Walter Smiths Rangers v Dick Advocaats Rangers

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

2 managers who had an abundance of talent at their disposal(and cash) thinking of these players at their prime pick a team for each.

Smiths

Goram

Porrini

Robertson

Gough

Weir

McCall

Gascoigne

Albertz

Laudrup

McCoist

Hateley

Advocaats

Klos

Ricksen

Numan

Moore (re signed from palace)

Hendry

Reyna

Ferguson

Van Bronkhurst

McCann

Mols

De Boer

[allgers 735]

When you have two excellent teams like that you would have to play them, for all the mouth watering delights of the wee Generals team I would have to go two nil to Smiths team. Smith did have a few more years to gather talent for this.

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

When you have two excellent teams like that you would have to play them, for all the mouth watering delights of the wee Generals team I would have to go two nil to Smiths team. Smith did have a few more years to gather talent for this.

Would be a great game though.

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

1690th post players don't need to have been signed by these managers but were an integral part of the squads.

[fraternity1795 101]

Neither. The most exciting was in the Souness era, many of whom Walter inherited. I still blame Walter for us not getting us to the EC final. The one striker up front at Ibrox tactic killed me. As for Dick, yes some great players on display, but well, he did burst us.

[TMB 14,167]

Dick just couldn't get a striker. He thought he had him in MOls but then he got injured. The supply was there but there just wasn't a striker.

[Ibroxholm 2,291]

At the start of the 10-in-a-row season, I remember going to see a blues vs whites pre-season game at Ibrox. The two teams were almost completely made up with internationalists, most of the guys in the Walter's team in the OP were playing. It was probably the best array of talent I've ever seen on Ranger's books. How we contrived to present Celtic with the league that year (and IMO that's what we did) is one of the biggest let downs I've ever experienced in my year's following the Rangers.

Although he didn't do that much when he was with us, you could add Gattuso to either Advocaat or Smith's teams in the OP.

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

At the start of the 10-in-a-row season, I remember going to see a blues vs whites pre-season game at Ibrox. The two teams were almost completely made up with internationalists, most of the guys in the Walter's team in the OP were playing. It was probably the best array of talent I've ever seen on Ranger's books. How we contrived to present Celtic with the league that year (and IMO that's what we did) is one of the biggest let downs I've ever experienced in my year's following the Rangers.

Although he didn't do that much when he was with us, you could add Gattuso to either Advocaat or Smith's teams in the OP.

Or Amo in to Advocaats team, I know he was signed by Walter but he didn't feature much.

You could actually put together 3 or 4 sides from those squads.

[Blue Atheist 178]

Walter Smith's team. (even though the defence doesn't include the best defenders Walter Smith had)

[Ibroxholm 2,291]

Or Amo in to Advocaats team, I know he was signed by Walter but he didn't feature much.

You could actually put together 3 or 4 sides from those squads.

When you look back we certainly had the players over that period to make a far greater impact in Europe than we did. Both managers under-achieved on this count.

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

When you look back we certainly had the players over that period to make a far greater impact in Europe than we did. Both managers under-achieved on this count.

Probably should've, Walter though can say he got to a UEFA final and technically the Semi of the champions league (dirty French cheating bastards),although I think people expected greater things from a tram with the likes of Laudrup, Gazza et.

Kinda shows that McLeish did well reaching the last 16 of the champs league

[WadeWilson 4,670]

I don't think Walter signed Hateley, Robertson or Gough. I know he definitely didn't sign Ally.

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

I don't think Walter signed Hateley, Robertson or Gough. I know he definitely didn't sign Ally.

I know mate its more the teams and era though, as I said Amo was signed by Walter but featured more in Advocaats team.

[WadeWilson 4,670]

Didn't David Murray sign Hendry? No way he would have been Dick's type of player.

I am sure I read at the time that Murray wanted the team to maintain a strong Scottish identity, so he signed the national captain.

Anyone else remember this...?

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

Didn't David Murray sign Hendry? No way he would have been Dick's type of player.

I am sure I read at the time that Murray wanted the team to maintain a strong Scottish identity, so he signed the national captain.

Anyone else remember this...?

Think it was suggested to be that yeah.

[WadeWilson 4,670]

I know mate its more the teams and era though, as I said Amo was signed by Walter but featured more in Advocaats team.

Okay man, good point. Sometimes I had the feeling (as did Lorenzo) that Advocaat played him more than he would have liked. I am not one of the Bazza-Bashers on here but the way that the captaincy was stripped from Amo at the time wasn't really the best way to give it to Barry. How do you say "Geeza pinta Baileys" in Italiano?

Good thread anyhoo... I like threads about actual football... and a wee retro-look-back-type of thread is always good.

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

Okay man, good point. Sometimes I had the feeling (as did Lorenzo) that Advocaat played him more than he would have liked. I am not one of the Bazza-Bashers on here but the way that the captaincy was stripped from Amo at the time wasn't really the best way to give it to Barry. How do you say "Geeza pinta Baileys" in Italiano?

Good thread anyhoo... I like threads about actual football... and a wee retro-look-back-type of thread is always good.

