Souness Praises Holmes

[chilledbear 16]

Perhaps this has been posted already, tho' I don't see it.

 

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8734_6856123,00.html

 

SOUNESS TRIBUTE TO HOLMES BACKING

Posted 06/04/11 17:53EmailPrintSave

 

 

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Graeme Souness has hailed former Rangers chief executive David Holmes for his courage and bravery in making him Ibrox manager 25 years ago.

 

The arrival of the Scotland captain from Sampdoria transformed the fortunes of a club who had not won the Scottish title for eight consecutive seasons.

 

Souness, who replaced Jock Wallace, soon brought in England internationals Terry Butcher and Chris Woods before leading the club to the championship in his first season, and then began the nine-in-a-row years by regaining the trophy in 1989.

 

Rangers stand on the brink of major change with Craig Whyte closing in on a takeover of the club and Souness believes Holmes deserves credit for implementing seismic change a quarter of a century ago.

 

Speaking to the Rangers News on the eve of the anniversary of his appointment, Souness said: "To say David Holmes put his neck on the line was an understatement.

 

"I was 33 and had no experience. He gave me the chance to be the manager of Rangers and that must have been a worry to him.

 

"It should never be forgotten what David Holmes did. The club was in turmoil and it was fragmented."

 

Souness immediately brought Walter Smith from Dundee United as his assistant having worked with him on the international scene.

 

And current Rangers boss Smith also believes the chief executive deserves huge praise.

 

"The vision of David Holmes was fantastic," Smith said. "People can make the decisions - like the one he did - but the hard part is seeing the plan through.

 

"I don't think people realise how difficult it was but David had the willingness and the perseverance to make it happen."

 

Souness was sent off in his first match after kicking Hibernian striker George McCluskey and continued to provoke hostility and controversy, not least when he signed former Celtic striker Maurice Johnston from under the noses of the Parkhead club.

 

But he insists his intention was never to upset people for the sake of it.

 

"My experience from Liverpool and also being a foreigner in Italy was that other teams treated it as their cup final when they played against you so I was prepared for what lay in store," said Souness, who quit for Liverpool in 1991.

 

"However, it was far more intense in Scotland. I was regarded as some big-head coming back to Scotland to show how it was done, but that was never my intention.

 

"All I wanted to do was put Rangers back to the place that they should always be.

 

"That aspect did not really bother me because I had had it throughout my career and I had really strong characters around me in the dressing room."