McCoist hints at McCulloch future in defence

[Boab 73]

He also said on RTV post match on the reserves: 'He's very humble, willing to learn and a top player'

Paraphrasing maybe a little there but he did use those exact words and put it that way, reaction? Perhaps scary that one of our top youth guys says that?

[Amac9 2,060]

Please God, no.

[MosesMcNeil 1,664]

Please God, no.

For all we know he might be a cracking CB

[Amac9 2,060]

Please God, no.

For all we know he might be a cracking CB

I highly doubt that, he's a sorry excuse for a football player.

[AdzKyle 7,897]

I find it quite ridiculous that they are retraining him in other positions just so they can use him. If he isnt gonna play in his normal position then fucking sell him. So far this season he has played out of position at CM and CB.

Be worried guys, the only place further back is GK

[chris_glasgow 2]

FFS this is a kick to any young player trying to break into the team if that useeess f*ck plays at centre half

[bringonthbarca 25]

I find it quite ridiculous that they are retraining him in other positions just so they can use him. If he isnt gonna play in his normal position then fucking sell him. So far this season he has played out of position at CM and CB.

Be worried guys, the only place further back is GK

Exactly get him to fuck unless we're gona play him LM. Think its a case of jobs for the boys no?

[AdzKyle 7,897]

I find it quite ridiculous that they are retraining him in other positions just so they can use him. If he isnt gonna play in his normal position then fucking sell him. So far this season he has played out of position at CM and CB.

Be worried guys, the only place further back is GK

Exactly get him to fuck unless we're gona play him LM. Think its a case of jobs for the boys no?

Thats exactly it

[Boab 73]

I find it quite ridiculous that they are retraining him in other positions just so they can use him. If he isnt gonna play in his normal position then fucking sell him. So far this season he has played out of position at CM and CB.

Be worried guys, the only place further back is GK

Exactly get him to fuck unless we're gona play him LM. Think its a case of jobs for the boys no?

Naw unless he plays as striker! Surely Striker is his normal position ? He didn't play midfield until Wigan ffs!

[bringonthbarca 25]

I find it quite ridiculous that they are retraining him in other positions just so they can use him. If he isnt gonna play in his normal position then fucking sell him. So far this season he has played out of position at CM and CB.

Be worried guys, the only place further back is GK

Exactly get him to fuck unless we're gona play him LM. Think its a case of jobs for the boys no?

Naw unless he plays as striker! Surely Striker is his normal position ? He didn't play midfield until Wigan ffs!

Can't say if i've ever seen him play up front (maybe one game last year?) End of the day i personally don't think he is good enough to play for us at al.

[AdzKyle 7,897]

I find it quite ridiculous that they are retraining him in other positions just so they can use him. If he isnt gonna play in his normal position then fucking sell him. So far this season he has played out of position at CM and CB.

Be worried guys, the only place further back is GK

Exactly get him to fuck unless we're gona play him LM. Think its a case of jobs for the boys no?

Naw unless he plays as striker! Surely Striker is his normal position ? He didn't play midfield until Wigan ffs!

I would say striker was his normal position. He was adapted to play LM. I dont want him in either of those positions so sell him!

[lidorfc 6,665]

walter seems desperate to find this sorry excuse for a footballer a place in the team, i really feel sorry for the young centre backs trying to break in2 the 1st team, its a serious kick in the balls when walter would rather try a LM/ST at centre back rather than a young ambitious CB.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

I find it quite ridiculous that they are retraining him in other positions just so they can use him. If he isnt gonna play in his normal position then fucking sell him. So far this season he has played out of position at CM and CB.

Be worried guys, the only place further back is GK

Exactly get him to fuck unless we're gona play him LM. Think its a case of jobs for the boys no?

Naw unless he plays as striker! Surely Striker is his normal position ? He didn't play midfield until Wigan ffs!

Thought he played often for Wigan at left midfield.

I also think that if he's better in that position, then he's worth using, if he's better than the available options. Dailly can be lightweight. Weir's getting on.

[Boab 73]

I find it quite ridiculous that they are retraining him in other positions just so they can use him. If he isnt gonna play in his normal position then fucking sell him. So far this season he has played out of position at CM and CB.

Be worried guys, the only place further back is GK

Exactly get him to fuck unless we're gona play him LM. Think its a case of jobs for the boys no?

Naw unless he plays as striker! Surely Striker is his normal position ? He didn't play midfield until Wigan ffs!

Thought he played often for Wigan at left midfield.

I also think that if he's better in that position, then he's worth using, if he's better than the available options. Dailly can be lightweight. Weir's getting on.

Didn't say he didn't at Wigan

And as for the 2nd point:

:harhar:

[Muff 245]

ALLY McCOIST has hinted that Lee McCulloch's future may lie at the heart of the Rangers defence.

The 30-year-old played his third reserve game at centre-back for Gers in the 3-0 victory at St Mirren where he opened the scoring.

The Gers No.2 was impressed with McCulloch's all-round display as he kept Craig Dargo and Jim Hamilton quiet.

And with Davie Weir now 38 it could be that the powerful midfielder is undergoing a conversion process that will eventually see him slot in alongside Madjid Bougherra.

