The curse of Ibrox

[bluenose4life 5]

By ANDY GORAM

KENNY MILLER beware.

There's much more to life than having money in the bank.

Happiness and professional pride are important too, perhaps even more.

The Rangers striker - wanted by the oil-rich sheikhs in Qatar - is also weighing up the offer of a new deal at Ibrox.

At 30, this is undoubtedly the biggest contract decision of his career but I'd urge him to see past the pound signs flashing in front of his eyes and look at the bigger picture.

If he's struggling, he should pick up the phone and give old pals Danny Wilson, Kris Boyd and Kevin Thomson a ring.

I bet that trio now see things in a whole different light.

The grass is not always greener on the other side, especially when you quit a club the size of Rangers.

Wilson, Boyd and Thomson have all found that out to their cost. Sure, Thommo could have broken his leg any time, any where, but it happened in just his second game for Middlesbrough. That said, at least Thomson was getting a game.

What the hell has happened to Boydy?

I said at the time I felt Boro was the WRONG choice of club for him.

If he was so determined to leave Rangers then he should have done so for a club in Europe.

Let's face it, there were plenty of offers from Turkey.

As a striker in England, especially in the top two divisions, you can't get away with just scoring goals.

So far, Boydy only has one of those to his name this season. You need to be able to run, drop off, chase down the ball and bring others into play.

Take away Boyd's goals and he doesn't have many more strings to his bow.

I worked with Gordon Strachan for a while at Coventry. I know how ruthless and single-minded he can be. Results and performances are what matter to him and if you're not pulling your weight you won't be in his team. Boyd has quickly discovered that.

He scored the winner against Sheffield United, but so far his Boro career has failed to ignite.

Left on the bench against Burnley it was left to 24-year-old Estonian striker Tarmo Kink to save Boro's blushes.

A week later and he didn't even make it on as a sub as Middlesbrough again won without him - this time against Reading. On both occasions, just over 15,000 fans were at the Riverside.

At Ibrox on Tuesday night almost 25,000 turned out to watch his old club smash SEVEN past Dunfermline. I just wonder if Boyd now regrets leaving his boyhood heroes in the summer.

I'm willing to wager that Wilson's thinking the same at Liverpool. This lad's career is now in reverse.

Advertisement

Signed on the same day as Joe Cole, the 18-year-old defender must have been pinching himself as the flash bulbs popped at Anfield.

He'll be kicking himself after Wednesday's shock Carling Cup defeat to Northampton.

Believe me, THAT was the only competition Wilson had a hope of featuring in for Liverpool.

With Roy Hodgson's men now out, Wilson might not kick a ball again this season.

What a sad, sad state of affairs for a young lad I admire greatly.

For all his enormous potential he was silly to leave Rangers when he did.

He should have stayed put and learned his trade at the feet of the master.

Walter Smith is up there with Sir Alex Ferguson in my opinion and Wilson would have been better served staying at Ibrox.

Also, he'd have benefited immensely from playing alongside someone like Davie Weir.

The Gers captain is superb with the younger lads and Wilson couldn't have wished for a better teacher on the park.

I know he wouldn't play week-in, week-out because Madjid Bougherra and Weir are Smith's first choice.

He would have featured a helluva lot more than he's now destined to at Liverpool.

Like Thomson and Boyd, he chose to throw away Champions League football and the chance to land three SPL titles in a row.

I will NEVER understand that. All three are young lads and time is still on their side.

Wilson's career in particular has now suffered a really huge setback.

He NEEDS to be playing at his age. I'll tell you what, he can forget about a Scotland call-up in the near future, that's for sure.

I knew what an honour it was to play for Rangers. I knew I was privileged.

I spent seven years at Ibrox and won six titles - I couldn't have wished for much more.

Okay, times have changed and the teams down south can now offer more money but it comes at a price.

Miller must take all of this into consideration when he finally decides on his next move.

Had I got my way, I would never have left Rangers.

Dick Advocaat came in with new ideas and the nine-in-a-row lads were surplus to requirements.

It hurt like hell and for a while I was quite bitter.

Advocaat won the treble in his first season in charge, however, so it was hard to argue.

Someone once said, 'you don't know what you've got till it's gone'.

Words which Miller should bear in mind.

Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3150963/The-curse-of-Ibrox.html#ixzz10OzMYXN0

Andy has said the same as what i said not that long ago about Danny. His career is in reverse and he has no hope of playing. He has basicly wrecked his career as where will he go from liverpool, if he isnt playing ANY games? Not just competitive ones, but he has had 1 shout to the reserves... Boyd is the prime example, 1 goal and miller has 8, fucking lafferty has more.

