Got to take my hat off to Walter after all

[Super_Ally 0]

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.

 

Fairly agree with you. Though if we're giving Naismith, Lafferty and Beasley the benefit of the doubt (Naisy will come good with time and luck with injuries imo) then we must be as generous with Mendes who certainly was not a failure for me.

 

Second time around his only poor transfer dealing, imo, have been Rothen, Faye and Carrol with Lafferty desperately running out of time to show he is worth keeping. Other's people may consider failures have been unlucky with injury which you cannot blame the manager for and include Webster and Naismith who may yet prove valuable players.

[Danny 0]

I think the reason I consider Mendes a failure is that he was played in the wrong role. He's a DM by trade, but with Barry out injured he was expected to be the creative foil for Thomson. And initially he hit a brief purple patch but it lasted a couple of months tops and thereafter couldn't keep it up, yet still kept being 'highly rated' as this visionary pass master with creative quality in abundance - and it just wasn't what he was any good at. When Barry and he were together their roles became blurred - it was unclear who was doing what and it was a big failure.

 

In a way, he wasn't really a signing we needed to make - Davis was more than capable of filling the role of CM/AM that we fit Mendes into.

 

But for his goal at the Meccanodome, plus his other 2 in the cup and league, I'll let him off

[calscot 0]

Walter's first seasons signings success rate - from 17 points behind halfway through the season to 8 points behind with 3 games to go - reasonably successful to me.

 

Second season - cup double, UEFA runners up and almost won the league except for Celtic cheating and the SPL pandering to their lack of sportsmanship. Again reasonable successful.

 

Third season - League and cup double, runners up in the league cup. I'd say pretty successful.

 

This season with pretty much no new signings - 10 points ahead with a game in hand with 11 games to go, in the league cup final and the cup quarterfinal - should be successful.

 

Walter Smith - you say he was unsuccessful in the transfer market? WTF?

 

The measure of success of your signings to me is measured by your success.

[Zappa 0]

I'm sure you remember our 'discussions' about Walter in the past maineflyer.

 

Argument A - He should not be the Rangers manager! Walter Out!

 

Argument B - He should be the Rangers manager! Walter is The Man!

 

Incredibly, some people are still to this day in the 'Argument A' camp, which seems quite strange to me when you consider his actual achievements.

[maineflyer 0]

I'm sure you remember our 'discussions' about Walter in the past maineflyer.

 

Argument A - He should not be the Rangers manager! Walter Out!

 

Argument B - He should be the Rangers manager! Walter is The Man!

 

Incredibly, some people are still to this day in the 'Argument A' camp, which seems quite strange to me when you consider his actual achievements.

 

I remember always being right.

[Zappa 0]

I remember always being right.

.

That's what I remember too!

[maineflyer 0]

.

That's what I remember too!

 

Now you're taking the pish.

[Dr Preston Burke 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.

Edited March 7, 2010 by Dr Preston Burke

[andy steel 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.

[Guest Bonkle Bear]

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.

 

In fairness to Durie the only real comparison between the two is they can both play as attackers out wide or in the centre. He's no where near Durie's level as a player nor does he ever look likely to be sadly.

 

If we manage to hold onto the majority of this squad going into next season I would like to see Naismith sent out on loan for a year in the way we have done with Webster. He doesn't look like being able to force his way into the first team for a substantial run and that can't be helping his confidence either. He looks like he may need to take a step back before he can take a step forward again.

 

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