Rangers Youth

[SwallowsHisOwnSpunk 7,961]

Sorry but I’m gonna add some more negativity to the board.

I see our U-19 side has just lost their latest game 6-1 against some Brazilian side, we’ve also lost 3-1 to Utrecht & lost 4-0 to Anderlecht.

3 games, 3 losses and pumped in every game.

Our B team is being managed by the two biggest jokers in Scottish Football David McCallum & Malky Thomson both of whom have failed year after year.

There don’t seem to be any players looking like making a breakthrough, other than Bailey Rice & potentially Zak Lovelace both of whom we’ve bought from other clubs rather than developed ourselves.

It wasn’t long ago we were heading to International tournaments and winning them, the likes of Alex Lowry, Kai Kennedy, McPake etc… actually looked really good.

These players have never progressed from that initial promise (even Lowry has been handled horrendously) and now the latest generations of kids are nowhere near even that level.

We have gone from winning the leagues of most age groups to getting pumped by the likes of Motherwell & Hibs never mind the tarriers.

Obviously winning tournaments isn’t everything, in youth football it’s about producing one maybe 2 standout youth players every year but having a winning team & ethos absolutely helps the better players develop.

Craig Mullholland is gone, this Zeb Jacobs seems forward thinking (yet not much actual proof of success) but the staff below him seem absolutely useless.

What is it that’s gone so wrong in our Youth setup? We’ve gone from people praising as one of the most forward thinking in European football to one getting destroyed every week across almost every age group!

Is it our scouting / recruitment of players when they are young? Or is it how we are developing them?

Either way something needs to change and quickly.

[SPWF 8,667]

18 minutes ago, SwallowsHisOwnSpunk said:

Sorry but I’m gonna add some more negativity to the board.

I see our U-19 side has just lost their latest game 6-1 against some Brazilian side, we’ve also lost 3-1 to Utrecht & lost 4-0 to Anderlecht.

3 games, 3 losses and pumped in every game.

Our B team is being managed by the two biggest jokers in Scottish Football David McCallum & Malky Thomson both of whom have failed year after year.

There don’t seem to be any players looking like making a breakthrough, other than Bailey Rice & potentially Zak Lovelace both of whom we’ve bought from other clubs rather than developed ourselves.

It wasn’t long ago we were heading to International tournaments and winning them, the likes of Alex Lowry, Kai Kennedy, McPake etc… actually looked really good.

These players have never progressed from that initial promise (even Lowry has been handled horrendously) and now the latest generations of kids are nowhere near even that level.

We have gone from winning the leagues of most age groups to getting pumped by the likes of Motherwell & Hibs never mind the tarriers.

Obviously winning tournaments isn’t everything, in youth football it’s about producing one maybe 2 standout youth players every year but having a winning team & ethos absolutely helps the better players develop.

Craig Mullholland is gone, this Zeb Jacobs seems forward thinking (yet not much actual proof of success) but the staff below him seem absolutely useless.

What is it that’s gone so wrong in our Youth setup? We’ve gone from people praising as one of the most forward thinking in European football to one getting destroyed every week across almost every age group!

Is it our scouting / recruitment of players when they are young? Or is it how we are developing them?

Either way something needs to change and quickly.

He was injured a lot last season. He’s now out on loan and playing at the third biggest club in the country. Not sure what else we could do with him tbh. 

[The Dude 20,026]

Its almost as if chasing folk who were actually doing pretty well was a stupid move.

[ForeverAndEver 72,901]

2 minutes ago, The Dude said:

Its almost as if chasing folk who were actually doing pretty well was a stupid move.

Who? 
 

Also, seen your comment on Twitter about Hamilton  that’s bizarre as fuck lol

[Fergie_6 1,078]

31 minutes ago, SwallowsHisOwnSpunk said:

Sorry but I’m gonna add some more negativity to the board.

I see our U-19 side has just lost their latest game 6-1 against some Brazilian side, we’ve also lost 3-1 to Utrecht & lost 4-0 to Anderlecht.

3 games, 3 losses and pumped in every game.

Our B team is being managed by the two biggest jokers in Scottish Football David McCallum & Malky Thomson both of whom have failed year after year.

There don’t seem to be any players looking like making a breakthrough, other than Bailey Rice & potentially Zak Lovelace both of whom we’ve bought from other clubs rather than developed ourselves.

It wasn’t long ago we were heading to International tournaments and winning them, the likes of Alex Lowry, Kai Kennedy, McPake etc… actually looked really good.

