No need for World Cup hopeful Beasley to quit Rangers, says Walter

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No need for World Cup hopeful DaMarcus Beasley to quit Rangers, says Walter Smith

 

Published Date: 16 December 2009

 

WALTER Smith has told DaMarcus Beasley there is now no need for him to leave Rangers to realise his World Cup dream.

 

Beasley last week revealed he was considering quitting Ibrox next month because he feared his lack of match action would cost him his place in the United States squad.

 

But Smith insists the midfielder will be guaranteed to start for Rangers if he maintains the kind of form which helped them reclaim top spot in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League at Dundee United last night.

 

Beasley got the ball running on an emphatic 3-0 win with a stunning goal ââ?¬â?? his first since the 2008 Scottish Cup final ââ?¬â?? as well as laying on the visitors' third.

 

He has now started Rangers' last three matches and Smith believes the 27-year-old can be a mainstay of the side for the rest of the season.

 

"DaMarcus is playing very well for us at the moment and scored a terrific goal at Tannadice," Smith told his club's official website.

 

"After coming back from his serious knee problem, he has had things go wrong with his hamstring and his groin.

 

"In the last two or three months, he has settled down and looked sharper in training. He's obviously now playing well in games too.

 

"The lad's comments before were quite simple. He said he had to try to get games so that he could be included in the World Cup.

 

"That's an acceptable factor because he wasn't getting a regular game here but that wasn't always due to the fact he wasn't getting picked.

 

"Sometimes he wasn't available but he is now and there's no reason for him to move. I don't think so anyway as long as he is getting an opportunity.

 

"DaMarcus has enough experience and enough caps that if he does play, he'll be in with a very good chance of being selected for the USA's squad."

 

Hoping to join Beasley ââ?¬â?? who already has two World Cups under his belt ââ?¬â?? in South Africa is Ibrox team-mate Maurice Edu, for whom next summer's finals would be his first.

 

The 23-year-old is on the brink of making his long-awaited return from summer knee surgery and he is determined to play a major role in the second half of the season for both club and country.

 

Edu cannot wait for the World Cup, which threw up a draw which sees the United States play England and Algeria.

 

The latter game could see Beasley and Edu square off against team-mate Madjid Bougherra.

 

Edu said: "I sent Madjid a text after we were drawn together and he was excited because he had wanted that to happen, so we had some joking back and forward.

 

"It was fun because the whole week leading up to it, he had been telling me 'I want to play the USA'.

 

"Once it was drawn that way, we were in touch straight away and it will definitely make for some fun in the build-up."

 

He added: "It was funny the way things worked out because I was interviewed the day before the draw and was asked which teams I would like to get.

 

"I had said England and, of course, Algeria because of Madjid, and those were the first two teams to come out, so it should definitely be an interesting summer."

 

Meanwhile, fellow midfielder Lee McCulloch faces suspension for the new year Old Firm derby if he picks up a booking in Saturday's game with Motherwell following last night's yellow card at Tannadice.

 

Celtic's Aiden McGeady is also walking a disciplinary tightrope for the January 3 fixture, with both players three disciplinary points away from a ban.

 

McCulloch was only playing last night due to a hamstring strain to Kevin Thomson, who is expected to be fit for the weekend. That would allow McCulloch to be withdrawn from the firing line.

 

http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/No-need-for-World-Cup.5917513.jp

 

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Sorry, I didn't notice that a similar story was in the official Rangers News Feeds section.

 

No Need To Move

By Andrew Dickson

 

WALTER SMITH has told DaMarcus Beasley there'll be no need for him to leave Rangers if he keeps playing like he did at Dundee United last night.

 

The American winger was excellent against the Arabs, scoring a stunning first goal in the 3-0 win and setting up the clinching third for Kenny Miller.

 

Beasley was a constant thorn in United's defence and fans chanted his name as he was replaced by Steven Naismith seven minutes from the end.

 

The former PSV Eindhoven player has admitted he might need to move clubs for the sake of getting first-team football ahead of next summer's World Cup.

 

Until recently, he'd barely been seen in a Gers shirt this season but has made a good impact in the last fortnight or so.

 

Smith insists that if the 27-year-old can reproduce that form on a regular basis, he'll get the games he needs at Ibrox to secure a place in his nation's squad for the finals.

 

The manager said: "DaMarcus is playing very well for us at the moment and scored a terrific goal at Tannadice.

 

"He gave a really good performance too and we're delighted to see him like that again as he has had a lot of injury problems.

 

"After coming back from his serious knee problem, he has had things go wrong with his hamstring and his groin.

 

"In the last two or three months, he has settled down and looked sharper in training. He's obviously now playing well in games too.

 

"The lad's comments before were quite simple. He said he had to try to get games so that he could be included in the World Cup.

 

"That's an acceptable factor because he wasn't getting a regular game here but that wasn't always due to the fact he wasn't getting picked.

 

"Sometimes he wasn't available but he is now and there's no reason for him to move. I don't think so anyway as long as he is getting an opportunity.

 

"DaMarcus has enough experience and enough caps that if he does play, he'll be in with a very good chance of being selected for the USA's squad."

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http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/articles/no-need-to-move-20091216_2254024_1906518/0,,5,00.html

[Totti 0]

He'll only keep putting in performances in like that if he gets a chance.

 

When you think of the dreadful performances we've consistently seen in wide midfield/attack in recent seasons, its beggers belief that an American internationalist with near 100 caps has barely got a look in. With the team as poor as they are it's ridiculous an experienced player with Champions league experience has barely got a look in. Beasley has his faults but he's a natural wide player with pace. We've endured countless anonymous performances from players out of position wide left like Lafferty and Smith when all the while we could have been playing people like Beasley or Aaron.

 

As I said in another thread I don't think Beasley's a world beater and he's inclined to play the easy back pass a bit too much instead of attempting to beat players and put in crosses/shoot but ball retention is still an important aspect of football and something we lack. Even if Beasley DOES just keep possession on the left flank, he's doing more than Lafferty or Smith ever will. I'd love to see us playing an attack minded 4-3-3 with Beasley then possibly Fleck or Naismith supporting a main striker. As tight as things currently are we should still be capable of running riot against spl sides.

 

And of course, the more Beasley plays the more confidence he will get and hopefully he will become the creative force we desperately require in the final third of the park and have essentially not had since De Boer/Prso.

Edited December 16, 2009 by Totti