Jump to content

 

 

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 20/11/23 in Posts

  1. My Grandfather lionised Greetin Face Boab, he would continually play in a centre and if the ball was not hitting the net, he did it all himself. In 1928 Rangers had not secured the Scottish Cup for 25 years and reached the final to face Sellik. One player in the Light Blue's line up had a winners medal, Bob McPhail had won the cup with Airdrie four years previously. The hoodoo looked to be over, Rangers were leading 1-0 and dominating but could not get the second. Bob lost patience and sent a low raking shot past John Thomson. The cup was secure, Sandy Archibald added a double for a 4-0 victory. McPhail spent 13 years at the club, made 408 appearances, scoring 261 goals. Fantastic figures for an inside forward. The old man worshipped another Airdrie player transferred to Rangers, 'the wee Prime Minister' aka Ian McMillan. A part time player because he was a Geologist involved with the mining industry. He was compared to McPhail and the conclusion was he failed to notch the same number of goals. My old man would counter that Brand, Millar and, Forrest scored McMillan's goals, he made three Rangers players. I was a huge fan of two attacking midfielders from our ECWC side, Alex MacDonald and Alfie Conn. Doddy was all bustle, well nippy and, delighted in blind side running. In over 500 games he scored 94 and split the Rangers support down the middle. Alfie was elegant, he passed the ball into the net. He headed a last second winner at Ibrox in the '73 ne'erday game, was sold to Spurs for £145,000 then, returned to another Glasgow club of no consequence. Alfie split the Rangers support even wider. Bobby Russell is a player of mention, Ian and Barry Ferguson too, Ronald de Boer could play and the Geordie Genius was regularly sublime, his old firm debut goal at ra Piggery cannot be bettered. Gazza is deserving of constant eulogy but although more than capable he did not do it for us in Europe. We will just have to live with his league winning hat trick against Aberdeen to secure eight in a row. Jasper was truly mercurial, the best I have witnessed coming through. A strong running waif with a sublime touch. Ian Durrant lived all our dreams, a Kinning Park lad played for the club all his family and friends loved. He was/is immersed in our club. The Pittodrie assault by Neil Simpson was worth of a straight red card and should have been subject to sine die investigation. A two and a half year come back battle ensued, punctuated by a couple of Ibrox appearances that attracted crowds of twenty and thirty thousand fellow Bears to wish one of their own well. He was such a good player he adapted his game, the Champions League semi-final run in '92-93 was testimony. The thing is, we know how good he could have been? I vote Ian Durrant.
    5 points
  2. I'm getting confused by the positions and formations but the best attacking midfielder I've watched in light blue was Ian Durrant. Before his injury Ian Durrant was an utter joy to watch, he had an uncanny ability to ghost into space, he'd wonderful balance, superb vision and perfect timing. Durrant scored big goals, goals in cup finals, Old Firm matches and European games. He worked hard too, he covered every inch of the pitch. If you ever get a chance to watch the 2-2 Old Firm match where Butcher and Woods were sent off, watch Durant's performance in the second half. He was playing every position in midfield while supporting McCoist up front. His run in the last minute for Gough's goal couldn't be matched by Celtic, his strength and stamina really showed that day, as did his will to win. My formative years watching Rangers weren't very happy ones. Greig as manager followed by the false dawn of Wallace's return. The glimmer of hope was the skinny wee midfielder with the mop of curly hair who broke into the side under Wallace. There are players who have a higher profile and played more games for Rangers, but at their best there were few who could best Durrant at his best.
    5 points
  3. This vote has been worth it alone to read @26th of foot's wonderful accounts of past players.
    3 points
  4. Where an attack is developing towards the penalty area with the half-backs trying to stop it, the two full backs are nearer the goal line than the centre half is. He stands forward nearer the penalty spot than the goal line. Imagine a collapsing and expanding diamond.with the ‘keeper at the apex. Of course all that means nothing when Jimmy Johnstone goes jinking past three of them and John Greig has to come thundering back to separate him from the ball.
    3 points
  5. From what @Scott7 explained, the central Full-back would be the Centre-half, because, in play, he has moved from the yellow line of half-backs. And I get lambasted for talking about situational back-threes which is exactly the same thing...
    3 points
  6. When comparing opinions from different eras, it's vitally important not to play the nostalgia card, intentionally of otherwise. The sobering truth is fans like @Scott7 witnessed the great players and teams of the 1960s and every Rangers team since. He is therefore in a privileged and valid position to have an opinion, one that offers comparison over time, whereas someone who only started watching Rangers in (say) 1990 has no basis to make an assessment of players he/she never saw. It's too tempting for the younger fan to simply assume that those players of an earlier generation had to be inherently inferior to those of his personal experience - while having little or no basis for that assumption. The upshot is always that polls like this will always be skewed towards more recent experience, even though that will inevitably mean choosing from a more limited sample and excluding many great/better players. Looking at the teams chosen so far, Gersnet is either a home for geriatrics or some people are selecting on the basis of unseen reputation alone. Personally, it's obvious to me that all members under the age of 60 should be barred from voting. 😉
    2 points
  7. It's strange how we forget true Rangers heroes. Gazza was a real talent but was only at Rangers for five minutes and did nothing in Europe. My pick instead for attacking midfielder is Alex MacDonald, who played over 500 games, scored almost 100 goals and won 12 major trophies, including being instrumental in our ECWC success. He was a tenacious forager but also supplied DJ with so many of his goals. If Greig was the leader of that great team, Doddie was the soul. A wonderful player in every respect.
    2 points
  8. @ranger_syntax was threatened with a lifetime ban for disrespect much less than this.
    2 points
  9. Butland, Cantwell, Raskin, Goldson, Danilo, Soutar and Davies all have a value just now from a few million up to around £8 or £9 million depending on how desperate the English club side are who want to buy them. There's also the outside possibility that Matondo, McCausland and Rice could be worth something by the end of the season too. All things considered I think these are disappointing annual figures.
    2 points
  10. Was going to try and win favour with @Rousseau and vote Windass 😀, but went for Gascoigne instead.
    1 point
  11. Straight choice between Paul Gascoigne, Gazza and the greetin geordie....i vote for all three.
    1 point
  12. Seen few like him in the modern game maybe Zola Silva or Messi
    1 point
  13. Four. Alex Scott the major beneficiary of McMillan’s passing skills.
    1 point
  14. Too young for Baxter so it has to be Albertz for me. The Hammer really was some player and contributed an incredible amount of superb goals during his time here.
    1 point
  15. Didn't get time to vote here but find it difficult anyway as so many of our best players could play deeper if required. In that sense, one of the two better Fergusons (Ian and Barry) might have been my pick as I'm not sure I'd have them further forward. What I'd give for an Ian Ferguson in our current squad.
    1 point
  16. There can be only one. One of England's most creative and technically gifted attacking midfielders; he could score and assist; he had a terrific pass and a powerful strike. He had pace, physical strength, balance and excellent dribbling skills, which allowed him to protect the ball, beat opponents and ride challenges with ease. Josh Windass.
    1 point
  17. Ian McMillan was the master creator of attacks, none better but if I stick to the position description I have to look at a player who did the attacking himself. I was reckoning on Gascoigne but @JohnMc’s eloquence above has persuaded me to vote Durrant.
    1 point
  18. Israel are a UEFA member and not in AFC Asia & Australia for obvious reasons Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia & Kazakhstan aren’t in Europe either but are UEFA members. When the USSR was dissolved in 1991 the FA’s of the former republics were given the choice of joining UEFA or AFC
    1 point
  19. Jo Potter has worked small miracles with the team this season. They're doing the club proud.
    1 point
  20. Brian Laudrup, shout outs to Walters and McCann as well. I would also mention Cooper but he's going on the right for me.
    1 point
  21. A determined winger prepared to stand up the full back and hit the bye-line is a fine site. Scintillating wing play is guaranteed to get supporters out of their seats. In my sixty years of watching Rangers I have witnessed several players more than capable of stimulating such excitement. However, I will start with my Grandfather's view that Alan Lauder Morton was the greatest left winger in the land. The wee blue devil had a twenty year career, thirteen of those with Rangers and, throughout he remained part time. Morton was a qualified Mining Engineer and when Bill Struth made him him his first signing he insisted on retaining his profession. My Grandfather would eulogise the diminutive Morton's ability to take the ball and run the full back then, check inside before deciding to go again or cross. Climb the marble staircase and the life size portrait continues to gaze upon you. My old man worshipped Jim Baxter, his vision and passing ability were unrivalled. Jim had no pace, could not tackle a fish supper and, his right foot was chocolate. Dad lamented Jim's inability to curb over confidence but, when his arrogance was on show, he intimidated his opponents absolutely. I saw him as a eight year old at Firhill on a wet and windy evening under the floodlights. Rangers won 0-6 and slim jim tormented the Thistle players by wrong footing and immediately playing perfectly weighted passes. When he returned four years later I saw a lot more of him and his lack of professionalism had caught up, he retired aged 31 years. I loved Davie Cooper, his skill