Reserves Finish In Style

[calscot 0]

I'm unsure as to how that related to the reality of the situation?

 

We are the bigger club, with the greater funds and the better facilities. (Arguably we should have access to the greater coaches but I think this is the first point where we fall down).

 

In any case, due to the numerous advantages we boast over our rivals should we not expect to be producing a better standard of youth player and even arguable more players of sufficient quality to promote to the youth team?

 

I am of course aware that there are certain realities that will hinder the progress of youths, not just at Rangers but at any "big club", such as the requirement for instant success. (Prodigious talents like Fleck and Rooney aside). And this is where utilising links to other clubs for loaning out players should be utilised. Something we appear to be doing better recently.

 

I think some people are unrealistic in their expectations of Murray Park and our youth set up. I do, though, believe that we should be producing a player or two every year who should be able to be promoted to the first team squad or sold for a reasonable fee to offset the costs of running the youth set up.

 

Like I said I was looking for a baseline where all things are equal. If you take the 42 club scenario then we should be producing one player every 14 years! Now if you start to add in the "big club" aspect, then yes you can factor that up a bit. The factors are unknown but surely they are not 1400 percent?

 

I'd say we could expect a Rangers standard player every two or three years and if you look recently the standard we have been producing is pretty high and consistent.

 

MacGregor, Ross, Hutton, Smith, Burke, Hughs and Adam have all been regulars in the team. Celtic have another of our goal keepers and you have the slightly lesser lights of Ross McCormack and Stevie MacLean too.

 

However, I think Murray Park will be better with the next generation of youngsters as they are doing so well at U19 and U17 levels. But the problem is that they are too young and not quite ready for the step up yet.

 

Perhaps we should re-judge MP in 5 years time.

[Super_Ally 0]

With my arguement that if not producing a player for the first team squad each year, we should at least be producing players who could be sold for a reasonable fee to off-set the costs of youth development, it occurs to me that the real failing is not in youth development but in transfer dealings.

 

How many of Man U's youngsters who don't make it end up at a Middlesborough or a West Brom, or at least playing in the lower leagues. And these players go for decent sums. Sure coming from Man U, even with little to no first team experience bumps their price up. But then even Celtic managed a Million or so for Craig Beattie after fleeting first team experience.

 

You mention Ross McCormack. Banging goals in in the Championship and an internationalist. Were we adequately recompensed for his development. Sure he will have improved at Motherwell, but did he not leave on a free. He scored a Champions League goal agaisnt Porto. Did Beattie ever match that?

 

Steven McLean was outscoring Jon Stead at an inferior team in the same division (forget the exact details) before Stead went to Blackburn for �£1mil. What did we get for McLean?

 

We need to make more of transfer dealings when offloading quality youngsters who just aren't quite good enough for Rangers.