[supermac 115]

Spot on in his assessment of Boyd an Wilson

Biggest mistakes of their careers but Miller hasn't turned down an acceptable contract and I think he's still keen to win trophies so he will stay.

[garycassidy1802 37]

Great read and spot on, no one is too good for ra Gers so sign up Kenny

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

Wise words from the Goalie.

[toby1977 0]

Can't argue with any of that. Can't blame Wilson however for moving, I wished he'd gone to Arsenal or Man U though, scousers are on a big decline and I think he could have progressed better elsewhere.

[bluenose4life 5]

Can't argue with any of that. Can't blame Wilson however for moving, I wished he'd gone to Arsenal or Man U though, scousers are on a big decline and I think he could have progressed better elsewhere.

ive always said myself he would make it big at man utd. SAF was looking at him more than once. you dont scout a player more than once if you're not intrested! He made his bed tho....

[Ferdasyn 431]

Shame it happened but its not as if they weren't warned beforehand.

They've made their bed.

[Ozblue 4,331]

The Goalie is only saying things the majority of our support could have told Wilson, Thomson and Boyd,without having to think about it.

Wilson was the one that annoyed me the most as I've said from day dot he would become a legend at Ibrox if he had stayed and not been badly advised.

Thomson's move may have been a good move for him if he hadn't have got crocked so early in his move to Middlesbrough, but at least he might still have the chance to shine there and win another transfer to a bigger club in the EPL or overseas.

Boyd's transfer was the weirdest of the three of them...Let's look at the facts.

He had the chance of being paid great money to stay at Ibrox where he would win trophies and remain a hero for years to come...He declined.

He had the chance 6 months earlier to sign a contract with a reasonably decent EPL side with a manager who knew Boyd's strengths and weaknesses, plus recouping some much needed finances for Rangers in the process...He declined.

He commented that the reason he went to Middlesbrough was to seek a new challenge and to " Work under a great manager like Gordon Strachan, who can take me to the next level and improve my game"

Is this the same WGS who when told that Boyd would not sign a new contract with Rangers and would become a free agent, declared; "Kris Boyd available on a free? That goes down as the Bosman of the Century!"....who then seems to appear to show that he didn't know Kris Boyd's weaknesses when he signed him, something the Rangers supporters could easily have told Chesney years ago....Who then drops Boyd to the splinter seats....so much for improving his game and going to a new level.

The game is littered with signings that came back to haunt players and it seems at least that Boyd joins that unwanted list...For Wilson and Thomson, there is time to salvage something, although the clock will soon begin to tick very fast indeed.

[Carsons Dog 9,878]

I'm not a Goram fan but he has hit the nail on the head there

[Jimbo. 952]

Boyd's transfer was the weirdest of the three of them...Let's look at the facts.

He had the chance of being paid great money to stay at Ibrox where he would win trophies and remain a hero for years to come...He declined.

He had the chance 6 months earlier to sign a contract with a reasonably decent EPL side with a manager who knew Boyd's strengths and weaknesses, plus recouping some much needed finances for Rangers in the process...He declined.

It was reported that he asked for £20kpw to go to Birmingham, add that to the fact that we were receiving a fee for him, blowing the huge signing on bonus he could expect on a Bosman.

He's now at Boro, in the league below Brum, on an estimated £40kpw. And I would expect, having being a Free-transfer, with a 7-figure signing-on fee in the bank.

All he was thinking about was the money.

IMO the refusal to go to Birmingham was a smokescreen, he had no desire to stay at Rangers whatsoever, he wanted to see his contract out and fill his pockets.

[Ozblue 4,331]

It was reported that he asked for £20kpw to go to Birmingham, add that to the fact that we were receiving a fee for him, blowing the huge signing on bonus he could expect on a Bosman.

He's now at Boro, in the league below Brum, on an estimated £40kpw. And I would expect, having being a Free-transfer, with a 7-figure signing-on fee in the bank.

All he was thinking about was the money.

IMO the refusal to go to Birmingham was a smokescreen, he had no desire to stay at Rangers whatsoever, he wanted to see his contract out and fill his pockets.

Anybody who disagrees with your assessment of this would either have to be wearing Boyd tinted glasses or totally blind to see through the smoke haze.

[minstral 5,375]

Sad to say that its all about money,which has ruined the game.

[Peat1873 8]

Great read , and everything he said i agree with 100 %