Gaz92 966 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 My latest piece for the site.Although I can only speak for myself, I get the feeling I can’t be the only one that was more than a bit pleased with the team that was read out before Saturday’s tie with Stirling Albion.There was two wingers aged 17 and 18. There was a young, creative midfielder in the middle of the park, and there was a striker fresh from a loan spell making his first start up front. It was something different – there was a freshness and excitement about the team.Alas, my mind had ran away with itself. I turned up believing I was going to be watching Manchester United from 1996, and ended up being subjected to a game of football I only thought was imaginable in my worst nightmares.It was spineless, gutless, shapeless and devoid of ideas. And that’s just describing it in my Sunday best language.However, tactics aside, was this not what we had all been crying out for? A youthful side without the “ex-SPL” players that have shown they have close to no interest in plying their trade at this level? A young player passing through the youth system and breaking into the first team can be just as exciting as a big money signing stepping up the marble staircases at Ibrox, and the hope for these young players to be given their chance has went into overdrive over the past few months.And who can blame the fans? Starting over again in the bottom tier is a unique event, and it gave the club perhaps the best opportunity ever to tap into the youth that have been learning their trade at Auchenhowie. Yet this season it really hasn’t happened, and although Barrie McKay and Lewis MacLeod have been given opportunities to shine, there perhaps hasn’t been quite enough of it. The fans have been fed the line of the “young team” that Rangers currently have, and for the majority of the season, this simply hasn’t been true. The first team has been top heavy with players in their late twenties, and even their thirties, and in reality, prior to injury, MacLeod is the only player under the age of twenty that has managed to hold down their first team place.So we must then ask ourselves – what was Saturday? Was it a wake up call that the youths simply aren’t good enough to guide us through this period? Or was it perhaps a first step?Admittedly, it might be quite a lot to ask of these youngsters to carry the team for the foreseeable future, but that does not mean to say that there cannot be a larger presence of the current fringe players in the first team. At the end of the day, was Saturday really much worse than some other performances this season? Were the games with Templeton, Black, Sandaza and Shiels filling the roles of McKay, Crawford, Hemmings and Aird really any superior than what we witnessed on Saturday?Sure, Saturday’s team was poor, but just imagine a few tweaks to it? Imagine the pointless role of Faure sitting in front of the defence was replaced by Little joining Hemmings up front? Imagine a fit again Lewis MacLeod taking the midfield by the scruff of the neck once more? Imagine the club also added that bit of grit and experience? Three or four players that are currently playing at a Queen of the South or a Partick Thistle – the sort of players that know what these leagues are all about, and are currently excelling in them. They may not be the glamour signings the fans are used to at Ibrox, but for cost savings and the experience they’ll bring they could be as invaluable as a player brought in for £5 million.Just those few changes would quite possibly leave the club with a completely different feel to it. Saturday’s squad was far from a complete team that can lead Rangers forward in the future, but there was a core that can be built on. The likes of McKay, Crawford and Aird need much more game-time to adapt to this level – this cannot come from 10/15 minute snippets of action. It comes from an extended run similar to the one Lewis MacLeod enjoyed.In reality, if Alistair McCoist looks to remain as manager of this club, he must realise that these are the players he must base his team around – not the likes of his signings from the previous summer that will likely be gone by the time Rangers return to the top flight. The club may have felt these players may have been needed to draw fans in and to compete in the cup competitions, but as things stand, they are being proven wrong on that. Right now, there are many fundamental flaws with this group of players, and there can be no doubt in my mind that this summer has to be used to root out these issues.The fans need to realise this takes time, however. We could run away frightened after Saturday’s horror show, or we could realise this is could be the first vital step that is needed towards the Rangers side of the future.http://www.rangersmedia.co.uk/?p=186 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingWilBEARy 4,319 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 You don't win anything with kids. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Godfather 71,899 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Great read again mate. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwhiteandblue 3,330 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 I started a thread the other night asking if anyone knew about the players contract situations at Queen of the south, Morton and Partick. Sure, they aren't crowd pullers, but yhey are the best players in these leagues and would cost absolute peanuts. This is 100% the route we should be going down. Not SPL last pay cheque hunters. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz92 966 Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 I started a thread the other night asking if anyone knew about the players contract situations at Queen of the south, Morton and Partick. Sure, they aren't crowd pullers, but yhey are the best players in these leagues and would cost absolute peanuts. This is 100% the route we should be going down. Not SPL last pay cheque hunters.Nicky Clarke 25 goals for QOS out of contract this summer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz92 966 Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Ps if a mod that isn't on a phone could space the paragraphs I'd be grateful. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allanger 625 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Thanks for taking the time to write that. A good read Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon123 18 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Nicky Clarke son of Sandy was freed by the sheep yes he has scored 25 goals but is not half the player Andy Little is and is nowhere even close to being fit to wear the Rangers jersey!!!! sometime i think people on here just pluck names out of thin air without ever seeing them play!! a few seasons ago the Gretna forward Kenny Deuchter was the top scorer in these divisions but was he ever good enough for bigger clubs??? NO... he was a poor player....as is Clarke!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz92 966 Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Nicky Clarke son of Sandy was freed by the sheep yes he has scored 25 goals but is not half the player Andy Little is and is nowhere even close to being fit to wear the Rangers jersey!!!! sometime i think people on here just pluck names out of thin air without ever seeing them play!! a few seasons ago the Gretna forward Kenny Deuchter was the top scorer in these divisions but was he ever good enough for bigger clubs??? NO... he was a poor player....as is Clarke!!!Dean Shiels finished as the third best player in the SPL last season, and by large has been a complete disappointment.Who's to say what the right type of player is for us anymore? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwhiteandblue 3,330 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Nicky Clarke 25 goals for QOS out of contract this summer.Exactly. If we're aren't ib for him, there is something seriously wrong. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mols94 3,669 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Nicky Clarke son of Sandy was freed by the sheep yes he has scored 25 goals but is not half the player Andy Little is and is nowhere even close to being fit to wear the Rangers jersey!!!! sometime i think people on here just pluck names out of thin air without ever seeing them play!! a few seasons ago the Gretna forward Kenny Deuchter was the top scorer in these divisions but was he ever good enough for bigger clubs??? NO... he was a poor player....as is Clarke!!!In the SPL Clarke probably wouldnt be suitable but we're playing in the second division next season and he's scored loads of goals this season in that very league.Also we've signed SPL players this season like Black, Shiels and Sandaza etc and in general they've been terrible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mols94 3,669 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 . Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plan C 39 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 It's clear we have a lot of potential in our younger players but In my opinion one of the most important things to aid the development of these players is to get the right experienced players around them. For example, when Danny Wilson broke into the team he had Davie Weir to help guide him through the game. I don't see Cribari being the same type on influence on the field or off it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz92 966 Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 It's clear we have a lot of potential in our younger players but In my opinion one of the most important things to aid the development of these players is to get the right experienced players around them. For example, when Danny Wilson broke into the team he had Davie Weir to help guide him through the game. I don't see Cribari being the same type on influence on the field or off it.Good point, but I also think Weir was a one off, and extremely difficult to replicate. I also don't think Bougherra and Cuellar would have been such successes without Weir.We definitely are missing a Weir, however. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cushynumber 25,178 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Its a good post mate. I think we need an experienced spine running down the centre of the team with the younger players on the edges, priortity is our centre halfs and then working our way forward. At the moment nothing like that is in place and its got to be Allys top priority to remedy Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allgers 735 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 To some extent Big Jig is our Davie Weir. Not saying there wasn't the usual comedy moments at the weekend. Might need to clone this guy as we miss him in midfield and for his forward role. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz92 966 Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 To some extent Big Jig is our Davie Weir. Not saying there wasn't the usual comedy moments at the weekend. Might need to clone this guy as we miss him in midfield and for his forward role.I hate to say it, but there's been times recently where McCulloch has looked as disinterested as everyone else. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lutonblue 1,974 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Nicky Clarke son of Sandy was freed by the sheep yes he has scored 25 goals but is not half the player Andy Little is and is nowhere even close to being fit to wear the Rangers jersey!!!! sometime i think people on here just pluck names out of thin air without ever seeing them play!! a few seasons ago the Gretna forward Kenny Deuchter was the top scorer in these divisions but was he ever good enough for bigger clubs??? NO... he was a poor player....as is Clarke!!!i thought Clarke was a midfielder ? If so that's not a bad return Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allgers 735 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 I hate to say it, but there's been times recently where McCulloch has looked as disinterested as everyone else.Can't disagree with that, just wonder how you motivate yourself at 34 years of age looking back over your career from the EPL to the Scottish 3rd division, fook am depressing maself Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz92 966 Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Can't disagree with that, just wonder how you motivate yourself at 34 years of age looking back over your career from the EPL to the Scottish 3rd division, fook am depressing maselfTrue, I'm not convinced his heart is in it quite as much as it should be. Mind you, I'm not sure anyone's is... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarkev 3,540 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 True, I'm not convinced his heart is in it quite as much as it should be. Mind you, I'm not sure anyone's is...Maybe a wee bit harsh on jig mate....in fairness to him he has had some niggling injuries that often saps your enthusiasm and it must be quite hard for him in a squad of younger guys and new players from where he was with a squad of guys who all got on and had been together for 3/4 years....he's effectively the only one left (keepers tend to train separately) and judging by some of the reports and assumptions some of the younger players may be lacking in the attitude alot of the guys had over the past few years....The only thing is moving forward I can't see where he will fit in if we manage to improve our playing squad as ally has suggested... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz92 966 Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Yeah fair enough, I'd never try and take away what he has done for us, and I'd imagine he'll still have something to offer us in the future, but during that Annan loss, I couldn't help but think there wasn't a leader on the park. There was no one who was willing to take the game by the scruff of the neck, and no one trying to inspire others around them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coatbrigpirate 23 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Yeah fair enough, I'd never try and take away what he has done for us, and I'd imagine he'll still have something to offer us in the future, but during that Annan loss, I couldn't help but think there wasn't a leader on the park. There was no one who was willing to take the game by the scruff of the neck, and no one trying to inspire others around them.Phil Nevilles the answer sign him up ally and charles!. A watched they boys on saturday they looked lost at times after startin well, fine liines in football hemmings scores they two chances and games dead for them, they dont go in and then the pressures on, cant be easy for team when opposition growin in confidence and the fans are booing and streaming out from half time, a stayed tay the end it was duckin freezin hopin it wud click for the youngsters but it wasnt to be. Our squad was raped folk slag murray park sayin nothin comin thru half the top youths left mccabe etc these boys are year or 2 behind even them so its a big ask for them, their was a wee boy warmin up in front of the east enclosure in the 2nd half no shit he looked 14 theirs a couple a old ppests behind me they were pissin emselves it how wee he was. Stick with them Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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