These players have never progressed from that initial promise (even Lowry has been handled horrendously) and now the latest generations of kids are nowhere near even that level.

We have gone from winning the leagues of most age groups to getting pumped by the likes of Motherwell & Hibs never mind the tarriers.

Obviously winning tournaments isn’t everything, in youth football it’s about producing one maybe 2 standout youth players every year but having a winning team & ethos absolutely helps the better players develop.

Craig Mullholland is gone, this Zeb Jacobs seems forward thinking (yet not much actual proof of success) but the staff below him seem absolutely useless.

What is it that’s gone so wrong in our Youth setup? We’ve gone from people praising as one of the most forward thinking in European football to one getting destroyed every week across almost every age group!

Is it our scouting / recruitment of players when they are young? Or is it how we are developing them?

Either way something needs to change and quickly.

Who was the last player Rangers developed ourselves as you say?

[SwallowsHisOwnSpunk 7,961]

27 minutes ago, Fergie_6 said:

Who was the last player Rangers developed ourselves as you say?

Well I wouldn’t count Patterson as he was still only a sub, although he may have gone onto be a starter, but I don’t think Gerrard/Gio/Beale would have dropped Tav.

I’m sure if Gilmour had stayed he would’ve gone on to start.

I mean the last two to actually become regular 1st team starters were Lewis MacLeod & Barrie McKay. McKay was taken in as a 16 year old so again we didn’t develop him and if anything his development under McCoist set his career back. MacLeod if we are honest probably wouldn’t have been given a chance in a SPFL version of Rangers.

So you are looking at the pre 3rd division teams the likes of Fleck, Ness, Wilson, Wylde, Hutton all made a fair few appearances but none were guaranteed starters.

Your then probably talking Charlie Adam as the last top flight guarenteed starter, McGregor & Hutton just before him.

[Laudrupsleftfoot 11,752]

3 minutes ago, SwallowsHisOwnSpunk said:

Well I wouldn’t count Patterson as he was still only a sub.

I mean the last two to actually become regular 1st team starters were Lewis MacLeod & Barrie McKay. McKay was taken in as a 16 year old so again we didn’t develop him and if anything his development under McCoist set his career back. MacLeod if we are honest probably wouldn’t have been given a chance in a SPFL version of Rangers.

So you are looking at the pre 3rd division teams the likes of Fleck, Ness, Wilson, Wylde, Hutton all made a fair few appearances but none were guaranteed starters.

Your then probably talking Charlie Adam as the last top flight guarenteed starter, McGregor & Hutton just before him.

The guaranteed starters will continue to be taken off our hands long before they can become guaranteed starters.

Gilmour, Patterson etc.

Rice if he’s good enough will likely be next.

[The Dude 20,026]

59 minutes ago, ForeverAndEver said:

Who? 
 

Also, seen your comment on Twitter about Hamilton  that’s bizarre as fuck lol

Several. Mulholland being the obvious one and, dare I even say, Murty.

Fucking wild, eh? Bullet dodged in hindsight mind you.

[The Dude 20,026]

1 hour ago, Fergie_6 said:

Who was the last player Rangers developed ourselves as you say?

McCrorie, King, Patterson, Devine, Gilmour

[esquire8 44,092]

It's all a bit of a disjointed mess from the outside imo.

You've got Jacobs who is now running the thing. He has gave highly rated Campbell a so called promotion from the u18 manager to now looking after the top talents(?).

There's McCallum and now Thomson in charge of the B team with the pair somehow still being employed despite past failures.

Gilmour was promoted of sorts to u18 manager and works along with Smith.

You've got u18s sometimes in the B team and B team sometimes with the 1st team depending on the week, with no clear pathway. 

Need to give Jacobs time but there is a huge issue with the transition between u18 and 1st team. B team, if there should be one, needs sorted out.

[esquire8 44,092]

23 minutes ago, The Dude said:

Several. Mulholland being the obvious one and, dare I even say, Murty.

Fucking wild, eh? Bullet dodged in hindsight mind you.

I'm on the fence about Mulholland. Obviously highly rated when he took over but left and just went back to his buddy? 

Murty seems to be doing well at Sunderland.

[bluenose244 2,623]

1 hour ago, Laudrupsleftfoot said:

The guaranteed starters will continue to be taken off our hands long before they can become guaranteed starters.

Gilmour, Patterson etc.

Rice if he’s good enough will likely be next.

Not if they are 'started' they won't.

Why would a young player stay at Auchenhowie with no prospect of first team football, when he could sit at ANY EPL academy with no prospect of first team football on double the money?