McCoist said: "Lee is coming on and playing centre-back and he is really enjoying it.

"Playing that position is different for Lee obviously, but he scored one goal and could have had another couple.

"He is an obvious menace from the set- piece and he can spot and make a pass from out of the back. He looked very comfortable.

"I would have had said that although that was Lee's third game at centre-back for the reserves, it was by far his toughest given that he was up against Craig Dargo and big Jim Hamilton. He came through strongly.

"There is no doubt that having Christian Dailly, who is an international centre-back alongside him, would have been a help but Lee did well."

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/displa...2462679.0.0.php

The manager said to me one day at training that he felt I had all the attributes to play at the back

and he asked me if I had ever played there before.

My answer was "no", because, even when I was young, I had only ever played in midfield or attack. I had never even played in defence in training

Terrifying, utterly terrifying....!

Yep he's slow, can't tackle, distribution is horrendous, his positional sense is awful, he doesn't communicate, sits too deep and although some say he's great in the air, he really isn't that good.

Even worse that it is coming from our current manager and the man who could take over from Smith.

I was speaking to a former coach at Hibs and Rangers season ticket holder and he can't understand why Rangers would even think of doing this?

[radlord 24]

It basically sums everything up with Smith, really.

[minstral 5,375]

tell you all you want to know about smith.

[macka1990 0]

the longer he stays in the reserves the better . . . where eva he is playing

[BlueIsTheColour 35]

The day that Lee McCulloch plays in defence for the Rangers first team is the day that Jordan McMillan and the rest of our aspiring young defenders should look for a new club.

It is insulting enough that he gets to play there in the reserves. I think i will lose all respect for Walter Smith if he plays Lee McCulloch in defence.

[Poetry_In_Blue 1,043]

I really hope this doesn't happen, but Smith is good at turning srikers and midfielders into defenders, we had 11 of them on the pitch at times last season.

[JTP 221]

I'd rather we played with a traffic cone at Centre Back

[TannochsideBear 355]

Having read the title of the thread, I was hoping to read that his future was at another club.

Sadly, it looks as if because he is not good enough to play anywhere in midfield or up front now that we have some options there, we are trying to get him a game at the back.

Just punt him on and be done with it please.

[edranger 0]

Beyond belief

[ShootSpeedKillLight 0]

There's an article on the official site that makes me worry as well.

FOOTBALLERS that hit the age of 30 are usually regarded as being 'veterans' of the beautiful game but Lee McCulloch is proof that you are never too old to learn.

Having played at the highest level for over a decade in midfield and as a striker the Lanarkshire lad has seen and done it all - or so he thought!

As he prepared to return to action with the Reserves against Kilmarnock on September 30 after a seven week stint on the treatment table Lee was expecting to feature in an advanced role with Tommy Wilson's side but Walter Smith had other ideas.

The Gers' gaffer pulled his £2.25million signing to the side during a training session at Murray Park and asked how he felt about playing in the heart of defence with the club's second string.

The question hit McCulloch like a thunderbolt as it was a position he had never thought about playing before at youth or professional level.

Smith, however, used all his persuasive powers to convince him to give it a try and there is no doubt that Lee has the raw ingredients to make this transition.

At six feet in height and powerfully built he can certainly match most players with his physical presence and he also has an in-built ability to read a game which comes from experience.

Moving into defence was not in McCulloch's plans but having now played alongside Christian Dailly and Jordan McMillan in recent Reserve fixtures he is gradually getting used to the idea.

Lee, who scored against St. Mirren Reserves on Tuesday, said: "I have been playing centre-half for on a couple of occasions now and, funnily enough, have enjoyed it.

"The manager said to me one day at training that he felt I had all the attributes to play at the back and asked me if I had every played there before.

"My answer was 'no' because even when I was young I had only even played in midfield or attack. I had never even played in defence in training!

"But I told him that I would love to give it crack although I knew it would be a bit of a learning curve.

"But playing there has been great and I feel I have done pretty well.

"I think when you see the game from a different perspective it can only be a good thing and it gives you a better understanding of the game."

Following his move to Ibrox from Wigan Athletic on July 11, 2007 McCulloch has featured in every possible midfield role and has even been selected as a lone striker on more than one occasion.

His versatility is a huge asset but despite his recent forays at centre-half Lee still sees himself as an attacking player first and foremost and is desperate to recapture his top form in a Light Blue jersey.

He said: "It's true that I have played in a lot of positions for Rangers and that's fine by me.

"I will play wherever the gaffer wants me to if it means I am playing on a Saturday and wearing a Rangers jersey.

"Being in defence is new to me and something I am enjoying but I still see myself as an attacking player.

"When I first arrived at Rangers I started the majority of the games on the left side of midfield and I thought I did pretty well there initially.

"But since then my goals have dried up a little bit and that's something I am aware of.

"If I do get back in the team in midfield or attack I need to hit the net more and this is something I know I can do.

"I if I can start to do this consistently again that will give me a better chance of staying in the team."

http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Ne...1428908,00.html

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,659]

This what we need not cnuts that faint in the heat of Aberdeen ! :unionflag:

http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Ne...1428908,00.html