levels were latin. Again no pace but he had more time than any other player on the pitch. Every supporter agreed on Davie's skills and ability; however, he was Marmite to the support in terms of work rate and effectiveness. He had a number of spats with then gaffer, John Greig and Davie acquired the nickname, 'Moody Blue'. Anyone in any doubt, you can view his Glasgow Cup final goal against ra Sellik on YouTube. I would like to relate a personal story from 37 years past. I experienced a bad parachute jump in borderline windy conditions and broke my leg. I was returned home from Holland to undertake ten weeks of physio'. When the stookie was removed I was told to accelerate my recovery by daily walking around Strathclyde Loch. It was summer and during the second week I met the middle distance runner, Tom McKean jogging with his two dogs. I told him of my intent to start jogging the next week and he insisted I trap at nine am on the Monday morning. I turned up with the family hound, 'Sandy' and another dog named, 'Blue' brought his owner, Davie Cooper wrapped in a black bin liner ready to start his preparation for pre-season training. Four weeks ensued, from hirple to steady running and, several lunches in the Cave Bar(because it was next door to the Bookies) in Hamilton. Davie was a true Ranger. Other mentions should include Davie Wilson, Bud Johnson, Albertz and, Neil McCann. I retain a soft spot for Neil, he was a superb winger and Ranger. He made truly big contributions to the team when we won the league at ra Piggery in '99, against Parma in the home leg 2-0 victory, the last day league winning victory against the Pars and, delivered the cross that won us the cup in the last minute at Hampden'02. Conforming to the team structure means I have to vote for Jim Baxter despite my love for Davie Cooper.
    1 point
  22. Harold Davis was tougher than bullets, literally. He served with the Black Watch in Korea and took three rounds, two to the foot and leg, the other was abdominal. Two years of operations and recovery before being signed by Scot Symon at East Fife. Symon moved to Rangers and Harold follow followed for eight seasons. No nonsense on and off the field, including hanging his fellow Black Watch comrade, Jim Baxter from a dressing room hook. Davis was the, 'Iron Man'. Ian Ferguson and Stuart McCall were a central midfield pairing, they were both box to box bringing good energy by the truckload. Both had other excellent attributes but, an old Arthus Montford phrase best summed up the pairing, "tenacious tenacity". Hemdani glided across the surface in European games and was a must in Walter's UEFA Cup final appearing side. I thought the Scottish game exasperated him although he never gave up, best illustrated by his last kick of the ball equaliser against ra Sellik at Ibrox. He read the game extremely well. A player who read it better is current Bar'72 season ticket holder, the octogenarian Dave Smith. I included him as a possible centre back because he appeared as Sweeper in the ECWC winning side of 1972. Dave was a stroller, always had time. He was the definitive front sweeper when Matthias Sammer was being wheeled into kindergarten. At the end of season'72/73 he was deservedly awarded Scot's Player of the Year. A heads up, sweet left footed elegant baller, what's not to like? 755 appearances, 120 goals and, won three domestic Trebles are the statistics. Eighteen seasons as a Rangers player where Jock Stein's Celtic won nine in a row and both Hearts and Killie won the league too. John Greig achieved what he did because of force of personality. He imposed himself on both fellow and opposition players, the epitome of determination. He skippered the club and held it together through dark days on and off the pitch. Often in bigger games against top range Euro' opposition or ra Sellik, he was tasked with a man marking role, always carried out selflessly. He was as tough in the tackle as he was on himself. He played through injuries particularly in Barca'72 and securing the league at Easter Road'75. His presence on the park was a necessity for Rangers. Defensive midfielder, I vote for ham and egg.
    1 point
  23. I'd an irrational dislike for Gary Stevens. Don't ask me to explain it or justify it, I can't. I just didn't like him. It has to be Jardine. Many people think Danny McGrain was the best right back Scotland has produced, but he was played at left back for Scotland because Jardine was such a good right back, this at a time when Scotland had genuine world class players. When he left Rangers everyone assumed his career was over. He only went and won Scottish Player Of The Year at Hearts. Jardine 'managed' a charity side I played in at Ibrox once. He was faced with a dressing room full of guys who'd bid for a place in the team. We were mainly a motley mix of overweight, middle-aged men living a childhood dream. He took a look at us and said 'lads, it's a big pitch, let the ball do the running.' I should have listened, I could barely breathe after 10 minutes. My father would say Bobby Shearer should win this, and his record is really something.
    1 point
  24. Andy McKellar has also written a good blog on the accounts, on the 4LHAD blog https://fourladshadadream.blog/2023/11/14/annual-report-2023-analysis/
    1 point
This leaderboard is set to London/GMT+01:00


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.