Offering first team football to our best youth players is the only card we have to play to counter the big boys down south, we never play it.

[esquire8 44,092]

Just now, bluenose244 said:

Not if they are 'started' they won't.

Why would a young player stay at Auchenhowie with no prospect of first team football, when he could sit at ANY EPL academy with no prospect of first team football on double the money?

Offering first team football to our best youth players is the only card we have to play to counter the big boys down south, we never play it.

We played it with King.

[The Dude 20,026]

Just now, esquire8 said:

We played it with King.

And KaiKennedy and that wee cunt Dickson and a couple of others like Josh McPake

[esquire8 44,092]

5 minutes ago, The Dude said:

And KaiKennedy and that wee cunt Dickson and a couple of others like Josh McPake

Possibly. King was the first one I seen that said 1st team opportunities were the reason for signing.

Mental that McPake is still here.

[DiamondDan 2,386]

58 minutes ago, The Dude said:

McCrorie, King, Patterson, Devine, Gilmour

None of them have done anything of note in a Rangers Jersey, or much else in anyone else's jerseys. Mulholland's time had long since passed. 

[The Dude 20,026]

Just now, esquire8 said:

Possibly. King was the first one I seen that said 1st team opportunities were the reason for signing.

Mental that McPake is still here.

Dickson was the exact same. Spent months refusing a new deal - with his cunt of a dad taking shots at everyone at the club on twitter - got his debut at Falkirk then signed a new deal.

[The Dude 20,026]

1 minute ago, DiamondDan said:

None of them have done anything of note in a Rangers Jersey, or much else in anyone else's jerseys. Mulholland's time had long since passed. 

So they weren't players who were developed at Rangers? Patterson was a full international who'd played at the Euros before leaving. If he wasn't developed at Rangers, which club was he developed at?

[esquire8 44,092]

13 minutes ago, The Dude said:

Dickson was the exact same. Spent months refusing a new deal - with his cunt of a dad taking shots at everyone at the club on twitter - got his debut at Falkirk then signed a new deal.

Less said about that wee cunt the better.

[Laudrupsleftfoot 11,752]

11 hours ago, bluenose244 said:

Not if they are 'started' they won't.

Why would a young player stay at Auchenhowie with no prospect of first team football, when he could sit at ANY EPL academy with no prospect of first team football on double the money?

Offering first team football to our best youth players is the only card we have to play to counter the big boys down south, we never play it.

Fair point - no kid is ready at 16/17 though unless a generational talent.

[RM Monitor And Standards Officer 111,283]

14 hours ago, Fergie_6 said:

Who was the last player Rangers developed ourselves as you say?

Almost every player at the academy will have been bought or signed from elsewhere 

[plymouthranger 4,064]

14 hours ago, SwallowsHisOwnSpunk said:

Well I wouldn’t count Patterson as he was still only a sub, although he may have gone onto be a starter, but I don’t think Gerrard/Gio/Beale would have dropped Tav.

I’m sure if Gilmour had stayed he would’ve gone on to start.

I mean the last two to actually become regular 1st team starters were Lewis MacLeod & Barrie McKay. McKay was taken in as a 16 year old so again we didn’t develop him and if anything his development under McCoist set his career back. MacLeod if we are honest probably wouldn’t have been given a chance in a SPFL version of Rangers.

So you are looking at the pre 3rd division teams the likes of Fleck, Ness, Wilson, Wylde, Hutton all made a fair few appearances but none were guaranteed starters.

Your then probably talking Charlie Adam as the last top flight guarenteed starter, McGregor & Hutton just before him.

Patterson a great example about how the short term thinking at our club means we’ll struggle to ever replicate the “Ajax model” or equivalents that get thrown around as the model to follow. 
 

A side like Ajax would’ve sold Tavernier when Patterson was ready, as Patterson had more upside and Tavernier would’ve reached his peak and been on the way down. But they are in a league with 3 sides who can win the title each year, which means you can not win it occasionally and it not be regarded as a complete failure.

[Fergie_6 1,078]

4 hours ago, RFC55 said:

Almost every player at the academy will have been bought or signed from elsewhere 

Exactly what I was alluding too.

[Gascoigne8 3,412]

4 hours ago, RFC55 said:

Almost every player at the academy will have been bought or signed from elsewhere 

Just checked there. Thats an unbelievable stat 

[Gascoigne8 3,412]

4 hours ago, RFC55 said:

Almost every player at the academy will have been bought or signed from elsewhere 

Thought rice was a pass through from the younger age groups but apparently was at motherwell