Wilson's dilemma

[calscot 0]

There have been reports that the Liverpool interest in Wilson has cooled due to the sacking of Benitez and with no other prestigious suitor he could be still a Rangers player next season while playing out the last year of his contract.

 

He's refused to sign an offered three year extension and so as a young player, his transfer fee would be a fraction of what he's worth right now - probably around the 500k mark. This could leave room for a buyer to give him a large signing on fee or wage which could attract him to go elsewhere if his eyes are only on the money.

 

However, I'm wondering that if say he plays 40 games for Rangers next season including a few in the Champions League, maybe winning a couple more medals in the process, how attractive will a decent English Premiership club be, considering he will be back to sitting and waiting on the bench for probably quite a while?

 

Will the thought of more money than he can spend be enough to compensate for this, even though being a first team player at Rangers could accelerate his development and while being paid handsomely, he could be earn an even bigger move in a few years as a seasoned 21 year old with three years of regular, top class football under his belt as well as European experience?

 

The current risk is that he could go down the same route as that young Celtic player who went to Man U (and was so successful that I can never remember his name these days - I'm sure someone will remind me once again) and then go on to relative obscurity, at best playing in the Championship or for a middling SPL club.

 

Of course he could make it big down south but for risk - return it seems his best bet would be to play regular first team football for Rangers. The latter has shown far more success for a lot of young OF players.

 

There have been many lesser players who have not made it at either end of Glasgow and drifted to the Championship or SPL clubs and even below, but I would say that was them gravitating to their natural level which would not likely have changed in the slightest by playing Premiership reserve football punctuated by the odd subs appearance for a top team.

 

The likes of Bob Malcolm et al were never going anywhere salubrious, whereas Hutton did well for himself after establishing a place in the first team.

 

So it's his choice, but I can't help thinking that an 18 year old earning hundreds of thousands of pounds at a club like Rangers while playing regularly in the first team, with advice and tutelage from the likes of David Weir, would be a pretty easy choice.

 

Of course greed for greater riches now, changes everything.

Edited July 2, 2010 by calscot

[Guest Flying Hippo]

If Bougherra stays, Wilson will be 4th choice centre half and lucky to play 10 games next season

[alanmidd 0]

True, but the chances of Bougherra staying are very small. This would leave Wilson 3rd choice with a 40 year old and an injury prone player ahead of him. If he stays, I think he'll play a lot of games next year and may end up staying in the team

[26th of foot 5,859]

Ra Sellik player you refer to is Liam Miller. Currently starring in Hibs midfield. Miller was slightly different to Wilson, he had experienced several years of constant injury whilst a Sellik youth/reserve player and was 23(I think) when he left for Old Trafford.

 

I attended the NARSA AGM last month and the steller aray of Rangers worthies at the top table did ninety minute Q and A. Wilson's situation was a direct question, "is he being badly advised"?

 

Walter was most open, the lad wants to leave, I want him to stay, he will only leave when Rangers receive the required remuneration. Martin Bain chipped in with the fact he had been offered the best deal the club had ever made to an 18 year old.

 

I watched Wilson come through the youth set-up, saw him play on a dozen-15 occasions. Sometimes, he was less than impressive, that happens with young players, consistency is hard to achieve. However, Rangers gave him every opportunity, and you could see clear improvement. The most heard comparrison at the games from those of a certain vintage(myself included) was, 'he is Hansen-esque'. Elegant, sweet left foot, mostly always in the right position, commanding in the air, .....etc.

 

It's only an opinion, but I think he could make it down south in the upper echelon. I am disappointed in his attitude, signing another contract would protect both his and the club's interests. As a matter of interest, I believe Alan Hansen was 22-23 when he moved from Thistle to Liverpool.

[Guest Flying Hippo]

I think Wilson was marginally overrated last season. Certainly our defence looked nowhere near as solid with Wilson and Weir as it did with Bougherra and Weir. A promising talent obviously but i would shed no tears if he left. I struggle to believe that any teenage Celtic fan can really be 100% committed to Rangers

[pete 2,499]

I think Wilson was marginally overrated last season. Certainly our defence looked nowhere near as solid with Wilson and Weir as it did with Bougherra and Weir. A promising talent obviously but i would shed no tears if he left. I struggle to believe that any teenage Celtic fan can really be 100% committed to Rangers

 

Professionalism is i think the good word. If he is a true prof then he will do his best for whatever club he plays for. He chose to sign for Rangers over Celtic because he thought it was better for his career. The fact that as an 18 year old clubs are willing to pay millions for him means he and Rangers have seem to have got it right. As for supporting one team and being a success with their rivals is not new. There are plenty of Rangers supporters who made it big at Celtic. Kenny Dalgliesh and Danny McGrain spring to mind

[rbr 1,247]

At the end of the day , these young players continually get lured by the promise of money beyond their wildest dreams , and also by the pressure heaped on them by agents whose prime focus is milking them of as much money as possible in as short a time period .

The fact that what they could recieve in wages at Rangers is still beyond the dreams of the majority of us mere mortals doesn't seem to compute , neither does the fact that they can play regularily and also do something that all players should want from their careers WIN trophies .

 

History has shown in recent times a number of players who could have stayed at clubs and been legends , but they chose to take the money . Some will say who can blame them , we would all do the same , however at the end of the day how much money is enough , when compared to the glory of being not only wealthy beyond your dreams but also remembered as a winner , a champion , a true legend .

[craig 5,199]

I think Wilson was marginally overrated last season. Certainly our defence looked nowhere near as solid with Wilson and Weir as it did with Bougherra and Weir. A promising talent obviously but i would shed no tears if he left. I struggle to believe that any teenage Celtic fan can really be 100% committed to Rangers

 

Would agree with your first sentence. Not the remainder though

[Gazza_8 233]

Wilson could've done no more last season. He came in when called upon and hardly made a single mistake! He did his job extremely well.

 

At best we'll keep Boogie this season and at worst Boogie and Weir will both leave during next summer. If Wilson leaves this summer we're in dire need for another defender. As much as Webster played the majority of games for United last season there's still a question mark over his fitness as he was out for the best part of 2 or 3 seasons, maybe more.

 

I wouldn't blame Wilson if he decided to leave to the EPL. He wants to test himself against the best. That said though, if he fails I won't be saying "hard luck" to him.

[calscot 0]

Test himself against the best reserve players in England?

 

I always think this "test themselves" and "bigger challenge" stuff always sounds a bit strange. You mean he wants to play against the best in the world have the piss taken out of him, be run ragged and made to look crap and stupid, while being at the wrong end of a good drubbing? That's what that sounds like for a defender to me when those phrases are used.

 

For a striker like Boyd, it means he wants to play the best defenders where he doesn't get any service or a sniff of goal, is left chasing shadows, get's in a sulk and and looks like a big waste of money.

 

Unless you ARE the best or pretty close, testing yourself against the best will only show your limitations and make you look second rate.

 

Neither Boyd nor Wilson seem very capable of passing a test against the best. Neither of them have come close to showing that capability.

 

That either of them will even get much of a chance if they move is not even that likely. Wilson will get a bigger chance of playing the best by signing back on at Rangers, getting himself in as a first choice and playing in the Champions League where he will be almost guaranteed a couple of games against a team that will match any in the Premiership.

 

It's not about tests or challenges in the slightest unless it to see how big a bank balance they can accrue or how quickly they can spend it.