Rangers Football Club 0 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 BOSS moves playmaker to cover for Lee loss More... WALTER SMITH has revealed Steve Davis is to be moved back into central midfield to cover for the loss of Lee McCulloch as Rangers get set for a vital SPL clash with Motherwell at Ibrox tomorrow. McCulloch is having surgery on Tuesday to cure a knee problem and may miss the rest of the campaign. Smith is concerned that the loss of his experience will leave Rangers short in this area so playmaker Davis will be given a central role. The manager said today: "I can move Steve Davis back into the middle now. He is more experienced. When you look at Maurice Edu and Jamie Ness they have not played a lot of football in their careers for different reasons. "We can move a few players around. We have players who can play in a number of positions. "Lee McCulloch was doing very well for us and it's a blow he is out injured. "In fairness to Ness he has handled it very well so far. He has hampered by injuries when he was younger coming through the youth teams so he has not had many games overall. "I think the five or six games he has had for us represents the longest run he has had fit since I came to the club. "He is handling it very well and he is playing very well but like all other younger players, when you bring them in you have to be careful you are not over-playing them." 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,200 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Looks like Ness will be making way then if we do opt for a four man midfield. Does this mean two wingers (ala December last season) or Whittaker pushed forward to accommodate Bartley/Foster? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny 0 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Walter Smith in 'forced to play Davis in his best position' shocker. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,200 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 To be honest Danny, I don't think Davis has impressed to a great degree centrally anyway. Most of his best work has been done on the right although I do concede that's possibly because he's simply played there more often than his preferred central role. As such, when he does get moved inside now and again, he's perhaps not as effective as he would be if he played there regularly. Should be an attacking team tomorrow anyway - unless Whittaker is moved forward. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super_Ally 0 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Walter Smith in 'forced to play Davis in his best position' shocker. Though he's not really played any better there when given the opportunity this season. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,502 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 That will suit Davis,he doesn't need to think about getting forward too much 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny 0 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Though he's not really played any better there when given the opportunity this season. tbh this has been a quiet season for him altogether. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny 0 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 To be honest Danny, I don't think Davis has impressed to a great degree centrally anyway. Most of his best work has been done on the right although I do concede that's possibly because he's simply played there more often than his preferred central role. As such, when he does get moved inside now and again, he's perhaps not as effective as he would be if he played there regularly. I think you hit the nail on the head there; played wide he's ok but not incredible, and when switched inside he's recently not been particularly influential. But the operative word you used is 'regularly'. If played there all the time, knowing he was staying there, I think we'd see his best form. And now, supposedly, that's what Uncle Walter's doing. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totti 0 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 If Ness is dropped then Walter really is a backward manager. This is such a pointless topic of debate anyway. In our last game Davis played centrally and he was shite. How can he be moved into the centre when he already just played there. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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