Walt: I'm going nowhere

[ian1964 10,413]

WALTER SMITH insists he's staying at Rangers and so are ALL his title-winning stars.

 

Gers gaffer Smith has vowed to front the SPL championship defence and Euro charge next term.

 

He'll keep all the big names who looked to be heading out of Ibrox last January. The �£15million Champions League jackpot will allow Gers to hold on to Kris Boyd, Madjid Bougherra and Allan McGregor.

 

And Smith admits Sunday's glorious SPL triumph has whetted his appetite for more glory.

 

He said: "I don't have any real doubts in my mind about carrying on doing the job.

 

"It's not in my thoughts not to start the season."

 

Smith will hold summit talks this week with chairman Sir David Murray to plot for next term.

 

But the championship win guarantees Gers won't have to flog key players to balance the books.

 

Smith said: "The finances are something I have to speak to the chairman about, which will be done over the next few days.

 

"The title win might not have alleviated the whole problem.

 

"But it certainly helps alleviate a good bit of it and takes away a short-term problem we had in January which forced us to have to put players up for sale.

 

"We feel the benefit of that part of the title win right away.

 

"I've been here two and a half years and this was always going to be a close-season where we changed a lot of players.

 

"There were always going to be changes but getting into the Champions League maybe means we can make the changes we want rather than making enforced changes.

 

"That Champions League money will allow us to make the decision on who goes rather than the size of a fee."

 

Smith WON'T get a bumper kitty to spend for the title defence as Gers remain �£25million in debt.

 

He admitted: "That is not going to happen.

 

"It is not possible for that to happen after what was happening in January and things like that."

 

But changes could see several fringe players head out of Ibrox.

 

Cardiff City are keen on Stevie Smith, Blackpool want Charlie Adam and Alan Gow also has suitors south of the border.

 

Brahim Hemdani and Christian Dailly are out of contract, while Graeme Smith, Andy Webster and DaMarcus Beasley could move on.

 

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2448153.ece

[Frankie 8,150]

Yep, I'd imagine around 10-12 players will move on in the summer and that we'll bring in maybe 2 or 3.

 

I'm actually surprised Walter will stay on but perhaps McCoist will have even more of a say in the team/tactics etc.

[gisabeer 409]

Yep, I'd imagine around 10-12 players will move on in the summer and that we'll bring in maybe 2 or 3.

 

I'm actually surprised Walter will stay on but perhaps McCoist will have even more of a say in the team/tactics etc.

 

 

We need fresh ideas and a manager who knows how to develop young players.

 

Smith aint the man im afraid.

[Cotter 0]

Take a look through the squad, indeed the first eleven and check their ages. Walt not playing young guys is a myth.

 

At a time when sellick are in disarray, I feel we need a bit of stability to push them further into the mire. Sure if Hiddink or Mourinho fancied a pop at the SPL I'd welcome them with open arms but you only need cast a glance at the names being mentioned as possible replacements for chesney to realise this is far from the case.

 

As always when this topic arises, as it did many times over the course of this season past, I ask the Walter Out brigade to give names of who they think we could realistically entice to Ibrox. Names. Reality.

 

For all his baffling selections, the steady progress of the team from shambles into 4 4 2-playing SPL champions over Smith's current tenure is clear to see.

 

There are a lot of young guys in our team that now have experience of winning a championship, long may it continue.

[craig 5,195]

I agree, I just don't believe that Smith doesn't play young players nor do I agree he doesn't develop them.

 

Lets look at what we have.

 

McGregor (27 - still young for a keeper) - came into his own after Smith returned.

Whittaker (24) - A WS signing but has still improved since signing.

Hutton (24) - not playing well till WS returned. WS assisted in turning him into a 9 mill player.

Broadfoot (24) - a WS signing but has done well when called upon in an unnatural position.

Thomson (24) - WS signing. Improved since signing. Possible captain with very few bears complaining if so.

Edu (23) - revelation since coming into the team. Not sure if he has improved since coming into the team as didnt really see him play at Toronto but certainly has looked better and better with each passing game.

Davis (24) - playing out of his preferred position. Inconsistent. Probably playing slightly poorer than he did in the EPL but not by much.

Lafferty (21) - after overcoming his injury problems has been a real asset for us and IMO has definitely improved since signing.

Fleck (17) - Given his chance by WS. Also taken back out the team by WS when he wasnt quite performing as people wanted him to, most likely to protect him.

 

I argued in a previous thread that some of these players, it could be argued, are not WS developing them because we purchased them. I stand by that IF they dont show signs of improvement. But most have.

 

What cant be argued is that WS won't play younger players. The above make up 8 players )yes, there are 9 players above but unfortunately Hutton is no longer with us....) who would comfortably fit in our first team. If you tag in Boyd who is 25 then you have almost a first team which has an average age of 25 (or less).

 

And when we talk about the development of younger players surely much of that is more to do with our youth scouting system. These players do not get anywhere NEAR Walter Smith until they have proven themselves coming through the ranks. Only when they get to the 1st team sqaud does WS become involved with them. So surely the onus of responsibility lies with the youth scouting, the youth coaching and then the reserve/U-19 coaches ?

 

WS takes a lot of flak, some of it rightly so, but I don't see why he should take this flak.

[calscot 0]

There are also a few youngish players who haven't made an impact due to injury such as Webster, S.Smith and Naismith, while he tried with Burke and Adam but they didn't quite make it.

 

Bougherra and Cuellar were also both about 25 when they signed and both improved their standing considerably.