I've looked over my line up several times and keep thiniing of how many changes you could make to either team and Among in Dicks team really should be one.

Yeah the way Amo lost his captaincy wasn't great, loved him though.

[WadeWilson 4,670]

Probably should've, Walter though can say he got to a UEFA final and technically the Semi of the champions league (dirty French cheating bastards),although I think people expected greater things from a tram with the likes of Laudrup, Gazza et.

Kinda shows that McLeish did well reaching the last 16 of the champs league

Absolutely. The big ginger gentleman was a credit to Rangers and he is probably the most underrated manager in our history. Make no mistake, he worked absolute miracles while downsizing.

To be honest, the Villarreal games, we should have gone through. I remember someone got me a bookie slip for my birthday with Lovenkrands 0-1 (£5 Win). So close to a perfect birthday.

Does anyone remember when Villarreal scored? Was it late? Maybe it seemed late because we scored early? I was pished, it was my birthday.

[WadeWilson 4,670]

I've looked over my line up several times and keep thiniing of how many changes you could make to either team and Among in Dicks team really should be one.

Yeah the way Amo lost his captaincy wasn't great, loved him though.

He was still the spiritual captain... and he proved he was THE leader that game up at Shittodrie when it was all kicking off.

Then he went and walloped in the winner. Class act. One of my favourite players ever... and one of these guys who positively relished the responsibility and pressure of being a Ranger. He totally lapped it all up and lived every moment. The guy had tears in his eyes when he gave us his 'going-away present.'

Legend of the modern era. In fact, to me, just a legend. Full stop.

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

Absolutely. The big ginger gentleman was a credit to Rangers and he is probably the most underrated manager in our history. Make no mistake, he worked absolute miracles while downsizing.

To be honest, the Villarreal games, we should have gone through. I remember someone got me a bookie slip for my birthday with Lovenkrands 0-1 (£5 Win). So close to a perfect birthday.

Does anyone remember when Villarreal scored? Was it late? Maybe it seemed late because we scored early? I was pished, it was my birthday.

Early in the 2nd half I think and if you compare his record to O'Neil then you would say he got nowhere near the credit he deserved.

[WadeWilson 4,670]

Anyway, how come no-one has picked their teams yet...?

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

He was still the spiritual captain... and he proved he was THE leader that game up at Shittodrie when it was all kicking off.

Then he went and walloped in the winner. Class act. One of my favourite players ever... and one of these guys who positively relished the responsibility and pressure of being a Ranger. He totally lapped it all up and lived every moment. The guy had tears in his eyes when he gave us his 'going-away present.'

Legend of the modern era. In fact, to me, just a legend. Full stop.

Heart on his sleeve type of player, not gonna deny he was prone to the odd error but he would've ran through walls playing for us.

[WadeWilson 4,670]

Early in the 2nd half I think and if you compare his record to O'Neil then you would say he got nowhere near the credit he deserved.

He was up against, at their own admission, the best Celtic team in history behind the Jock Stein guys.

I do think it was the right time for him to go though... I wanted him to stay at the time; I thought he deserved some loyalty from Murray who busted his flush with his last-gasp effort to save us from ruin by employing Le Guen.

Le Guen... Now, there is a manager I would like to see airbrushed from that portrait in Ibrox. I think the only achievement of note is the first away win in Italy (against Livorno, if I remember correctly - possibly 2-3?).

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

He was up against, at their own admission, the best Celtic team in history behind the Jock Stein guys.

I do think it was the right time for him to go though... I wanted him to stay at the time; I thought he deserved some loyalty from Murray who busted his flush with his last-gasp effort to save us from ruin by employing Le Guen.

Le Guen... Now, there is a manager I would like to see airbrushed from that portrait in Ibrox. I think the only achievement of note is the first away win in Italy (against Livorno, if I remember correctly - possibly 2-3?).

Spot on mate and in fact I think that was his main trait in his brief stint, we played fairly decently in Europe.

Would you take McLeish back now?

Oh and what's your team lol

[WalterLoyal 3]

Absolutely. The big ginger gentleman was a credit to Rangers and he is probably the most underrated manager in our history. Make no mistake, he worked absolute miracles while downsizing.

To be honest, the Villarreal games, we should have gone through. I remember someone got me a bookie slip for my birthday with Lovenkrands 0-1 (£5 Win). So close to a perfect birthday.

Does anyone remember when Villarreal scored? Was it late? Maybe it seemed late because we scored early? I was pished, it was my birthday.

Bang on mate. Mcleish definitely doesn't get the credit he deserves. I think people forgot just how bad we were before he had joined. We were out the title race before Christmas for the second season in a row. Advocaat just couldn't compete with O'Neil's Celtic. Mcleish came in and we improved dramatically almost overnight, winning the next five trophies. A cup double in his first season, with a tremendous cup final win against Celtic, and a treble the following season. That's when the downsizing started and we lost most of our best players. We struggled that season but Mcleish then rebuilt the following summer and we went on to win the title. The last season was poor domestically but we did well in Europe. A whisker away from the CL quarter final after losing on away goals to a very good Villarreal side.