Got to take my hat off to Walter after all

[Dr Preston Burke 0]

I would guess because you can see what Naismith offers the team when he gets a run of games - intelligent forward play with a decent amount of finishing ability. I'm trying to think of someone to compare him to, and for some reason Gordon Durie is the name I keep thinking of. A useful but not brilliant forward who can chip in with 10-15 goals a season.

 

Naismith has scored 2 goals in 27 appearances this season so to suggest he would offer us 10-15 a season is very wishful thinking. 2 and a half years into his Rangers career i just don't see any kind of serious argument for suggesting he's been anything other than a total flop at �£2 million. If we were to try and sell him, we'd be incredibly lucky to get �£500,000 right now

Edited March 7, 2010 by Dr Preston Burke

[Super_Ally 0]

I think all the flop talk is harsh for a player who has suffered badly with injury. Something neither player nor manager can control or be blamed for. Very harsh imo.

[Zappa 0]

I think all the flop talk is harsh for a player who has suffered badly with injury. Something neither player nor manager can control or be blamed for. Very harsh imo.

.

Agreed. Considering Naismith's serious injury that kept him out for as long, I think we've just been unlucky with him & the guy himself will be devastated about it. You have to take everything into consideration & overlooking a serious injury when assessing a player over a period of time certainly isn't doing that.

 

To the doctor - 27 appearances for Naismith? How many were starts? What are his actual stats?

[Dr Preston Burke 0]

.

Agreed. Considering Naismith's serious injury that kept him out for as long, I think we've just been unlucky with him & the guy himself will be devastated about it. You have to take everything into consideration & overlooking a serious injury when assessing a player over a period of time certainly isn't doing that.

 

To the doctor - 27 appearances for Naismith? How many were starts? What are his actual stats?

 

18 starts, 9 sub appearances

 

He started pretty much every game until December

[Zappa 0]

How many starts playing as a striker though? He's been asked to play as a left or right midfielder which he isn't really very well suited to doing.

[Danny 0]

 

Naismith, Lafferty, Duncan Ferguson and Stensaas are arguably the worst signings Smith has ever made.

 

You don't seem to remember Bolan, Cleland, Boli, Wright?

 

The above 4 you've quoted were all successes compared to who I've mentioned.

[Danny 0]

How on earth can Mendes be deemed a failure but Beasley and Naismith be deemed moderate successes? Naismith is arguably the worst reasonably expensive (say anyone who cost between 1 and 2 million, rather than big money flops like Lafferty and Flo) signing we've ever made.

 

I'm quite baffled and slightly staggered by this post.

[bmck 117]

On yersel maineflyer.

[Guest Bonkle Bear]

You don't seem to remember Bolan, Cleland, Boli, Wright?

 

The above 4 you've quoted were all successes compared to who I've mentioned.

 

Boli was played out of position by Smith in one of our first and most important games of the season (right back against AEK) though I agree he could probably be added.

 

Bolan was under �£1m and rarely used so his inclusion is rather harsh to say the least.

 

Wright was plagued with injuries and never really established himself properly after. I don't ever really think we got to see the best of him.

 

Alex Cleland should be no where near a list of Walter's worst signings. He proved to be a fairly steady and reliable full back rather than a spectacular one. Easily more of a success than Stensaas, Naismith, Lafferty and Ferguson.

[Norris Cole 0]

I'll never think anything other than Kaunas was a sacking offence.

 

But as MF points out, the only thing you ever really have to do as Rangers manager is finish above Celtic, and for all the acres of copy written about Smith down the years it's often overlooked the absolute hex he has had over the bheasts during 10 seasons spanning 20 years. It's why they absolutely hate the man. Brady, Macari, Burns and Strachan were all seen off, and now Mowbray has been reduced to a desperate, warbling buffoon.

 

Smith has made his fair share of shocking signings, and while I think the fact he hasn't been able to sign a player since August 2008 is part of the reason for our success since, it would be unfair to recognise the fact that this season he has produced a free-scoring, watertight defensively, side with one hand tied behind his back. It was also pretty crystal clear during the last Old Firm game that only one team was busting a gut for their manager.

 

Again though, as MF says, if we are ever to come into a bunch of money again, I don't believe Smith is the man to be handed charge of the tiller. But that's for another thread.

 

Agree about Alec Cleland by the way, the guy was a perfectly solid player for us for a few years. I've never quite understood why these players continually crop up when discussing our worst players. Henning Berg is another