Weiss reveals Rangers boss Smith went berserk

[craig 5,195]

If I may suggest history shows that playing deep with 10 men behind the ball is a deliberate managerial trait, I hesitate to call it a tactic as that sort of stuff will get football banned.

 

Do you invest at all ? "History is not an indication of the future"

 

Just because historically it shows that (not even convinced by that statement to be honest) doesnt mean it is still the case. I am not saying it isnt but if the manager can be seen to be waving his players forward would that not suggest that he doesnt want them playing as deep ?

 

Or are you suggesting that WS said at HT "no matter what signals I give you about getting forward in the 2nd half just ignore them" ??? Makes no sense to me.

[Guest puk]

I must be watching different games, I have never seen Smith waving anyone forward, except against those who are classed as diddy team, perhaps you understand the expression, a leopard never changes its spots, better.

Just a small point as I have some knowledge of attempting to predict the future using historical fact, all bookmakers use historic results along with other relevant data to compile odds, are you suggesting that they are somehow misguided in their fact gathering. You don't see many poor bookmakers.

[calscot 0]

If we have a defensive trait why is our goal tally 2.3 per game in the SPL? The most defensive manager we ever had was actually Souness.

[Guest puk]

I would say the league of Souness's time was far above the standard of that now inflicted upon us.

[maineflyer 0]

I would say the league of Souness's time was far above the standard of that now inflicted upon us.

 

And by a very large margin by the time Souness left Rangers. Today's Rangers team couldn't live with the one Walter Smith inherited from Souness. Indeed many people have made fair case that Smith wouldn't have enjoyed a fraction of the success he did first time around if it hadn't been for the platform handed to him by Souness. That's not to say that Smith still had the job to do when he took over, or that he did it as manager, but whether he could have put the team together himself is far from certain. There's also a well-argued case that the team Smith inherited was largely organised and managed by senior players in the dressing room, not the manager's office. Whatever the truth of it, there's little doubt that Smith inherited strength and left only weakness behind, despite having greater resources to call upon that were ever presented to Souness.

 

There's also a reasonable parallel between the relative merits of David Holmes and David Murray ..... one building the foundations of success, the other inheriting that foundation of strength and frittering it away in a blaze incompetence while being awarded (wrongly) much of the credit for something he never actually contributed. That's largely the reality of Rangers over the last 25 years, sleight of hand and deceit winning out over true ability in the boardroom and the lesser manager granted the accolades over the one with real ability whose true value has seldom been acknowledged by the support. It's not much of a reality to be proud of if we're honest.

Edited February 18, 2011 by maineflyer

[Guest puk]

An excellent appraisal MF, I congratulate you on its brevity and accuracy, Smith did indeed ride on the coat tails of Souness and later his team. A forgotten man is former joiner David Holmes, but not by those of us who are aware of his wonderful input, to clever for Murray by half.

[Totti 0]

The manager doesn't like when we sit back? Strange words from someone who knows nothing more than such a neanderthal tactic. He doesn't like it because it finally bit him in the arse more like.

[maineflyer 0]

I find myself with a foot in both sides of this debate. On the one hand I do not believe Walter Smith is as good a manager as we need at Rangers. I also think his management style has hindered as well as helped this club. But most of all, at this stage in his career, I think analysis of his abilities must now take a back seat to the need to show respect for a man who has genuinely committed himself to a club he loves every bit as much as we do. Irrespective of how we mght judge his tactics or achievements, and we're entitled to do so, we really must avoid disrespectful behaviour towards Walter Smith.

 

He's not a neanderthal and neither are his tactics. He's allowed to fail just as we are entitled to recognize and point out his failures.but take great care. What we should not do is be abusive towards this true blue gentleman, at all.

Edited February 18, 2011 by maineflyer