Ibroxblue 122 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Ferguson returns to super-charge Rangers' engine room With the return of Barry Ferguson, Rangers have midfield strength that Celtic can only dream about (Ewan Murray) As Celtic's worries edge towards injury crisis stage, Rangers fans are preparing for the latest welcome to their prodigal son. Shunsuke Nakamura, Glenn Loovens, Georgios Samaras, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Stephen McManus are among Gordon Strachan's walking wounded. McManus should recover for Sunday's trip to face Hearts but the others represent a significant combined loss. With Manchester United just over the horizon, Strachan can perhaps bemoan the same poor fortune that saw Rangers lose a series of players to injury last season. Walter Smith, conversely, should unleash his captain, Barry Ferguson, for the first time this season as Inverness visit Ibrox. Ferguson turns 31 in February and is therefore no longer the youngster everyone fondly remembers making a first-team debut as an 18-year-old. Whether or not Ferguson's game has modified much in the intervening 12 years is open to debate. What is certain, though, is that the captain could and should, if he can remain fit, be the driving force behind Rangers' bid to wrest the title from Celtic's grasp. Towards the end of last season, particularly in Uefa Cup matches as Rangers marched towards the Manchester final, Ferguson displayed the very form people recall from his injury-free days. For too long, however, he has been dogged by, and played on through, everything from niggles to significant damage. The freshness of Smith's midfield, supplied by the arrival of Pedro Mendes, Maurice Edu and Steven Davis in the aftermath of an embarrassing European exit in Lithuania, contrasts markedly with Strachan's issues in that area. Nakamura's injury aside, Aiden McGeady and Shaun Maloney have flitted in and out of the team, Paul Hartley is apparently deemed worthy of only cameo appearances from the substitutes' bench and Barry Robson has been utilised as an emergency left-back. Only Scott Brown has flourished in the Celtic engine room this season. Mendes and Davis, meanwhile, have been among Scotland's most impressive performers while Kevin Thomson, maligned in many quarters, has also produced his best Rangers form. Smith says a "small tactical change" is all that will be required to facilitate Ferguson's return alongside those three regular performers; Celtic should and will be worried by such a midfield four as Rangers prepare for seven SPL matches in November. The key to Ferguson's influence as he moves into his 32nd year will be discipline. Heavily criticised by former manager Paul Le Guen on account of his failure to remain in position on the field, the Scotland international has never displayed a willingness to allow play to rage on around him. But having only just recovered from serious ankle surgery in the summer - he also went under the knife two years ago - and following the knee damage incurred during his brief flirtation with Blackburn Rovers, now is the time to ensure he remains an influential part of Rangers for the next four years at least. For that to happen, Ferguson must appreciate the merits of those around him rather than get caught up in personal crusades on a weekly basis. There is no questioning the mutually - and nationally, given Ferguson's status as the captain of Scotland - beneficial nature of such a policy. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/20...-barry-ferguson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingWilBEARy 4,319 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 not really been looking forward to the return of captain fantastic tbh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrT 173 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 not really been looking forward to the return of captain fantastic tbh I have and in the next 4 weeks you will see why, I am more excited of mendes given a more free role to play rather than stuck sitting deep fergie can do this now!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxwellrfc 6 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 not really been looking forward to the return of captain fantastic tbh aye m8 im the same, the midfields doin alryt without him tbh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muff 245 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 celtc may have injuries but they keep on winning! Time will tell if us having a stronger midfield works out - I'm not excited about the return of Ferguson, especially after his performances over the last two seasons. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrT 173 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 celtc may have injuries but they keep on winning! Time will tell if us having a stronger midfield works out - I'm not excited about the return of Ferguson, especially after his performances over the last two seasons. there winning true, But everytime I have watched them they are there for the taking sadly the other team has not taken the game to them like we did but it will happen, I feel the return of ferguson opens up several options for smith to use I personally would love to see a 3-5-2 I know it will never happen but I wish we would!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
papaguy51 912 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 The scum have been playing better with their 'injured' team than they were with the full strength side. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaltersGotStyle 160 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Can't wait! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poetry_In_Blue 1,043 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Apart from our blip against St Mirren, we have also been winning, and the most noticable win is the first old firm encounter at the piggery, remember they still have to come to Ibrox, also most of our games this season has been away from home, where as it's been pretty even for them. The small tactical change might be a diamond formation, with Fergie, Mendes, Davis and Thomson all playing? Don't know, we'll just have to wait and see. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUPERCOOPER 116 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Certainly curious as to how it's going to work Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw69uk 123 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 I would imagine, with Thomson being naturally left sided, and, Davis player slightly more right hand sided,, thats the kind of thing we may see, with Mendes and Ferguson central, perhaps taking turns to move forward. They may all be generally central players, but, the ball retention between the 4 of them will be fantastic, and, on the rare occasions Thomson has ventured forward, he has shown pretty fine technique. He is also good with a dead ball, and, I imagine can whip in a good cross, so, theres a good chance it would work Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TannochsideBear 355 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 It is now time to see the real thought process behind Smith's thinking when buying the midfielders he did during that late August burst. With Edu now acclimatised and settled in and having put in a fine performance against Hamilton in the recent league cup tie, Thomson back from injury and now fully fit and in form, Mendes in the playmaker role taking the ball from defence and using it well, Davis playing well and supplying decent chances for the strikers, and now the return of the best player out of all of them both technically and as a born leader driving the team on, just what has Smith got planned to get the best out of all of them? We must also not forget that we badly need width to get behind the tightly packed 10 man defences that we face at home most weeks (we certainly will tomorrow against ICT) and even in some away games. I for one am really looking forward to the game tomorrow and our first glimpse of just what exactly Smith had planned for this midfield. No matter how Smith formulates these players, if it all clicks into place we are going to be the winners with some great football, and if we keep Boyd in the team we will see a lot of goals as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamd1986 8 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 The thing is we may have a stronger midfield, but Celtic certainly have a more creative midfield. They're scoring at least 3 goals a game recently, something which I want to see Rangers doing! I want to see us going out a sticking a good number of goals away to issue a warning to others. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TannochsideBear 355 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 I think the reason they are scoring more goals than us is they have used set peices better than us. The overwhelming majority of their goals come from set pieces whereas our set pieces are very poor, especially corners. I think we have to concede that they have been putting in much better crosses from set pieces than we have. Obviously they get more free kicks than anybody else with the diving of the jap, the traitor and baby shaun so they put more emphasis on this but we do let ourselves down in this area. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasGers 96 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Doesn't seem to make sense to me as to why people are bemoaning the return of Barry. Some of you guys make it sound like it's Christian Dailly we're getting back. Alot of you assume he's going to be useless and a drag on the team, but I think judgements like that are premature. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvager 498 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 A fully fit Barry is a boost. He has to be fully fit all the same. Bring him on gradually? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianGer 1 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 celtc may have injuries but they keep on winning! Time will tell if us having a stronger midfield works out - I'm not excited about the return of Ferguson, especially after his performances over the last two seasons. Agreed. We only have a stronger midfield if they link well. Look at England - Hargreaves, Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham, Barry etc etc. Yet the questions still remain on whether they can actually get those players to mesh together. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangeyin 0 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 The scum have been playing better with their 'injured' team than they were with the full strength side. aye i was saying that to the tatties in work when i decide i to talk to them Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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