Kris Boyd is Rangers' answer to Jardel

[johnnyk 158]

Pedro Mendes moved away from the best league in the world to come to Scotland and doesn't regret it for a minute.

 

But yesterday he was left scratching his head at the inability of his fellow pros north of the border to pick a player.

 

Not that he thinks Steven Davis, Scott Brown and Gary Caldwell - as well as himself - can't play the game.

 

The Old Firm quartet, nominated by the PFA Scotland for their Player of the Year award, have had fine seasons and few would argue at their right to be in the shake-up.

 

But in Mendes' mind, there is only one worthy winner of the trophy this term - the man whose goals have almost singled-handedly kept Rangers' title hopes alive.

 

Mendes has played with and against the best in Portugal and England but has rarely seen anyone with Kris Boyd's radar for goal.

 

In fact, he can recall lining up with only one other in possession of the same strikers' mentality and it is a guy who almost joined Rangers a decade ago.

 

Brazilian Jardel was paraded at Ibrox but his move fell through and he ended up at Bolton before joining forces with Mendes at Porto. Now the midfielder is setting up goals for a player he believes has striking similarities with the South American.

 

He said: "For me, Boyd would play all the time. He is a top scorer, a finisher and it is good for us that he belongs to Rangers.

 

"It's beyond me why he hasn't been nominated. I would vote for him if I could.

 

Improving

 

"We had a player who came from Bolton - Jardel - who played with me at Porto. Boydy is so like him.

 

"Sometimes Jardel would not look interested but at the right time he would be and he scored 40 goals a season at Porto. It was unbelievable.

 

"Sometimes his touch wasn't the best but he could score every kind of goal.

 

"It's similar with Boydy. He's got 28 at the moment and with six more games to go I don't know how many goals he can score - I hope 45 or 50.

 

"Jardel was the same. He was a great finisher but you couldn't expect much more from him.

 

"That's what we want from Boyd - just to score. Even so, he is improving his game very much outside the box.

 

"If we win the league, Boydy's goals will have been the key.

 

"There have been games in which we have struggled and suddenly Boydy has scored.

 

"We know if we can give him a good delivery inside the box, he can finish. It's a big bonus for us."

 

While our neighbours in the Premiership are congratulating themselves on having three clubs in the last four of the Champions League for the third year running, the Rangers midfielder couldn't be happier that he jumped Hadrian's Wall in the summer to ply his trade in the SPL.

 

And he insists the quality of player in Scotland is much better than the league is often given credit for.

 

Mendes, who is a member of the English PFA and didn't have a Scottish vote, went on to reel off a series of names who have impressed him - even if he did joke that his picks would have been countrymen Bruno Aguiar and Felipe Morais if he had been handed a ballot paper.

 

He said: "I train and play with Rangers players every day and it is a pleasure to play with them. But Celtic have great players, like Nakamura and McGeady.

 

"Then you go to Dundee United where Sandaza and Gomis are very good players and at St Mirren, Dorman is a very good player.

 

"I would have voted for my countrymen Aguiar and Morais. Not because they are my countrymen.

 

"Aguiar has done a fantastic job for Hearts. He is a very good player.

 

Morais just joined Inverness in January and has been very good for them.

 

"I also think that Falkirk are a fantastic team. They are one of the best in possession, yet they are struggling.

 

"For me, that is a difficult one to understand because they have very good technical players but they don't score enough.

 

"There is quality and very good players everywhere. Maybe that's why the Old Firm are dropping more points."

 

They might be but it is making for an exciting end to the season and Mendes is loving it. In fact, the chase for the titles is the reason he gave up a good life in Portsmouth.

 

He said: "One of the big things about playing for Rangers is that everyone expects you to win every game. In other championships, the top teams sometimes lose and it is not such a big thing. But in Scotland the pressure is there all the time.

 

"I knew how big Rangers were and that Scottish football was more or less two teams playing for the title every season.

 

"With the number of fans the club has, the pressure is there all the time to win and when a club like Rangers spend three years without winning the title the pressure is even greater.

 

"The most important thing is to finish the season on a high. That's what we are aiming for.

 

"Rangers and Celtic are dropping points more often than they usually do but it's all about how it finishes.

 

"Sometimes you want something new - new leagues, new clubs and Rangers are such a big club. I knew it would be a big challenge for me and I made the move. I was leaving the Premiership, which is probably the best league in the world.

 

"But it was a chance to come to a massive club and that helped me decide. I didn't ask for advice. Sometimes it is better to go with what you think rather than talk to someone.

 

"Together with my family, we decided it would be a good move for us and I am pleased with it."

 

Mendes will be even more pleased if he ends up with a championship medal at the end of his debut season in Scotland.

 

The Player of the Year award would just be an added bonus, even if he thinks it should have gone to his big mate Boydy.

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2009/04/17/kris-boyd-is-rangers-answer-to-jardel-says-teammate-pedro-mendes-86908-21284375/

[ian1964 10,416]

Just away to post that Johnny, he is talking pish of course,why would anybody vote for a player that only scores goals and does nothing else ?

[johnnyk 158]

Just away to post that Johnny, he is talking pish of course,why would anybody vote for a player that only scores goals and does nothing else ?

 

I beat you posting something at last :fish:

 

Aye who needs goalscorers they're overratted IMO

[ian1964 10,416]

I beat you posting something at last :fish:

 

Aye who needs goalscorers they're overratted IMO

 

Aye, I'm getting slow.............no cheeky comments by the way

[Super_Ally 0]

Didn't sound like he was joking about voting for Aguiar. Are the Daily Record suggesting that as Rangers players can't vote for team mates they could only possibly vote for a tim?

 

Interesting take from a team mate and top quality professional though. Wonder how the Boyd bashers will receive this?

[CammyF 6,787]

Didn't sound like he was joking about voting for Aguiar. Are the Daily Record suggesting that as Rangers players can't vote for team mates they could only possibly vote for a tim?

 

Interesting take from a team mate and top quality professional though. Wonder how the Boyd bashers will receive this?

 

If Kris Boyds latest squeeze is in the same league as Mrs Jardel, then I might just change my opinion of Mr Boyd....

 

Cammy F

[Super_Ally 0]

If Kris Boyds latest squeeze is in the same league as Mrs Jardel, then I might just change my opinion of Mr Boyd....

 

Cammy F

 

Lol, he was seeing some blonde model or other wasn't he?

[Jon 0]

High praise indeed....obviously I agree with every word