A big thanks to the guy who made winning the league possible - Carlos Cuellar

[Bluedell 5,345]

SPL champions! Made possible by Carlos Cuellar? Yes. I believe that Carlos Cuellar was one of the major reasons why we won the league this season.

 

The money from his transfer funded the purchases of Mendes, Davis and Edu, and without them we would not have won the league. There are three questions to look at.

 

1. Would Rangers have won the league without Mendes, Davis and Edu? The answer has to be a resounding NO.

 

Bougherra had joined us before we played Kaunus and with him and Weir in the team, we had the best defenive record in the league. Cuellar and Bougherra would have improved this, but I don't believe it would have made a significant difference.

 

However Mendes and Davis were mainstays throughout the whole season, and Edu came in and played a major part in our unbeaten run which propelled us to the title. Yes, there were periods during the season that Davis and Mendes didn't play that well, but who else would we have used? Adam? McCulloch?

 

Without the three of them, we would not have won the league, and would have struggled in the midfield area, particularly when you look at the two old firm games that we won, and which were vital in us winning the league.

 

2. Would the club been able to buy these players if Cuellar had not been sold? Again the answer has to be a NO.

 

If the club was looking to sell Boyd in January because it was going to be very close to its facility at the bank, then how could it possibly afford to buy these 3 players? there is no way that the club could afford to buy anyone else despite their protestations at the time.

 

3. Did Cuellar leave the club on his own volition? The evidence on this is inconclusive.

 

Would he have left had we qualified for the Champions League? I believe that the answer to this is no. He was in the directors box for the Kaunus game, and that isn't the actions of a player who has decided to leave.

 

After the Kaunus game, he may have looked around the club, and seen a team that had played its opening 2 European games with McCulloch and Adam in the midfield for the first match and McCulloch and Dailly in the midfield for the second and seen a team that was going absolutely nowhere. He would have seen a club that was in disarray, with no money to spend to improve the team, and felt that the club had badly let him down and decided to leave, and who could blame him for that? I certainly wouldn't and believe that he was badly let down.

 

Alternatively he could have been encouraged to go by Murray and Bain. They would have highlighted the financial plight of the club and explained that there was no cash left to buy a midfield, and did he want to play in team where the midfield mainstays were going to be Dailly, Adam and McCulloch, and that they needed him to leave, but they were going to say that he was invoking a clause in his contract for the good of the club's image.

 

I believe that he was encouraged to go but he would not have taken much persuasion as he could see the mess that the club was in.

 

We wil probably never know the exact reasons for Cuellar leaving but it remains that we would not have won the league with not having Mendes, Davis and Edu in the team during the season.

 

So to Carlos Cuellar - a big thanks for last season, and as big a thanks for help making this season so successful!

 

:spl:

[Zappa 0]

LMAO :fish:

[Frankie 8,151]

There's no doubt his transfer was a key moment in our season... It is unlikely we'd have spent any money if he stayed and with Thomson and Ferguson injured for long periods, it is doubtful we'd have had the midfield cover to provide the (albeit) inconsistent contribution of Mendes, Davis and (latterly) Edu.

[pete 2,499]

Agree with the above. I honestly believe that throwing the Barry Ferguson shackles off helped as well. Ferguson was pulling other players down in my opinion. I don't believe he done it wilfully but just his stature was doing it. i do not think we would have won the league with Fergie in the team. Obviously just an opinion.

[bmck 117]

so david murray was right and we should all say sorry for going nuts?

[pete 2,499]

so david murray was right and we should all say sorry for going nuts?

 

No! He put us in the position in the first place. It was an emergency move for him.

[Norris Cole 0]

Anyone know who Villa have got in the Champions League?

[26th of foot 5,838]

Carlos Cueller's real love was his pet ten foot python.

 

Would it be considered cruelty to said snake, if we vacuum packed Plastic McGeady and sent him down to Birmingham?

 

Ah mean, snakes have got to eat, right?

[Super_Ally 0]

Again, at the time, I think there were posters likening it to the Boumsong situation.

 

It does appear to have been a shrewd bit of business (even if it was forced upon us).

[Cotter 0]

Yeah I remember the papers wondering whether Cuellar would be a "Boumsong" or a "Hutton" in terms of the way we used the cash. Definitely a Boumsong then. I would love The King to still be here but given the choice I'd have Davis, Mendes and Eduuu Eduuuuu Edu!:spl: