How Important Is A Scottish/SPFL Experienced Core?

[BlueSuedeSambas 53,793]

Heard this coming up on the Rangers Review after the game yesterday, and it’s not the first time, and Johnny McFarlane isn’t the first person I’ve heard saying it either.

Historically we have always had a core of players who fit that mould, but is it becoming a cliche or an old fashioned mindset to suggest that is what we need to be successful, or is the way we dismiss it part of the reason we are so bad?

Johnny McFarlane used the example of Ian Ferguson saying “imagine Twitter if Rangers were linked with St Mirren’s best midfielder now” but is that a fair corolation? The football world was a lot smaller then, and shit clubs had players who had quality that supporters could only dream of seeing now. It’s worth remembering that we beat Man Utd to Ian Ferguson’s signature. Would Man Utd sign a St Mirren midfielder now? Would they fuck.

Look at the past few years. We’ve had McGregor, Davis, Arfield, Jack..all guys who fit this know the club, know the league, know the standards” and it’s not really helped has it? 

We are currently watching a celtic side made up of guys assembled from all over the world run away with this league (again) while scudding everybody in their path (again) and Greg Taylor & Callum McGregor aside, where are their “celtic minded” men? Where are their big core of important players “who know the league”? They don’t have any. They have players who treat this league with the contempt that it deserves.

The SPFL is arguably the lowest standard of quality that it’s ever been. Do we really need to try and find guys who “get it” or is it a case of just needing good players who can outplay our opponents and win through quality to win the league? 

Interested to hear the forums thoughts on this.

[The Dude 20,026]

2 minutes ago, BlueSuedeSambas said:

Heard this coming up on the Rangers Review after the game yesterday, and it’s not the first time, and Johnny McFarlane isn’t the first person I’ve heard saying it either.

Historically we have always had a core of players who fit that mould, but is it become a cliche or an old fashioned mindset to suggest that is what we need to be successful, or is the way we dismiss it part of the reason we are so bad?

Johnny McFarlane used the example of Ian Ferguson saying “imagine Twitter if Rangers were linked with St Mirren’s best midfielder now” but is that a fair corolation? The football world was a lot smaller then, and shit clubs had players who had quality that supporters could only dream of seeing now. It’s worth remembering that we beat Man Utd to Ian Ferguson’s signature. Would Man Utd sign a St Mirren midfielder now? Would they fuck.

Look at the past few years. We’ve had McGregor, Davis, Arfield, Jack..all guys who fit this know the club, know the league, know the standards” and it’s not really helped has it? 

We are currently watching a celtic side made up of guys assembled from all over the world run away with this league (again) while scudding everybody in their path (again) and Greg Taylor & Callum McGregor aside, where are their “celtic minded” men? Where are their big core of important players “who know the league”? They don’t have any. They have players who treat this league with the contempt that it deserves.

The SPFL is arguably the lowest standard of quality that it’s ever been. Do we really need to try and find guys who “get it” or is it a case of just needing good players who can outplay our opponents and win through quality to win the league? 

Interested to hear the forums thoughts on this.

Quality is what matters, not 'knowing the league'.

Tbh, I've always found it a bit of a weird argument.  It's not as if we have a league where players get caught out by things like excessive travel or wildly differing weather (two things that are big issues in MLS for example given travel times between games and the difference in climate between, say, Chicago and Miami).

As you mentioned, there are countless guys who 'don't know the league' who have come here and been levels above.

The ONLY thing Rangers players need to 'get' is that finishing second is as good as last.

[peter huistra 1,740]

Yes I think it's important and more should have been done to bring in guys like Lewis Ferguson and maybe John Fleck guys who know the standards that make this club great, give me an spl jobber who will fight tooth and nail over some scouser getting 20k a week and basically couldn't really give two fucks any day. When Walter came back after le guen he immediately set about recruiting these type of players.  

[J-Maestro 11,110]

It’s important but not the be all end all. I think we should be focusing on bringing straight in to the XI players from elsewhere then filling in the gaps with younger SPL players or youth who know the score some won’t make it and some will, then a few older players from England or Europe where Rangers will be their absolute peak of their career.

[The Godfather 71,901]

Look at them.

It's not important 

[bluenoz 30,847]

The game has changed. Players like John Brown, Ian Ferguson, and Stuart McCall were important players in the 90s. Those players don't exist these days in Scottish football.

It would appear Lewis Ferguson is improving, but I didn't think his performances at Aberdeen were good enough to play for us at the time.

It would be nice to have Scottish Rangers supporting players, but there are few of them these days.

[RossS1873 1,660]

The important thing is getting a team that doesn't treat clubs in this league like Madrid or City. Knowing we're Rangers and we're on that day a better team and have the ability to almost win the game before it's played.

[NixonRFC 1,334]

McFarlane could cure insomnia.

