Lifted from �£�£ , but agree with just about all of it

[calscot 0]

I find it strange that you see absolutely nothing wrong with the way Walter Smith manages our club.

 

What is "wrong" with the way Walter runs his squad? Are we not double champions and cup holders? Are we not virtual league leaders? Are we not in a final on Sunday? Do we not just need a home win to qualify for a European quarterfinal? All this at a time of crisis where we have little money to spend and the smallest squad ever.

 

We may have spent 5M in the summer but that is peanuts compared to most EPL teams. 5M spending is equivalent to about 1M in Dick Advocaat's time. Football inflation since then really has been about 400% but some can't seem to recognise that. And the kicker is that's what we spent in the last 3 years...

 

If we were third and out of all competitions, I could see the point in slagging our manager. But the weird thing is that the opposite is true...

[Gazza_8 233]

What is "wrong" with the way Walter runs his squad? Are we not double champions and cup holders? Are we not virtual league leaders? Are we not in a final on Sunday? Do we not just need a home win to qualify for a European quarterfinal? All this at a time of crisis where we have little money to spend and the smallest squad ever.

 

We may have spent 5M in the summer but that is peanuts compared to most EPL teams. 5M spending is equivalent to about 1M in Dick Advocaat's time. Football inflation since then really has been about 400% but some can't seem to recognise that. And the kicker is that's what we spent in the last 3 years...

 

If we were third and out of all competitions, I could see the point in slagging our manager. But the weird thing is that the opposite is true...

 

So playing 5 across the back at home against Killie is acceptable? Oh hang on, we won so you'll probably say yes.

 

:yawn:

[calscot 0]

So playing 5 across the back at home against Killie is acceptable? Oh hang on, we won so you'll probably say yes.

 

:yawn:

 

Hell yes!

 

There is no way of knowing that another formation would have done any better and it certainly wouldn't have won more points. Like Walter says, you don't seem to understand what we're trying to achieve.

 

There are countless reasons for doing that, not least a potential UEFA quarterfinal and a cup final against two clubs that have far bigger squads and have spent far more money. Other than that we have a tiny squad which was depleted due to injuries and so the manager has to work out how best to use the players he has available.

 

Give Walter �£70M to spend and an �£80M wage budget and after putting together a squad, I'm sure he'd do it all differently.

 

However, he has to use what he has and I've seen 4-4-2 formations with the likes of Mols and Scoltand's most expensive transfer ever (Flo), struggle to score or play well against St Johnstone.

 

Football is about winning and to that end it was job done.

[calscot 0]

Calm down - I'm agreeing with you for the most part...

 

Like I say, it's a reasonable record all things considered while there is always room for (fair) criticism and improvement.

 

i think I was calm enough in my reply and think I made a decent case.

 

When a team is constantly punching above its weight - what criticism is fair and where is the room for improvement?

 

Results-wise, the only ones that have affected us negatively in any competition are the ones against Man U, Valencia and Celtic. The first two, we did better than expected as we really shouldn't be able to compete with them, and the loss in the cup to Celtic, apart from being one of those things where you sometimes lose to your biggest rivals, was the result of their bigger investment in their playing squad eventually starting to pay off.

 

It's easy to say we could improve against Celtic from the stands, but the question is, with our current squad, "how?"

 

In the league, we've got the most points per game than 8 out of the last 10 years and more goals per game than 9 out of the last 10. We've also got more shots on target per game than the last 8 years.

 

Where we are not doing so well is in letting in goals - which kind of goes against the opinion that we're really defensive - but then who can blame the manager for wanting to improve that side of our game against the best opposition. And while I think Kilmarnock was partly about practising this formation and partly about dealing with injuries and a tired squad, it should also be remembered they are playing remarkably well and are currently fourth in the league (albeit with having played more games than DU).

 

We have a tiny squad and have already played something like 43 games this season - reasonably successfully. Valid criticism where it is due is one thing but as fans, should that criticism not at least be coloured with some empathy for the manager and team and their predicaments? We are supposed to be a "family" after all. However, I struggle to see the validity of most of the criticism on here and I'm offended by the insults aimed at some of us for still supporting a past and currently successful manager. Why are we becoming some sort of pariah?

 

I am highly critical myself when we're miles behind and struggling to finish second and win any trophies at all; however, that is clearly not the case here.

[CumbernauldGers 0]

Calscot sorry mate but all i can do if laugh. You just want hear a bad word against smith no matter what will you?

[gisabeer 409]

the main problem with smith is his choice in tactics. i have been his biggest critic due to his negativity and have always felt that we could have played better football with the players at his disposal. our manager in my eyes seems to have a great fear of losing that over rides his and our will to win. its no way to play football im afraid. and its the reason that the game on thursday wont be a sellout.

 

we just arent worth the admission fee under smith.

 

Ill accept the backs to the wall performance against psv but come sunday we will be firmly camped in our own half with no gameplan over the half way line. I know this because smith knows no other way to play these games. there will be a minimum of 6 defensive players in the line up too whos only job will to be to hoof the ball up the park to a lone striker who has no one to knock it on to.

 

we just arent worth the admission fee under smith which is a contradiction in terms from me considering ive just forked out 35 quid for the CF. i live in hope where Rangers are concerned these days. i hope for a flash of brilliance from someone who will turn a game but the players most likely to do that are usually sitting on the bench.

 

So just this once i would like walter to take the game to the opposition and try and play football, good football and win the game with style and class.

 

And give us our respect back.

