djbroxybear 660 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 THE Rangers kids need more experienced players around them in order to cope with the excessive demands of the Ibrox support.That is the message from former Gers starlet Robert Fleck today as he responded to growing criticism of Ally McCoist's young side.Fleck knows exactly what the likes of Robbie Crawford, Lewis Macleod and Barrie McKay have been going through this season.He was a baby-faced boy of just 18 when he broke into the first team at his boyhood heroes back in 1984 in a game against Hearts at Tynecastle.It was not a halcyon era for the Glasgow giants; they finished fourth, fourth and fifth in the Premier League in his first three seasons.Despite a distinct lack of investment in the squad, fans were not slow in voicing their displeasure at Fleck and his contemporaries.So the ex-striker can fully appreciate the flak that has been flying in the direction of the current Rangers team in recent weeks.Despite winning the Irn-Bru Third Division comfortably, they have played poorly against Stirling Albion, Annan Athletic and Montrose.But Fleck, now a scout at Barclays Premier League club Norwich City, feels there are not enough senior professionals in the Rangers team at the moment.He said: "When I was a kid and I got into the Rangers team they weren't doing that well. But there were still a lot of great players there to help us out."The likes of Davie Cooper, Bobby Russell, Tam Forsyth, Peter McCloy, Sandy Clark, Bobby Russell and Derek Johnstone, to name just some, were all at the club."Unfortunately, in the predicament Rangers are in just now, the young lads don't have that many older professionals to look up to. Ally is unable to buy and they are going through a bad spell."He went on: "He does have some experienced players in Neil Alexander and Lee McCulloch. After them, though, you have to look hard for players who are going to help the young lads as they come through."Rangers have always been happy to give the best young players a chance. But there were always a lot of experienced players there to help them. Unfortunately, they have not got the back-up they need."Fleck dismissed the argument that, as highly-paid full-time professionals playing against part-time opponents, Rangers should win all of their matches, home and away, in the fourth tier comfortably."The fact they are playing part-time footballers in the Third Division doesn't really matter," he said. "Those guys are going to raise their games whenever they play Glasgow Rangers."Fleck recalled the difficulties that a young player starting out on his career at Rangers has to overcome before they can even break into the first team.He said: "When you are a kid, just going in to Ibrox to train can be overwhelming. When you sign and become a full-time player there is an enormous amount of pressure on you straight away. Your life totally changes."The former Scotland striker, though, feels the kids should still feel grateful for getting the chance to play while they can and must do their utmost to stake a claim for future inclusion.He said: "Rangers are miles ahead in the league and have won it with room to spare. But still the fans expect better. They have always been like that. When you aren't performing they will let you know about it."But in many ways you are lucky because you are getting to play. These lads have got to think that way. They have got to grow up quickly. Now they have got their chance they have to take it."Fleck played up front alongside current manager McCoist when he was at Rangers and remembers the tough time his former team-mate endured at the outset of his Ibrox career.He believes there could be nobody better to help the Murray Park youth graduates through their current travails and has tipped the club legend to survive and thrive as manager.He said: "Ally knows what these guys are experiencing as he has been through it himself. When I was there he would get some terrible abuse."He could easily have packed his bags and gone during that time. He had opportunities to do so. But he was determined his time would not be deemed a failure. That is what kept him going."He has done better than I expected him to given the short space of time he had to get a team together. I think what he has achieved has been absolutely fantastic."http://www.eveningti...20310n.20691260 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creampuff 22,628 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Too much sense spoken for most on here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeparateEntityMyArse 54,471 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 A player who couldn't cut it talks about players who are struggling to cut it. Yawn Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMB 14,167 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Excuses Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarkev 3,540 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 If we had a team full of kids then this would be applicable but we don't so it's not! The average age of our team is higher than almost every team in our division yet this same tired excuse about youngsters gets trotted out to excuse the lack of progress made this year! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSuedeSambas 54,854 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Alexander, Cribari, Black, Shiels & McCulloch have over 1600 career appearances between them (according to wiki anyway )Add Wallace and then it's almost 1800.We maybe need one or two more, but we already have a core of players with decent experience on our books. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
djbroxybear 660 Posted April 4, 2013 Author Share Posted April 4, 2013 When you have a spine of the team with experience Alexander, Cribari, Jig, Black, Shiels, Templeton, had Sandaza and Kyle, the youths should be learning from them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 People forget that this team was thrown together out of nothing, McCoist signed who he could and tried to make it work. A completely random squad, players were signed on their SPL experience and reputation, because Ally didnt have enough time to properly work out a structure to build a team on. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allgers 735 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Looks like the press are going to run through the full catalog of ex players, thats F, G, whos next Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunk and disorderly. 14,784 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 When you have a spine of the team with experience Alexander, Cribari, Jig, Black, Shiels, Templeton, had Sandaza and Kyle, the youths should be learning from them. . Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunk and disorderly. 