Pre Bosman almost every club had a decent player or two because they could more or less hold their licences to ransom for their entire career, you could go to a St Mirren, Dundee Utd, Motherwell, Hearts, Hibs or even an Aberdeen and they'd normally have one player at least who'd make you better.

With the three foreigner rule it was a no brainer to swoop up the best Scottish talent because every club was in the same boat, what you might end up doing though is playing someone who in a level playing field might not be good enough for you but as he's Scottish and you had to fill the quota he'd have to make do, having a Scottish core was just a consequence of having to shop predominately in Scotland out of necessity rather than desire.

[OrangeRab 2,746]

Think it depends. By buying from the league you get a few things. Usually they are used to the physicality so less of a gamble. They’re less likely to roll over in tricky away trips. (No doubt it’s harder to get up for an away game on a Sunday in the highlands than 50,000 at Ibrox for a foreigner). And probably less likely to want to move away after a few years and throw the toys out the pram and let standards slip like a kamara.

I don’t think it’s a case of eg Man Utd not buying from st Mirren. Not immediately for the first team. But they’ve shown they are far quicker in signing any good young Scottish talent. Before you could wait till a player was 23-24 and sign them. Now three are gone before they hit 20 a lot of the time.

Finally not all other foreign players are created equal. One thing about the A league players that everybody says is their attitude and work ethic is spot on. 
 

Whilst you hear a lot of the opposite about South American players 

[BlueAvenger 10,242]

There’s not many good Scottish players about.  We need major investment to sign good quality players wherever the fuck they come from. Not average mediocre players that are not good enough to win the league. 

[ElBufalo20 7,896]

We need quality and a striker who’ll take chances

[Loyal72 11,059]

I want players that are good footballers, impact games, throw themselves about and actually make a difference.

Could care less if they know this league or not, they'll quickly learn.

Sign what we need for homegrown, but if the better players we can get aren't Scottish, I don't particularly care.

[esquire8 42,771]

Quality.

Players who barely know the league but are far better can give the league the disrespect it deserves. 

Players who know the league will give the other 10 too much respect.

Also every player from the other 10 dross clubs are nowhere near good enough for us.

[graeme_4 34,538]

Need a bit of dig as well as footballing skill for the Scottish game. Doesn’t have to be British, but would like a nastier streak in them. We’re far too nice right now. 

[Madina 3,821]

Ideally we'd have a squad with a vast majority that were  "Rangers men" growing up and knew what the OF rivalry was all about. Its modern football though and that hasnt happend since probably the early 1990s. 

The Asian contingent from scum seem to grasp what playing for them means in terms of having success. Not sure many of our current lot do 

[BridgeIsBlue 66,606]

Had plenty Rangers fans in the team over the years and it's done fuck all for us. 

[SPWF 8,238]

It’s proper Rangers da patter these days to think/say we need the Scottish core we used to have. Football’s moved on. 

[East Enclosure Row N 2,823]

5 hours ago, Madina said:

Ideally we'd have a squad with a vast majority that were  "Rangers men" growing up and knew what the OF rivalry was all about. 

I could not give a toss if they were born in Maryhill or the moon as long as they were winners.

There has to be a very good reason why celtic's recruitment team get it right so often, and our one gets it wrong?

[HairyBeary 1,040]

I'd be happy with a fully fit squad of 25 players before worrying where they came from . 

[AGM_72 3,637]

People often pointed to the Caixinha signings as a danger of "not knowing the league", but the reality is they were just shite. That's usually the biggest issue.

[The Dude 20,026]

‘Rangers men’ like Allan McGregor, Ryan Jack, Scott Arfield, Steven Davis, Graham Dorrans, Kyle Lafferty (and probably one or two I’ve forgotten) have all been part of the side over the last five years as we’ve failed time and time again. 
 

 

[gj923 1,457]

Unless we want to pick from a squad of 17 for Europe we need them however I would be more happy if we had 4 first team players from the academy and the need to get up 4 association players is negated.

[The Dude 20,026]

3 minutes ago, gj923 said:

Unless we want to pick from a squad of 17 for Europe we need them however I would be more happy if we had 4 first team players from the academy and the need to get up 4 association players is negated.

Having four club-trained players doesn't remove the requirement for a further four association-trained players. Having 8 club-trained players in the squad would but we're a LONG way away from that.

[NorthernLights 2,526]

We don’t need players from the league but ignoring them would be missing a trick too

[gj923 1,457]

17 minutes ago, The Dude said:

Having four club-trained players doesn't remove the requirement for a further four association-trained players. Having 8 club-trained players in the squad would but we're a LONG way away from that.

I know but its better to have at least 21/22 squad size in Europe rather than 17 - my point which I never actually made was association players should only be signed if they are good enough for the squad - they don't necessarily have to be stuck on first team picks but it would not be a bad thing if they where