[Frankie 8,182]

i think I was calm enough in my reply and think I made a decent case.

 

When a team is constantly punching above its weight - what criticism is fair and where is the room for improvement?

 

Results-wise, the only ones that have affected us negatively in any competition are the ones against Man U, Valencia and Celtic. The first two, we did better than expected as we really shouldn't be able to compete with them, and the loss in the cup to Celtic, apart from being one of those things where you sometimes lose to your biggest rivals, was the result of their bigger investment in their playing squad eventually starting to pay off.

 

It's easy to say we could improve against Celtic from the stands, but the question is, with our current squad, "how?"

 

In the league, we've got the most points per game than 8 out of the last 10 years and more goals per game than 9 out of the last 10. We've also got more shots on target per game than the last 8 years.

 

Where we are not doing so well is in letting in goals - which kind of goes against the opinion that we're really defensive - but then who can blame the manager for wanting to improve that side of our game against the best opposition. And while I think Kilmarnock was partly about practising this formation and partly about dealing with injuries and a tired squad, it should also be remembered they are playing remarkably well and are currently fourth in the league (albeit with having played more games than DU).

 

We have a tiny squad and have already played something like 43 games this season - reasonably successfully. Valid criticism where it is due is one thing but as fans, should that criticism not at least be coloured with some empathy for the manager and team and their predicaments? We are supposed to be a "family" after all. However, I struggle to see the validity of most of the criticism on here and I'm offended by the insults aimed at some of us for still supporting a past and currently successful manager. Why are we becoming some sort of pariah?

 

I am highly critical myself when we're miles behind and struggling to finish second and win any trophies at all; however, that is clearly not the case here.

 

I'm as positive as the next man but you can't just mention losses against those three teams which have affected our season negatively.

 

This season we've also dropped points against Caley, Hibs and Hearts and have lost points in games we should have won against Valencia and Bursaspor in Europe. Sure, this can be attributed in part to a smaller squad and can be offset against better results but that doesn't explain the often poor attitude, lack of motivation and tactical inflexibility which we've seen this season (and before to be honest).

 

Again, I agree with you in that it surprises me just how negative people can be about our club, manager and players. Conversely though there remain valid concerns about Smith and I doubt any of us can be overly confident about winning anything this year given our most recent results in particular.

 

I also maintain that while his record does stand up to statistical scrutiny, it could indeed be better.

[johnnyk 158]

 

we just arent worth the admission fee under smith.

 

 

But i'm sure most of our fans and even the ones who don't go to many games will try and get tickets for the cup finals and latter league game/s when we are still in the hunt for the title, all thanks to Smith.......

[calscot 0]

I think it's ironic that some of the best football I saw under Smith was in the last season of his first term. Our tactics were to playing a pressing game, high up the park, with the ball on the deck, and overlapping fullbacks coming up to expand the play.

 

What was the result? We were punted out of Europe twice in quick succession and ultimately won nothing. In the end, was I entertained? Did I feel happy? Did I have my respect? The answer is, no.

 

I think Celtic fans will probably feel the same about the seasons with Tommy Burns and Tony Mowbray. Both said they were trying to play good football, both won bugger all. It also recently didn't work for Hughs at Hibs.

 

A must win sport being entertainment is an oxymoron - getting a result is more important than being entertaining. You're rarely entertained when you lose, no matter how good the game is to a neutral.

 

Playing nice football and winning is the ultimate wish for in football but they don't often go hand in hand and having the former goal will definitely get in the way of the latter and vice versa. It's a football fact that you need to get comfortable with if you want to enjoy being a supporter rather than a customer.

 

I've rarely seen any game without Rangers in it that I would call highly entertaining and worth paying 50 quid for a ticket - or even a Sky subscription. I just watched the richest club in the world play on terrestrial TV and instead of gain pleasure from their fancy football (which I didn't see much of anyway) from their array of stars, I took far more pleasure and entertainment from the fact they were beaten.

 

Entertainment is a subjective thing and most people would find a team who easily beats everyone else and wins the league at a canter every season a bit boring. Films would bomb for being so predictable and "nice". What makes a good film is tension and drama, and the same goes for football - and we've had plenty of that this year.

 

Big films also often see underdogs succeeding despite all the barriers in front of them - but it can be a sickly ending when they always triumph and tragedies are often more compelling.

 

But football is not choreographed, you might try all you can to play "nice, entertaining" football, beating three players, great passing play, fantastic volleys - but not only are these things difficult, you have another team trying their best to stop you. Films take loads of takes and don't have people coming on to put off the actors as much as possible - Christian Bale even exploded because someone moved in his eye-line...

 

Maybe I get on with how we play more as I was never a gifted footballer as I didn't get to play much as a kid or any coaching, but I try really hard as a defender and live in fear that a mistake or my lack of ability will lead to losing a goal. I don't do much fancy but get on with the job of defending as hard as I can and sometimes, trying my best doesn't work. I'm far more interested in not losing a goal compared to whether I'm showing a flash of brilliance that turns a game or playing with style and class.

 

I just don't have that luxury, and with the type of player we can afford these days, combined with a very hard to please support, neither can Rangers.

[ascender 352]

You can't argue with the trophies he's won for us, particularly at a time when we've been down-sizing massively in terms of fees and wages. But is it wrong to ask if another manager could get more out of the players we have or get them playing more attractive football?

 

I only say that because we are still the second-biggest spenders in the SPL yet over the last few years have struggled to beat teams who spend significantly less than us.