be slightly more defensive in our set-up.

"And it was beneficial.

"But I think in 95 or 98 per cent of all games we try to win the match home and away. Sometimes right now that is obscured by our reputation.

"I think now sometimes when we play well it actually gets ignored.

"People say we 'grind out' results or they use the term 'resilient'. But we actually play some decent football.

"Just look back to the last Old Firm match and Sasa Papac firing in a shot in open play in the 93rd minute to win a corner. That shows we do try to attack. In fact that's what made the biggest difference in that game - we got our full-backs forward - and we do that generally.

"Steven Whittaker has scored 10 goals this season and the majority of them have come when he's been playing as a right-back.

"So we do get people forward and we do play in an attacking manner. But sometimes a manager's judgment has to come in to it - and that applies to all the top teams."

Mowbray's judgment though is that Smith's blueprint should be avoided at all costs.

And although he stopped short of saying so yesterday Smith was most probably delighted to hear it.

The Rangers boss said: "It might make a good headline but I don't think it was meant as an inflammatory statement. As managers we all have wee differences in the way we set our teams out. That was the conversation I had with Tony.

"He's made a comment about it and that's fine. It's not something I would consider to be a problem.

"He has had success in playing the way he plays. I would do it slightly differently. But that doesn't mean to say I would do it in a more defensive manner. It just means I would do it slightly differently."

But Smith takes a less tolerant stance with those who wish to talk down the qualities of his team either as a collective or as individuals.

Hesaid: "Where has this line come from? Who says we are one of the worst Rangers teams in history? Who are these people?

"There have been times when we have gone nine years without winning a championship so I don't know where we are compared to those teams or teams in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Mind you McCoist played in those teams - there's your answer!

"I don't have any hesitation in saying this team is as good as anything I have worked with in terms of a unit. But it seems to be forgotten we also have some good individual players.

"A right few have had terrific seasons. Allan McGregor, Steven Whittaker, Madjid Bougherra, David Weir, Sasa Papac - and Lee McCulloch has been very steady throughout the season. Kenny Miller has played really well and Kris Boyd, for me, has had his best season.

"We've had good performances throughout the team. Steven Davis would be another. Others have been out for spells like Kevin Thomson, who is starting to kick on now.

"Some of the lads were younger when they came here - like Whittaker and Thomson - who are now really coming to the fore.

"All these players would have been involved in any of the Rangers teams I have worked with previously.

"It has been shown at Ibrox if you don't have the level of player the club needs then we won't win games. And we have been winning.

"I just hope they keep being good players between now and the end of the season!"

http://www.dailyreco...86908-22096760/

We still lack a lot but its a very good interview for sure.

HAHA MOWBARY MUST STAY LOL

[Boab 73]

We still lack a lot but its a very good interview for sure.

What do we lack?

We've got a right back with ten goals, we've got the best defence in Britain, we've got one of the best goal differences in Britain, we've got natural width with Beasley, we've got two players in the top three scorers in Scotland, we have the midfielder with most assists in the country, we'll probably be 13 points clear shortly....

I think you a fine example of what Smith is talking about in this article to be frank.

How long did it take to see DMB this season? In terms of play, we were pretty lost without both him and Nacho though of course we havn't really signed anybody since Edu - I think was the last - but I think some sort of similar replacements.

We have improved this season but then we still lack width, and pace and a bit more un-predictability in our play and all of our full-backs have their fault including all 4 (Papac, Smith, SW and KB) having a weaknesses in letting too many crosses in. What I've said isn't that different from what Tumshie said.

The article is inspired from "Celtic are 10 points behind the worst Rangers team in history" but surely thats tims that are saying that cause I can't imagine Rangers saying so after our gradual improvement this season.

I'm naw arguing against the impressive stats though of the goals condceded, league position, M&B II etc as that'd be silly - also recently we've seen Davis and Thomson fill a hole in taking a dead ball very well.

[grahamteuchter 1]

We are the dogs bollocks right now.

[JamieD 19,117]

Yet again Walter states the what-should-be-bloody-obvious with honesty and dignity.

I wonder how Mowbray thinks we managed to beat Dundee Utd 7-1 with our ugly defensive football, when his side lost to them 2-1...

[Amac9 2,060]

We have the best defensive record for a reason. We have the 2 best GK's in the league and the best defenders in the league by a long way.

We have the best scoring record in the league for a reason. The 2 best striker's in the league with 37 goals between them.

All of which results in a far superior GD! Anyone who thinks differently clearly has not got a clue

[delparlane 5,752]

Well said Walter, you do RFC proud and are a true credit to the history of this great club.

[cooper1989 0]

Love his point about Coisty being in the side!

"There have been times when we have gone nine years without winning a championship so I don't know where we are compared to those teams or teams in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Mind you McCoist played in those teams - there's your answer!

Well said again Walter!

[simon 1,758]

I like the way he included Whittaker's name when talking about players having a great season. We all know Whittaker is a confidence player and I sure he will get a real lift from seeing Walter give him some recognition. Smith is spot on as usual. His interviews recently show how much passion he has for the game and of course Rangers as a club. I for one am looking forward to his speech when we do finally wrap up the league.

[cooper1989 0]

I like the way he included Whittaker's name when talking about players having a great season. We all know Whittaker is a confidence player and I sure he will get a real lift from seeing Walter give him some recognition. Smith is spot on as usual. His interviews recently show how much passion he has for the game and of course Rangers as a club. I for one am looking forward to his speech when we do finally wrap up the league.

Very true mate. It's pretty clear that Walter has plenty of passion left in him. To be honest, I think he's absolutely loving this year. Everything is going right on the pitch, his interviews as usual are spot on.

Also, we as a support needed someone when the shit hit the fan. Walter was there and for that, he not only deserves great credit, but a sincere thank you from every one of us.

[fegget 2]

Think if was Notts County manager Jimmy Sirrel who said, "The best team always wins, the rest is just gossip"

[Carsons Dog 9,878]

I remember in the last month or so rangers fans on here claiming sellck were the best football team in the league....I will spare there blushes and not name them.....

I think that prompted me into a half-hour of stat gathering in order to prove it as totally wrong.

I love it when people do that

[jbm26896 995]

We are ther best team in the league by a country mile

The rest can fuck off and stop whingeing

Walter is quite rightly defending our club

[nvager 498]

I agree with WS, BUT tonight's 1st half vs Kilmarnock is/was the pits. Terrible football from both teams.