Got to take my hat off to Walter after all

[maineflyer 0]

Since he came back, some of Walter's signings, match tactics and team selections have been nothing short of awful. Who will forget Kaunas? At times he's thoroughly deserved the criticism he's been given.

 

And yet the old bugger seems to have confounded his critics, myself included, by welding together something we haven't seen at Ibrox for many a long day - a team, a genuine Rangers team. He's turned dorks like Lee McCulloch and Steven Whittaker into players who regularly contribute to winning game after game. Fukk me, he's nearly turned Kenny Miller into a footballer.

 

But more than anything else, he's done what every good Rangers manager has to do, he has totally dominated celtic. He's got them in total disarray, destroyed their self-belief, reduced them to howling in the wind like the dogs they are. I don't know how he does it but he's done it twice now and that requires recognition and credit. I think it's something to do with him being truly committed to the cause, just like the rest of us.

 

In times to come, I think I'll look back on this time and remember that Walter Smith gave us back our pride. If this is to be his last season then his is starting to look like an important chapter in the story of Rangers.

Edited March 6, 2010 by maineflyer

[Super_Ally 0]

Being a relative youngster I grew up with Walter at the helm. So for me it just feels natural to have him as boss. It's comforting. You just feel like we're going to win and dominate that other mob when you see him in the dugout.

[andy steel 0]

I don't know how he does it but he's done it twice now

 

I'd say he does it by creating s supremely well organised team; lacking in flair but set up to minimise goals against and with the expectation that, being Rangers, we'll get a couple. Sounds simple but it's the fact that he gets his players to stick to the plan (unlike, say, George Burley) that makes him such a good boss.

[ian1964 10,413]

Crackin post MF, and I agree with you 100%,Walter Smith is a percentage type manager which makes him a tad boring in his team selections sometimes, but nobody can deny the man what he has achieved in football, not just with Rangers, and I like many others am glad he is the Rangers manager just now, he is a Rangers fan and does hurt along with the rest of us when we get beat, he plays a cautious game but by fuck he knows how to get a team bonding and winning which his record proves, I wonder what kind of results/performances we would be getting if someone else was in charge just in these trying times for Rangers FC ???. The man is a true Rangers legend

[Dr Preston Burke 0]

I'm a rarity amongst my group of mates in that i don't particularly care about Europe, i don't get really annoyed after European defeats (well i did after Kaunas but not after CL group stage defeats) and all i care about is being the best domestically. Walter Smith has turned us from cerca 15-20 points behind Celtic when he took over to 13 points ahead of them inside 3 years. Thank you sir.

[Cotter 0]

Jesus Christ MF. I've just choked on my hat. Hallelujah!

[Hurlock 0]

Since he came back, some of Walter's signings, match tactics and team selections have been nothing short of awful. Who will forget Kaunas? At times he's thoroughly deserved the criticism he's been given.

 

And yet the old bugger seems to have confounded his critics, myself included, by welding together something we haven't seen at Ibrox for many a long day - a team, a genuine Rangers team. He's turned dorks like Lee McCulloch and Steven Whittaker into players who regularly contribute to winning game after game. Fukk me, he's nearly turned Kenny Miller into a footballer.

 

But more than anything else, he's done what every good Rangers manager has to do, he has totally dominated celtic. He's got them in total disarray, destroyed their self-belief, reduced them to howling in the wind like the dogs they are. I don't know how he does it but he's done it twice now and that requires recognition and credit. I think it's something to do with him being truly committed to the cause, just like the rest of us.

 

In times to come, I think I'll look back on this time and remember that Walter Smith gave us back our pride. If this is to be his last season then his is starting to look like an important chapter in the story of Rangers.

 

Ace read MF, all that remains is for him to turn Kyle Lafferty into a player and I may faint !

[Danny 0]

As I've said many times in the past, Walter Smith is a much better manager than our circumstances should allow us to have.

 

All he's done in progress us since he returned and while occasionally we'll gripe about his team selections, his tactics and other foibles, the truth is he knows what to do much better than any of us. In the past I've lost faith with him occasionally, but look at us now - simple fact is he was right and I was wrong.

 

There is no one I trust more as Rangers manager than Walter Smith.

[maineflyer 0]

Ace read MF, all that remains is for him to turn Kyle Lafferty into a player and I may faint !

 

Now you're really taking us into fantasy land....

 

If new owners were to appear with a shed load of cash, I'd still take some convincing that Walter Smith is the best person to spend it. His record in that respect does leave a lot to be desired - it did first time around and it certainly does now that resources are that much scarcer.

[Danny 0]

Now you're really taking us into fantasy land....

 

If new owners were to appear with a shed load of cash, I'd still take some convincing that Walter Smith is the best person to spend it. His record in that respect does leave a lot to be desired - it did first time around and it certainly does now that resources are that much scarcer.

 

Well let's scrutinise his signings (apologies if I forgot any) since he came back then.

 

First window (January 2007): Weir, Webster, Ehiogu, Thomson. Out of that lot only Webster failed to achieve anything - the rest all have done a job.

 

Second (Summer 2007): Naismith, Whittaker, Faye, Cousin, Darcheville, Beasley, McCulloch, Broadfoot, Carroll - of that lot only Faye and Carroll were failures. Beasley and Naismith have been moderate, and the rest have been successes.

 

Third (January 2008): Davis, Alexander, Dailly - can't think of any others and that lot were fine.

 

Fourth (Summer 2008): Edu, Velicka, Miller, Lafferty, Bougherra, Mendes. For me personally Mendes was a failure, and Lafferty hasn't been great, but the rest gets the thumbs up, even Velicka who I feel got an unfair ride and did well.

 

Fifth (January 2009) No one.

 

Sixth: (Summer 2009) Rothen. A failure but one whose circumstances are mysterious.

 

No manager will only sign great players - not even SAF who's signed the likes of Kleberson and Miller. But Smith's record in the transfer market really isn't that bad.