Is a player suddenly 'better' when we sign him?

[outlaw69uk 123]

The players you mentioned, perhaps gascoigne aside, were not the best from their side, but, ones who did a good job, or in Prso and De boers case, at the wrong end of their careers. These were either, squad players in better sides, or, verging on past it (to emphasize the point, not say they WERE past it) who were all expendable at these "big" clubs, where as we , I think, as a rule, disregarded actual performances and were fooled by where they came from.

In fact, as you say in the second highlighted bit, I think a lot of the time that is 100% what its about, bragging to others that "we just signed so and so from Barca" etc rather than the capabilities of the actual player. Ex Barca, Ex Feyenoord etc "sounds" better than ex Dundee, ex St Mirren etc

Of course we can find others, but, to illustrate the point

Capucho - Ex porto, Champions league winner was he not?

Nah, Uefa Cup only.

Thomson - Ex hibs, young scot, standout in his side, so, best of a mediocre side

Who was the best buy? People would argue at the time of signing, but, not now I would wager!

Look at the Ex English Premier League players we currently have? A lot of people are generally disappointed! McCulloch? Weir? Webster? (ok we like Mendes and Davis, but again, ex Fulham and Portsmouth? JCD, big name, signed from Ligue 1, bit of a disappointment too.

JCD was signed from the Ligue 1 equivalent of Everton

You're backing up my point here.

Naismith? Thomson? standouts in their sides, as was Boyd. To an extet Broadfoot also, he epitomises this, unglamourous, not a big name signing, but, once he found his stride, I dont think he has let us (or Scotland) down this season, and towards the end of last

I prefer to look at things this way, brag about say, Celtic for example, spending millions on players who dont perform, where as our "bargains like Boyd, Kirk etc, do!

Perhaps, but we cannot then complain when we look at the squad.

You're far too optimistic.

You disgust me

Dignity old friend

But, its always a pleasure to disgust you, and, long may it continue

If i can just disgust one person a day..........

[outlaw69uk 123]

Pedro also a Champions League winner, which appears to be a big thing for some. Has also been recalled has he not, so, more to come perhaps.

He might have been recalled but he didn't play. And wasn't called up after that initial one either. And if he only managed 2 caps when in the big leagues, I really can't see him managing much more in the backwater of the SPL.

I mean there's no huge shame in that - Portugal's national team is incredibly strong.

Has also played consistently in "top" leagues

Portugal and England. Compared to Prso's Ligue 1.

Not meaningless, just, not a big name signing, just in my opinion. Gazza was most famos at Spurs, and then moving to Italy, hence why he got his own show basically, and, UK tv started overing Serie A.

Gazza's peak was between 1990 and 1998. tbh you could argue any of the 3 clubs he was with during that time saw his most famous period.

Laudrup I agree was with us, but, I always perceived Michael as the more famous one

He was, but that is also a bit irrelevant

Sky says so

Gazza, for me, was the biggest signing we made, from a fame perspective, in a long time. Everyone knew who he was when we signed him, as opposed to the rest, was what I meant

[mcdowall06 0]

i think the fact we are hand picking these "average players" has to come into it. we are picking them from different clubs and should be trying to find who compliment each other. so if done right they should be better than other teams because we have took the best average teams players, hand picked from each team, and produced a team which should compliment one another. this means if they do this we would be better as we have each teams best player and having them playing them at their best as we have them with players who compliment their style of play and having them playing in their correct position.

[nvager 498]

Signing the best or better players from the SPL should be fine as long as these players really are standouts at inferior teams to Rangers. Thomson, Boyd, maybe Naismith, will work. Broadfoot has been ok, but certainly not a star. Whittaker looks to be struggling. Velicka has not made it, but I am told he will not really be fit until next year due to exhaustion from too many games this past two years with no break. Novo - has not been a failure, but is more a substitute.

The other signings have been from England or abroad and have they been better?

Cuellar, Cousin, Papac, Davis, Mendes, Miller, Bougherra, Hemdani = YES

Aaron = Maybe?

JCD, McCulloch, Edu, Beasley, Webster, Daily, Furman = not quite good enough to date.

So it is a mixed bag.

The real poor thing is the number coming through from Murray Park. Hutton. (Adam? Smith?) Fleck yet to really break through.

Way back Rangers bought from other Scottish teams and had some great success too. Baxter, Millar, Smith, Stein, McLean, Goram, etc., etc.

From England and abroad we got Gazza, Laudrup, De Boer, Buffel, Prso, Hately, Butcher, Woods, Cannigia, Albertz, etc., but a good few failures too. Sebo!!

It has always been a mixed bag. It will continue to be so and there are simply no guarantees.

[outlaw69uk 123]

Signing the best or better players from the SPL should be fine as long as these players really are standouts at inferior teams to Rangers. Thomson, Boyd, maybe Naismith, will work. Broadfoot has been ok, but certainly not a star. Whittaker looks to be struggling. Velicka has not made it, but I am told he will not really be fit until next year due to exhaustion from too many games this past two years with no break. Novo - has not been a failure, but is more a substitute.

The other signings have been from England or abroad and have they been better?

Cuellar, Cousin, Papac, Davis, Mendes, Miller, Bougherra, Hemdani = YES

Aaron = Maybe?

JCD, McCulloch, Edu, Beasley, Webster, Daily, Furman = not quite good enough to date.

So it is a mixed bag.

The real poor thing is the number coming through from Murray Park. Hutton. (Adam? Smith?) Fleck yet to really break through.

Way back Rangers bought from other Scottish teams and had some great success too. Baxter, Millar, Smith, Stein, McLean, Goram, etc., etc.

From England and abroad we got Gazza, Laudrup, De Boer, Buffel, Prso, Hately, Butcher, Woods, Cannigia, Albertz, etc., but a good few failures too. Sebo!!

It has always been a mixed bag. It will continue to be so and there are simply no guarantees.

Did w not buy him from Dundee?