Murray Park�s classy kids will be alright as long as we have Walter in charge

[ian1964 10,411]

Exclusive by Matthew Lindsay

 

RANGERS youth supremo Jimmy Sinclair today backed Walter Smith's refusal to rush Murray Park's kids into first-team action.

 

Smith has already confirmed he will resist the temptation to play talented 17-year-old centre-half Danny Wilson too much this season.

 

That is even though the Gers boss has revealed he will not field veteran defender Davie Weir three times a week in the new campaign.

 

Kirk Broadfoot, Lee McCulloch and Sasa Papac, as well as Little, will all be asked to stand in for the 39-year-old captain in the months ahead.

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And Sinclair, who oversees the development of the stars of tomorrow at the Ibrox club's multi-million pound training complex in Milngavie, reckons the gaffer's approach is spot on.

 

"Danny certainly has lots of potential," he said. "He is training with the first team just now on a daily basis along with a few of his contemporaries, Jamie Ness and Andy Little.

 

"But, as the manager has already stated publicly, he believes that a centre-back in particular needs to have a certain amount of maturity."

 

He added: "I know he rates Danny very, very highly, but there is an element of patience required with him. Experience is paramount in his position.

 

"A youngster who is player playing further up the pitch can make an error and it is not a catastrophe. In defence, though, an error can cost a goal. That is a lot to take for a young boy."

 

Sinclair also feels Smith, and his backroom team of Ally McCoist, Kenny McDowall and Ian Durrant, have taken the correct approach with John Fleck.

 

Fleck, still just 17, burst into the Rangers first team in a blaze of publicity last season and was tipped for great things after some fine individual performances.

 

However, since then, he has struggled to hold down a regular first team place and he was dropped from the squad altogether after swearing at McCoist in a bust-up during pre-season.

 

But Fleck came back into the first team in the Scottish champions' opening league game against Falkirk last weekend and did well in a 4-1 triumph.

 

Sinclair reckons the prodigiously skilful youngster's return to form has a lot to do with the strict stance Smith has taken with him.

 

He explained: "John is on a steep learning curve just now. He has been, and continues to be, a talented footballer at his age group level.

 

"But to get into the Rangers first team, and then to try and stay there, is the biggest challenge that he has had to face so far in his career. Again, patience is required to ensure the introduction is done properly. There is nobody better than Walter to oversee that. John is in good hands.

 

"I think John is comfortable playing anywhere. He is the type of boy who is happy to do that. But I think if you asked him specifically where he would prefer to play, he would like a central role.

 

"For a 17-year-old, that is a big ask. As often happens with younger players, they are introduced into a wider area to get used to first team football. It seems to be working well.

 

"For a young boy getting into the Rangers first team it is important to deal with not getting picked when you think you should be.

 

"The setbacks are as important to his development as the good things which happen to him. Apart from the wee blip he had this summer, John seems to be settling in well."

 

Meanwhile, Sinclair has endorsed the Glasgow club's decision to withdraw from the Reserve League - and predicted locking horns with English sides will improve the quality of games the Ibrox kids take part in.

 

He stated: "We will replace formal fixtures with a type of game that we would require and prefer.

 

"We will be travelling down south to play first-choice teams, as well as hosting them at Murray Park, and will get a better level of competition.

 

"The Reserve League games had to be played regardless of the injury situation of a club.

 

"There are a number of things which did not suit this club and I am sure we will overcome them in the coming season with the flexibility to arrange our own matches.

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2526534.0.0.php

[andy steel 0]

I wish the club had come out with this a lot sooner!

 

Total common sense and some explanations a lot of us might not have thought of. Nothing like a bit of communication, is there?

[maineflyer 0]

Nothing like a bit of cheap propaganda, is there?

 

If only it was reflected in reality.

Edited August 20, 2009 by maineflyer

[Big Spliff 0]

Not convinced, sorry.

[UCF2008 0]

Bringing young players into the team is always a bit of a balancing act. You have to get the right blend between youth and experience or else you risk struggling for consistency - a situation which is unacceptable for Rangers.

 

The average age for the team on Saturday was 26. IMO that's just about right as any less than 25/26 is asking for trouble. Even taking the youngest & oldest (Fleck & Weir) out of the picture the average still works out at roughly the same - 25.77 compared to 26.18.

 

mcgregor - 27

whittaker - 25

bougherra - 26

weir - 39

smith - 23

naismith - 22

mcculloch - 31

davis - 24

fleck - 17

boyd - 25

miller - 29

 

When you consider that 7 of those who started in the Falkirk game were 26 or younger, It seems that our recent policy of signing younger players does work against us in this respect as it limits the opportunities for our homegrown youngsters.

 

The benefit however is that we've currently got a good number of reasonably experienced players in the squad who (assuming we can keep them under contract) can form the core of our squad for at least the next 5-6 years.

[Hurlock 0]

Man Utd and Wales played Giggs at the age of 17 regularly and it hasn't done him any harm, he's still going strong at the age of 142 !

 

Get Fleck on more and give him a run in the Scotland team, get 142 year old Graham Alexander out of the Scotland squad asap !!

[alexscottislegend 2,059]

Man Utd and Wales played Giggs at the age of 17 regularly and it hasn't done him any harm, he's still going strong at the age of 142 !

 

Get Fleck on more and give him a run in the Scotland team, get 142 year old Graham Alexander out of the Scotland squad asap !!

 

Good point. Just developing that, I read Mark Hateley's comments in the Record that young players in England are much more physically developed than those at the same age in Scotland. The question is why? Is it that we need to improve our sports science - or is it something in the genes?

 

Scotland ought to be an ideal place for young players to develop, being as we can't buy ready-made talent any more. If you had a promising 14 year old, would you send him to Ibrox or let him go to, say, Man u. where he may have to wait years to get a first team chance?

[UCF2008 0]

When Giggs, Beckham, Neville etc. broke into the Man Utd side they were surrounded by experienced players like Robson, Pallister, Schmeichel, Bruce, Irwin, Cantona & Hughes.

 

I'm all for us giving Fleck and our other youth prospects an extended run in the side, but like I said we need to maintain that balance between youth and experience.

 

With Saturday's squad, had we used all three substitutes, we could possibly have been playing with an average age as low as 22 and our most 'mature' player being McGregor

 

That's all fine and well as long as we're winning, but when the results don't go our way it would be WS who'd get the blame for relying too heavily on our youth.

Edited August 21, 2009 by UCF2008

[ian1964 10,411]

I think we will be seeing a lot of Fleck in the first team this season,so it is up to him if he makes it

[calscot 0]

It's easy to mention the likes of Giggs but that's one player about 18 years ago. If it was so normal to be a teenager, playing regularly for a top club, then why would Giggs be that famous for it?

 

Only exceptional talents are recognised at such a young age. It's not normal by any means.

 

In any case, the fact is the Welshman's d�©but for Man U was when he had just turned 17 - Fleck's d�©but for Rangers was when had just turned 16, a full year younger.

 

Giggs started playing regularly when he was 18, Fleck got a regular run when he was 17.

 

Fleck is now still 17 and just about to turn 18 in a few days and he's already started the only game of the season so far.

 

He's already a year ahead of Giggs in his development and people are still constantly complaining about it - and making negative comparisons to the Man U player.

 

Because we've been hearing about Fleck since he was 14, I think everyone seems to think he's about 20 - the age Beckham was when he started playing regularly for Man U.

 

I think we need to give the boy, and the management a chance - especially this season.