Darthter

Experienced, does not have to mean old....plenty of younger players, with loads of experience under their belts.

https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/rangers-confirm-jamie-murphy-transfer/

1 hour ago, colinstein said:

I saw that. Also Celtic are now in talks with the city council about the parking restrictions proposed for Parkhead. Wonder what the outcome will be !

Cooncil will build them a nice shiney new 10,000 space multi-storey for £20.....

I suppose it comes down to risk....

Do you take an "older" player, that is more of a known entity @ a fairly significant cost, with little to no financial gain at the end of it.  Or do you take on a younger promising talent & spend money/resources trying to develop them into the player you hope they will become - there is no guarantee of the desired outcome.

That's where a balanced approach is required....Older/proven player shorter term, alongside a younger prospect - similar to Davie Weir & Danny Wilson (in the early days)

6 minutes ago, TheUKCrazyhorse said:

Supporting independence isn't the same as supporting the SNP.

100% correct...unfortunately FAR too many are unable to make the distinction.

12 minutes ago, Bluedell said:

I don't know where all these pro-independence Gers fans are. They don't sit beside me at Ibrox, they weren't in my supporters club, I don't know them socially or through business. 

 

Out of all the Rangers fans I know, there's only one whom I'm aware is pro-independence. 

Several thousands are members of specific FB pages & groups....

19 hours ago, colinstein said:

I wouldn't have thought replacing our keeper was a priority. Think other areas need more urgent attention.

You could argue that a good, organised & vocal keeper is the glue that hold the defense together....definitely a good signing!!!

11 minutes ago, der Berliner said:

Reece Burke ... 21-year old centre-half, contracted to West Ham till 2020. They have 4 senior centre-halfs, so who knows what money they will be looking for. Goldson is 25, but you wonder how 21-year olds react to a 50k audience every other week.

Ask Ross McCrorie (20)....

2 minutes ago, ian1964 said:

I think SG/GMc & Allen will get the best players they can in, they know what is required and I am confident we will see better quality players coming in, well we have to don't we!.

I still like the transfer RUMOURS! 

I think SG will have a very good knowledge of CURRENT defenders that could do a job for us - after all, he was playing against them not that long ago.

1 minute ago, Rick Roberts said:

Agreed. There are a few higher profile incidents which back that up, but not enough to nail them. They'd probably point to one or two celtic suspensions and claim balance. From that point of view its difficult to capture or prove the "feel" of the CO, in that there's literally hundreds of incidents that get over-looked and never commented on, even when they should. Part of the problem is that incidents which are noteworthy to us seldom make the headlines and match reports, as we're seeing with Allan, it never happened. Likewise, Browns kicks and stamps etc are presented in soft focus. I've had a quick look but never found any stats or reports on charges etc .

Yeah, it would be a difficult task....but if ALL the evidence was looked at - not just Rangers related, it would build a well rounded case that couldn't just be brushed off as "sour grapes"

I'd say the evidence doesn't need to be damming enough to "nail" the CO or to have the position scrapped....but detailed enough to raise concern & questions - put the role under the spotlight.

40 minutes ago, Soulsonic5791 said:

Is it Darther?

 

A lack of journalistic rigour may just point to the overreach of certain organisations and 'clean-up' personnel, paid, coerced or otherwise.

 

The parochial nature of this place never fails to deliver...

It IS a sad reflection....the media are supposed to be impartial, yet have shown over recent years that this is most certainly NOT the case, on many subjects.

Years ago, the notion that fine, upstanding media outlets would make up a story like this, would see you laughed out of town.  Now, folk tend to simply think "Meh...it's possible/probably".  The lines of truth are so blurred these days, it makes it near impossible to know what is true & what isn't.

If you wanted a more accurate (mis)reprsentation of the effectiveness & role of the CO, you'd really need to start looking at cases that have been dealt with by him in order to provide direct factual evidence of potential bias etc.

The SFA could quite rightly say that the role of Compliance Officer was created as a direct result of events at the time.  They could also claim that the persons Chosen for the role were the most suitable/qualified.

Some points to look at:

- Has the CO been consistent with the application of the rules?

- Has the CO been consistent with his intervention post-matches?

- Has the CO investigated the financial conduct of ANY other clubs?

- Has the CO investigated any other cases of potential rule breaking (inc. bringing the game into disrepute)?

- Is the CO consistent with repeat offences?

I think we all know the answer to these questions, but if they are backed up with specific fact...it make it VERY difficult to ignore.

19 minutes ago, StuGers said:

All very good but you have to remember, the SFA coming out badly in this isn’t even a consideration for them as long as it makes Rangers look bad in some way.

true....

27 minutes ago, StuGers said:

Without sounding too sceptical, I would like evidence that this person and conversation existed. Am I saying that the BBC would make a story up and use this as a deflection tactic whilst they seem to be idly sitting by and ignoring the scandal of 4 ongoing court cases against employees of a single club?....

Maybe.

 

This is all part of the ongoing media and PR war that Rangers are under constant attack from. It is fairly obvious.

It really is a sad reflection of the main stream media when someone suggests a theory as above, and it seems 100% plausible and not outwith their limits....

8 minutes ago, ian1964 said:

Government funded apartheid schooling is the start of sectarianism, everybody knows this, the problem is Scotland don't really want to stop it, there is too many people making money out of it!

was just about to say similar.

Young kids are learning from a very young age that religion causes a divide - they don't understand why their best pal can't go to the same school as them.

Ultimately, what to the SFA expect the benefits to be???

- UEFA are not interested.

- The SFA originally issued the license, so if any issue is proven, it looks bad on them & their processes at the time.

Would anyone at UEFA support a motion by the SFA to refuse RFC a european license based in an incident 6-7 years ago???

I think the best outcome that the SFA could hope for is a fine (not even a heft one), and kudos for showing that RFC did something wrong (which was approved by the SFA)

Completely pointless exercise.....

4 minutes ago, buster. said:

You look at the 'high energy' teams who can keep up an effective pressing game for long periods of time and their fitness training/conditioning must be as tough as they come in the modern game.

 

It's been reported that this is the way Gerrard likes to play the game and that being so, he'll need to take a tough pre-season that lends itself towards it.

 

You don't have to go to Gullane or bark like a Sgt.Major to work the squad in a modern way that can get the fintness levels to a high level. But they will have to work a lot harder than they have in recent years.

 

Darther, it's surprising how far the human body can go if pushed. I was a Marine and saw it quite a bit, sometimes it went too far and heat exhaustion kicked in. I doubt players would buy into rigorous military style training. Tbh I'm not sure that new recruits even buy into the old style 'rigorous' given the focus on 'bullying'.

Bottomline, this is an area that has annoyed me over the years, more especially in European games when we've seen teams come from far and wide who were generally fitter, faster and stronger than us. For me, it's an indictment on our supposed professionalism.

 

As for the bonding aspect, that'll be down to Steven Gerrard

It's about finding the right level.....I think having an authoritarian type figure really pushing them would work though - probably someone external that they don't know.  That way they have no idea how far they can push back - they just do as their telt.  How ever it's done, they need to be working harder & longer than they have in the past.  As I said initially, its not as much about the general fitness levels - they are all very fit - its about developing the mental aspect & building the team.

During the early part of pre-season, the players should be absolutely knackered when leaving the training ground....not fresh enough to pop out for a wee game of golf etc.  They should be getting shown that when they feel they can't run any further, that they can in fact push on much further, through "the wall" and not just lean up against it for a breather.

After they have broken down that wall, they should be ready (as a group) to work together more & move onto more football skills training.

40 minutes ago, MacK1950 said:

Should Windass stay he has to learn how to play/be a team player in a game instead of just being a cameo most of the time.