 

I still don't know how a manager who played the youngest player in a final in Scottish Cup history can be seen as so averse to playing young players. I don't think that's the case, I think he has a healthy aversion to playing players who does not think are ready yet.

 

It's been a difficult couple of seasons and yet he's still managed to blood about 4 or 5 teenagers.

 

I expect Fleck, Furman and Aaron to feature a bit more next season, expecially with the SPL monkey off our backs as well as being forced to due to the necessity of a smaller squad. However they are still too young to be regulars unless they show some exceptional form.

[Bluedell 5,329]

Smith will hold summit talks this week with chairman Sir David Murray to plot for next term.

 

Smith said: "The finances are something I have to speak to the chairman about, which will be done over the next few days.

Aarrgghhh.

 

It's things like this that are SO frustrating. Why is it being done now? Why wasn't it being done 6 weeks ago, or longer?

 

There were only 2 scenarios. Either we win the league or we don't. Plans should be in place for weeks as to what would happen under both scenarios. Players should already have been approached.

 

There's no excuse for not planning ahead. Hopefully it has already been done and they're just not letting on and what Smith is saying isn't actually to be taken at face value.

[craig 5,195]

I think Fleck is a very good example in point here.

 

The lad was being touted by almost ALL of us as being our saviour and that he should be in the team as there were "no better options".

 

WS eventually gave him that full debut and, for a couple of games, he looked good enough to hold down his place in the team. However, he did go off the boil and WS did then extract him from the team - most likely to protect him from the fans and also to ensure his confidence was not knocked.

 

Now, WS gave the kid his chance and he did reasonably well. But he tailed off and deserved to be pulled from the team as we were chasing the league. The only criticism I would level at WS in this regard is that there were also others in the team performing poorly who should also have faced a spell on the sidelines. HOWEVER..... given the conclusion of the league on Sunday can we really say WS got it wrong ? I doubt it.

 

Sure, we have seen young players leave Ibrox who went onto do well enough for themselves but were they really "Rangers class" ? I am thinking of guys like McCormack. Did well at Motherwell (pardon the pun) and has done well at Cardiff. But what did he really do for Rangers ? Looked like he MIGHT have made it but "might" at a club like Rangers where winning is everything isnt enough.

[craig 5,195]

Aarrgghhh.

 

It's things like this that are SO frustrating. Why is it being done now? Why wasn't it being done 6 weeks ago, or longer?

 

There were only 2 scenarios. Either we win the league or we don't. Plans should be in place for weeks as to what would happen under both scenarios. Players should already have been approached.

 

There's no excuse for not planning ahead. Hopefully it has already been done and they're just not letting on and what Smith is saying isn't actually to be taken at face value.

 

 

I would actually argue stronger than that BD.

 

The reality in Scotland is that we will (almost) always finish either first or second.

 

We should have been planning for 2009/10 even before 2008/09 began or, at the very least, as soon as the January transfer window shut.

 

It really is not that difficult to have a list of potential signings, attribute "expected" transfer fees and/or wages to those players - and then have financial budgets based on finishing 1st or 2nd in the league.

 

Sure, finishign 2nd then gives you a further set of sub-budgets whether we make the CL or not - but the reality is that had we finished 2nd we would have spent NOTHING until it was known where we would be playing, so your budget doesn't really alter in that scenario.

 

Regardless, WS should have known what constraints he would be under for 2009/10 LONG before the conclusion of 2008/09.

 

With what I have been reading regarding Newcastle it would seem that there are plenty more clubs who very much operate on a short-term view. Unfortunately.

[gisabeer 409]

I would actually argue stronger than that BD.

 

The reality in Scotland is that we will (almost) always finish either first or second.

 

We should have been planning for 2009/10 even before 2008/09 began or, at the very least, as soon as the January transfer window shut.

 

It really is not that difficult to have a list of potential signings, attribute "expected" transfer fees and/or wages to those players - and then have financial budgets based on finishing 1st or 2nd in the league.

 

Sure, finishign 2nd then gives you a further set of sub-budgets whether we make the CL or not - but the reality is that had we finished 2nd we would have spent NOTHING until it was known where we would be playing, so your budget doesn't really alter in that scenario.

 

Regardless, WS should have known what constraints he would be under for 2009/10 LONG before the conclusion of 2008/09.

 

With what I have been reading regarding Newcastle it would seem that there are plenty more clubs who very much operate on a short-term view. Unfortunately.

 

This time last year we were financialy solvent after our European run. Walter Smith though through bad decision making and bad management has put us deeper in the myre than we were when Advocaat left.

 

Some will argue that the chairman and Bain are to blame too, but it was Smith who failed to strengthen the squad in key areas before the CL qualifiers and it was Smith who left us in the debt were in now following the spending spree in the wake of that defeat.

 

The only way the club can get out of the mess it finds itself now is to play its way out of it. We have no plan B this time round.

 

Last summer has left a very bitter taste in my mouth and i blame smiths incompetence.

 

The league campaign this season too seen some very strange and baffling team selections and his overcausiousness knew no bounds.

 

I am as relieved as i am pleased that we won the league and have to acknowledge Celtics own incompetence and the part they played in bringing the title to Ibrox.

 

You wont get lucky like that two years running Walter. Just ask Gordon Strachan.

 

That means success on the park on all fronts. winning the league next year will be do or die again. CL too. we really need to get to the next stages as well.

 

Walter Smith is not the man to take us forward