14,784 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Alexander, Cribari, Black, Shiels & McCulloch have over 1600 career appearances between them (according to wiki anyway )Add Wallace and then it's almost 1800.We maybe need one or two more, but we already have a core of players with decent experience on our books.I'd take Cribari off that list. He has zero communication skills and the only experience he has of Scottish football is of the ball continuously flying over his head and into the box. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Every Other Saturday 128 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 A player who couldn't cut it talks about players who are struggling to cut it. YawnDon't agree.Robert Fleck was a great wee player for us - partnered McCoist on numerous occassions and scored some vital goals as well. A local boy who also gave his all for the jersey.Now if you've mistaken him for his nephew John in this article (who is languishing with Coventry) then I agree with you. Mistaken identity here? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchy 1,200 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 It's some of the experienced mob who are playing the worse, thus forcing the kids to accept crap standards. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FernandoR20 2,133 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Shut it Fleck. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bombaybadboy08 15,660 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 If we had a team full of kids then this would be applicable but we don't so it's not! The average age of our team is higher than almost every team in our division yet this same tired excuse about youngsters gets trotted out to excuse the lack of progress made this year!Alexander, Cribari, Black, Shiels & McCulloch have over 1600 career appearances between them (according to wiki anyway )Add Wallace and then it's almost 1800.We maybe need one or two more, but we already have a core of players with decent experience on our books.Correct.Fleck talk da poo poo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimfanciesthedude 25,080 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Good idea robert, you talk about how all the experienced guys helped you, remind me again how we did in your time at the club Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1trixi 44 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 I'm wondering how much team experience some of our young lads have had. Were they the generation that were not allowed to play for their school or club teams. I did notice Fleck mentioned the experience core of e team helped him, unfortunately our experienced guys are still learning each others strengths and weaknesses, maybe that's why they're not looking their best. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmiston Drive 3,846 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Why can't people get it, the style of play(I know is there one) is the overriding factor, not the experience , div 3 in Scotland we are talking about here. My gripe is the fact that our manager seems to be confusing the fuck out of me as to why are the players so cumbersome, no enthusiasm and more importantly why is he struggling 9see positive never said failed) to get any team spirit on the park............Anyone who can say that they are happt with his brand of football and also that he has the know how to see and alter the games tactics when in play, please explain to me ..........because I sure can't see this.We are going over this day in and day out ...........His after match summary..........poor..same old excuses and quite frankly defeatist.His awareness as to the game in play.........non existent(to these eyes anyway)Question, if you have players doing well as in certain positions......do you play them there or move them elsewhere Yes or No.Once again this is not get one into Ally more of a the manager (forget who happens to be the manager) really doesn't seem to have a clue . I would love that these threads never existed and we were shouting from the rooftops about fantastic displays and who the manager spots things during a game and alters the layout of the team to compensate for this.He deserves to be given time after what we have been through..........so Alexander deserves to be given a two year deal then for sticking with the club is this not the case?Am I an Ally hater, not in the slightest more of a Rangers fan and a concerned one that we really do need a change. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smile 26,624 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 He has a point but the players still need to show they are better than the division they are in instead of playing matches in training mode. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zulu 981 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Who the fuck is interested what this non event has to say. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeparateEntityMyArse 54,471 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 <p>Don't agree.Robert Fleck was a great wee player for us - partnered McCoist on numerous occassions and scored some vital goals as well. A local boy who also gave his all for the jersey.Now if you've mistaken him for his nephew John in this article (who is languishing with Coventry) then I agree with you. Mistaken identity here? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikica Jelavic 41 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 More excuses to back up a pal in Ally. The team is full of exp players but lets just kid on that it's all young players. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry739 267 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Don't agree.Robert Fleck was a great wee player for us - partnered McCoist on numerous occassions and scored some vital goals as well. A local boy who also gave his all for the jersey.Now if you've mistaken him for his nephew John in this article (who is languishing with Coventry) then I agree with you. Mistaken identity here?Well said, EOS! Robert Fleck 9John's Uncle!) played nearly 200 times for 'Gers and scored over 60 goals....different class of player to the nephew!well said, Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
debear 603 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Bulk of this season we have only had 2 or 3 young players (even Perry is 23 although not a great deal of game experience), the suggestion that we’ve had.And the main problem we have had is the experienced players underperforming. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1trixi 44 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Who the fuck is interested what this non event has to say.Oooooooo. A bit of respect for an ex Rangers then, nice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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