Gareth McAuley

[ForeverAndEver 71,374]

3 hours ago, CoatbridgeBear said:

Flanagan has done fuckall wrong

lol

 

 

 

Good thread from oor @Siwel

[bluenoz 30,689]

34 minutes ago, JM1872 said:

Absolutely shocked that so far nobody has mentioned that his name is Carlos Bacca, not Barca, and that last we heard we was injured and ruled out this game (unless a miraculous recovery) and therefore won't feature, so McAuley won't have to mark him.

I know his name is Bacca. .Shocked because someone makes a spelling error? Grow up. And for your information he is fit and available for selection. Know what your a talking about before your smarmy comments.

[BridgeIsBlue 66,604]

1 hour ago, bluenoz said:

Flanagan cost us the game in Moscow. Fact.

Probably agree with you here, though the linesman is as much to blame as well for the fourth goal we scored. 

[bluenoz 30,689]

1 minute ago, BridgeIsBlue said:

Probably agree with you here, though the linesman is as much to blame as well for the fourth goal we scored. 

true.

[McEwan's Lager 30,514]

3 hours ago, CoatbridgeBear said:

Flanagan has done fuckall wrong

He came on and made a number of mistakes yesterday in the limited time he was in.

I think he should stick to right back or not play at all.

[Heshootshescores 1,904]

McAuley has been a solid centre half for years, and he isn't to be messed with. Be selective with number of appearances, and he could do a good job. 

[RosscoRFC87 216]

Old school, was decent.

A couple of yikes moments handled ok,

still need to consider what he’ll be like against a better team.

[Vision 16,725]

Interview in DR

Gareth McAuley spent seven years at West Brom in the Premier League getting pats on the back for avoiding relegation.

Now, at almost 39 years old, the centre-back says he’s at Rangers to start succeeding.

The Northern Ireland star has revealed he snubbed an offer from an English top-flight side to go to Ibrox.

For a boyhood Rangers fan, it was an easy decision at this stage of his career.

But for anyone down south – including his baffled agents – it might have seemed crazy to reject England’s riches for a crack at the Scottish Premiership.

But McAuley insists he’s here with a solitary aim – to win trophies.

With his family still in the Midlands, Larne-born McAuley has no distractions.

Success at The Hawthorns was finishing 17th in the league table and staying up.

 

Instead, with Steven Gerrard’s new-look squad at Rangers, he’s embarking on a potential title challenge to celtic.

And on Thursday night, he’s desperate to feature in the crunch Europa League tie with Villarreal at a packed-out Ibrox.

Even at his age, McAuley is living the dream. That’s why when it came to joining Gers, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind. He said: “This was the club I wanted to come to.

“There was a whisper at the end of last season that it might be a possibility so throughout the summer, I was knocking things back waiting to see if it’d happen.

“This was the one that gave me a spark and a buzz.

“I could have signed for another Premier League club but I’d probably have been involved in another relegation battle.

“I’d done that for the past seven years at West Brom. Success there is always staying up.

“It’s different here at Rangers. I’ve got the chance to win trophies, to have that different pressure of playing every week to win.

“Second isn’t good enough here and that’s why I came. Winning is my only aim. My family is still down in England so it’s all I’m focused on.

“At West Brom, we survived six years out of seven. But what did we actually win? Nothing.

“When it came to cup games, the manager would change the team so we had no chance of reaching finals.

“That’s the draw of Rangers. I was comfortable knocking back clubs to come here. My agents thought I was crazy, they couldn’t believe it really.

“But this is a massive club, a world famous club. It’s the most successful club, so I couldn’t think of anywhere better to play football.

“It can be hard to explain to people. My wife comes up and when we go out people immediately come over to speak to me.

“In the Midlands, you can just disappear. You can’t do that in Glasgow. Football here is bigger than most things.

“People are just so passionate about it but that’s the attraction.”

Despite a stellar career for club and country, McAuley has rarely featured on the European stage.

In club football, a goal for Coleraine back in 2003 in an Inter-Toto Cup tie against Andorran minnows St Julia was about as good as it got.

He never managed to make it to Ibrox on a big Champions League or Europa League night as a supporter but finally got to sample the atmosphere recently in their 3-1 victory over Rapid Vienna.

And now he’d love to get on the pitch against Villarreal in midweek.

McAuley said: “Europe is a new experience for me and if I play on Thursday it’ll be completely different to being in the stand for the last couple of games.

“As a spectacle and an atmosphere, the Rapid game was breathtaking.

“I’d never been to a European game as a fan so it was just incredible. The players came off the pitch saying it was the best they’d ever played in.

“My mates travel across from Northern Ireland to games and they’re right in the mix. They’ve always talked about it. But to be there and experience it for myself was something special.

[.Williamson. 82,019]

9 hours ago, CoatbridgeBear said:

Flanagan has done fuckall wrong

Should be nowhere near the club

[Skelf 1,153]

5 hours ago, bluenoz said:

I know his name is Bacca. .Shocked because someone makes a spelling error? Grow up. And for your information he is fit and available for selection. Know what your a talking about before your smarmy comments.

Dont think he is.  Still not 100% fit. If he doesnt make tonights game then he has no chanve on thursday

[Moody Blue Legend 61,409]

Well suited to a team like Livingstones tactics.  

[Bristol loyal 6,248]

11 minutes ago, Vision said:

Interview in DR

Gareth McAuley spent seven years at West Brom in the Premier League getting pats on the back for avoiding relegation.

Now, at almost 39 years old, the centre-back says he’s at Rangers to start succeeding.

The Northern Ireland star has revealed he snubbed an offer from an English top-flight side to go to Ibrox.

For a boyhood Rangers fan, it was an easy decision at this stage of his career.

But for anyone down south – including his baffled agents – it might have seemed crazy to reject England’s riches for a crack at the Scottish Premiership.

But McAuley insists he’s here with a solitary aim – to win trophies.

With his family still in the Midlands, Larne-born McAuley has no distractions.

Success at The Hawthorns was finishing 17th in the league table and staying up.

 

Instead, with Steven Gerrard’s new-look squad at Rangers, he’s embarking on a potential title challenge to celtic.

And on Thursday night, he’s desperate to feature in the crunch Europa League tie with Villarreal at a packed-out Ibrox.

Even at his age, McAuley is living the dream. That’s why when it came to joining Gers, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind. He said: “This was the club I wanted to come to.

“There was a whisper at the end of last season that it might be a possibility so throughout the summer, I was knocking things back waiting to see if it’d happen.

“This was the one that gave me a spark and a buzz.

“I could have signed for another Premier League club but I’d probably have been involved in another relegation battle.

“I’d done that for the past seven years at West Brom. Success there is always staying up.

“It’s different here at Rangers. I’ve got the chance to win trophies, to have that different pressure of playing every week to win.

“Second isn’t good enough here and that’s why I came. Winning is my only aim. My family is still down in England so it’s all I’m focused on.

“At West Brom, we survived six years out of seven. But what did we actually win? Nothing.

“When it came to cup games, the manager would change the team so we had no chance of reaching finals.

“That’s the draw of Rangers. I was comfortable knocking back clubs to come here. My agents thought I was crazy, they couldn’t believe it really.

“But this is a massive club, a world famous club. It’s the most successful club, so I couldn’t think of anywhere better to play football.

“It can be hard to explain to people. My wife comes up and when we go out people immediately come over to speak to me.

“In the Midlands, you can just disappear. You can’t do that in Glasgow. Football here is bigger than most things.

“People are just so passionate about it but that’s the attraction.”

Despite a stellar career for club and country, McAuley has rarely featured on the European stage.

In club football, a goal for Coleraine back in 2003 in an Inter-Toto Cup tie against Andorran minnows St Julia was about as good as it got.

He never managed to make it to Ibrox on a big Champions League or Europa League night as a supporter but finally got to sample the atmosphere recently in their 3-1 victory over Rapid Vienna.

And now he’d love to get on the pitch against Villarreal in midweek.

McAuley said: “Europe is a new experience for me and if I play on Thursday it’ll be completely different to being in the stand for the last couple of games.

“As a spectacle and an atmosphere, the Rapid game was breathtaking.

“I’d never been to a European game as a fan so it was just incredible. The players came off the pitch saying it was the best they’d ever played in.

“My mates travel across from Northern Ireland to games and they’re right in the mix. They’ve always talked about it. But to be there and experience it for myself was something special.

I know it’s easy to say the words, and we need to see it translate to the pitch, but that is exactly the attitude I would expect from a Rangers player. 

[Vision 16,725]

1 minute ago, Bristol loyal said:

I know it’s easy to say the words, and we need to see it translate to the pitch, but that is exactly the attitude I would expect from a Rangers player. 

Don't think we would have got a player of his experience if he was any younger.

[Prso's headband 35,348]

11 hours ago, LegendofCoop said:

Absolutely fucking loved it when he went hammering into the Livi player on the touchline. Would have been easy to just usher the ball out, but took the ball and the man and won the throw. Complete steel.....exactly what we need.

That came at an important time in the game as well. Livi were dominating the middle of the park and winning every tackle. We needed someone to take ownership and commit to a tackle and let them know we weren’t going to be pushed about.

We settled back down after that and started nipping in to tackles as well

[WATP-FOREVER 5,231]

14 hours ago, ben51 said:

Perfect game for him.

Will be tested more by the likes of HIVs but deserves to keep his place. 

Even sooner, against Villarreal I think mate - Goldson & McAuley the back two. 

[WATP-FOREVER 5,231]

11 hours ago, MrMckee said:

Hope he is but honestly how many defenders have been touted as 'the new Davie Weir' in here over the last few years 

Not many I can recall of, as serious contenders. 

[LegendofCoop 17,254]

1 hour ago, Prso's headband said:

That came at an important time in the game as well. Livi were dominating the middle of the park and winning every tackle. We needed someone to take ownership and commit to a tackle and let them know we weren’t going to be pushed about.

We settled back down after that and started nipping in to tackles as well

It's great to finally have CB's who aren't going to shite it at tackles. I think Goldson could be a little bit more aggressive, but Katic and Worrall have that about their game as well.

[Amokachi 2,992]

Chuffed we’ve got four decent no nonsense centre halfs & that the one I like the least is a loanee.  

[bluenoz 30,689]

Domestically yes ( especially on the 29th ).Europe no.

[JCDBigBear 10,810]

Is McAuley registered in our squad with UEFA?

[cushynumber 25,178]

9 minutes ago, JCDBigBear said:

Is McAuley registered in our squad with UEFA?

yes

[MisterC 12,263]

Absolutely strolled it, we certainly need a wise old head at the back. 

[plumbGER 24,518]

1 minute ago, MisterC said:

Absolutely strolled it, we certainly need a wise old head at the back. 

He does the basics right and makes it look easy, his experience will be vital in close games imo. He has slotted in twice when called upon and looked settled instantly like he has played there for years with us.

[pcbear 10,913]

57 minutes ago, JCDBigBear said:

Is McAuley registered in our squad with UEFA?

Came on as sub for about 30 seconds in Moscow.

[cushynumber 25,178]

for me, he will need to do a lot more than look Ok against 10 men and the Livingston.