That very thing ties in with my thread on Pre-season training.  Windass can't learn to be a team player on his own - that can only be achieved with the assistance of the rest of the team & the management/coaches.

13 minutes ago, 26th of foot said:

As someone who served sixteen years in the Parachute Regiment, I would not advise submitting footballers to eight weeks basic training.

 

Remember, we are all products of our conditioning.

I'm not suggesting anywhere near 8 weeks of this stuff - maybe 1 or 2 max.

I'm sure your group/platoon were a better "product" for your intense training.

It's all about getting the TEAM functioning together....players assisting each other to get to the end.  Pushing themselves beyond the limits they thought possible, so that they can go that bit further, faster etc during a match.

Modern training is dictated by graphs & spreadsheets these days....I'd reckon 1/2 these guys very rarely really push themselves anywhere near their limits.

going out on the lash is probably pushing it a bit far (in the other direction) as well....but the principle is the same.  Socialise together & bond as a group.  I really get the impression that they arrive at Auchenhowie, train for a few hours, then all go their separate ways until the next day.  Pre-season is about hard work & preparation for the coming season - physically & mentally.  If players give up at the 1st obstacle then what chance have they got when the chips are down during a game.  We have talked on here about the teams mental fragility....that is not something that is going to change with a bit of running, sprint drills or ball control drills.

1 minute ago, ian1964 said:

Those days are gone for good! no player these days would accept the training tactics the likes of Jock Wallace deployed!. You don't need to be brutal to get the best out of players, just need to be a good man manager. If a player can't give his all for the likes of SG then there is something seriously wrong with them, running them into the ground wouldn't change that!.

This isn't about man managing or even about fitness....it's about building a TEAM.  A group of players that will give everything they've got on the pitch in order to work together & secure the desired outcome.  You don't achieve that by having a wee word in individuals ears - that only enforces the individual, rather than the team.

Military forces across the globe push their recruits to beyond breaking point, then build them back up as a team - a team which they may well rely on to save a their own life one day.  Of course that is extreme in relation to football, but the thinking/reasoning behind it is the same.

3 minutes ago, Gonzo79 said:

You try and boot their baws the way Wallace did and see where it gets you (a mass exodus or the sack, probably).

failure to adhere to club training policy would certainly be a disciplinary breach.....

I just think if everything was laid bare & the reasons for doing it, I'd be very surprised if ANY of the players refused - if they did, they are not the calibre of player required at Rangers.

1 minute ago, Gonzo79 said:

As much as I agree with the sentiment, we're dealing with pampered spice boys nowadays, not Tam Forsyth and Willie Henderson.  

 

Something does need to change though and an improved team spirit is essential.

They are only pampered because they have been allowed to get that way.

As I said, I get the impression that training seems to focus on the individuals levels & goals....more focus on Team-building & we may just see a marked improvement moving forward.

Just now, Bill said:

Well said, a great point. Jock Wallace understood.

 

Should we have a billy boys haka?

I just get the impression that they're too pampered & need a right good kick up the arse.

As for a Haka...that might be taking it a bit far, but some sort of pre-game ritual which tells everyone "It's time for the game faces" probably wouldn't go amiss.

Would like to see Gerrard introduce a kinda military style boot camp for the team during the close season.....and I mean REALLY tough going.

Not so much to increase their fitness, but to hopefully bring a sense of TEAM to the squad & removes potential egos etc.

Pushing recruits to their absolute limits is common in the army & promotes a "reliance" on the rest of the group to get through the various exercises/tasks, and if it's one thing we've not seen in a long time from Rangers is a good solid team spirit.

I believe that with the current training methods, it's all about the individual & their levels - are they hitting the levels required.  However, football is not an individual sport.....it's not much good if one or 2 players are far fitter than the rest, as the others will effectively drag the overall performance down.  During the pre-season it should be about pushing EVERYONE to same limit - those that are struggling will get lifted by the ones what are more able.  The overall result being a much tighter team effort & more collective thinking.