Summer Transfer thread - fun while it lasted!

[chilledbear 16]

If we can get a couple of decent signings, the centre half and a left mid.

 

I would withdraw from the transfer market and go with the youngsters.

 

A good spine and give the youths a chance.

[Guest Dutchy]

Den Haag do seem to be putting us through the same sort of stress as Rapid did with Jelavic, so we should use every tool in our armoury to diss Den Haag's attitude.

 

As for the Lafferty report of a �£2 million offer, I agree that we should be asing twice that amount also. They've got loads of cash down south and West Ham do indeed get something like a �£30 million parachute payment. As we have to replace Lafferty, we're in need of money also, so West Ham should be made to cough up.

 

a bit cheeky there.

[calscot 0]

If we can get a couple of decent signings, the centre half and a left mid.

 

I would withdraw from the transfer market and go with the youngsters.

 

A good spine and give the youths a chance.

 

Didn't work for Feyenoord...

 

Are you willing to finish something like fifth in order for us to develop youths, most of which won't make it and some that do will not sign new contracts and leave for richer clubs for pittances?

 

People have been calling for Hemmings to get a chance, he may be a future talent but looked well out of his depth when thrown in a difficult situation against Malmo.

 

Youth is not a panacea. You don't win anything with kids - the one mythical time it happened at Man U, they firstly had a purple patch crop of the best young players in the UK, who were in a team full of world class, experienced players and they were all at least 20 except for Phil Neville. The average age of that team was about 26-27, and if it was such a successful model, why aren't they using it now?

[Craigy1881 79]

Verhoek's move to Nottingham Forrest is off, apparently wants to stay in Holland now.

[johnnyk 158]

Didn't work for Feyenoord...

 

Are you willing to finish something like fifth in order for us to develop youths, most of which won't make it and some that do will not sign new contracts and leave for richer clubs for pittances?

 

People have been calling for Hemmings to get a chance, he may be a future talent but looked well out of his depth when thrown in a difficult situation against Malmo.

 

Youth is not a panacea. You don't win anything with kids - the one mythical time it happened at Man U, they firstly had a purple patch crop of the best young players in the UK, who were in a team full of world class, experienced players and they were all at least 20 except for Phil Neville. The average age of that team was about 26-27, and if it was such a successful model, why aren't they using it now?

 

IMO we have a few youngsters that are good enough to play in the first team and play regularly for us, Fleck, Hutton, Ness, Wylde and even McMillan. Hemmings looks a very good prospect but I don't see why he should start games in front of the strikers we already have. If we are leading by a few goals in games then bring him on to give him more experience. The others I would have no problem in putting them on from the start. The whole team is not going to be full of youngsters but a good mix of them and older experienced players.

[chilledbear 16]

Didn't work for Feyenoord...

 

Are you willing to finish something like fifth in order for us to develop youths, most of which won't make it and some that do will not sign new contracts and leave for richer clubs for pittances?

 

People have been calling for Hemmings to get a chance, he may be a future talent but looked well out of his depth when thrown in a difficult situation against Malmo.

 

Youth is not a panacea. You don't win anything with kids - the one mythical time it happened at Man U, they firstly had a purple patch crop of the best young players in the UK, who were in a team full of world class, experienced players and they were all at least 20 except for Phil Neville. The average age of that team was about 26-27, and if it was such a successful model, why aren't they using it now?

 

I understand what you are saying, but we are competing in the SPL.

 

Obviously not packing the team with untried yunks, we have 3/4 who have played in the first team, plus the likes of Whittaker, Papac, Ortiz etc. But waiting until injuries force you to introduce a youngster is imo the wrong way to go.

 

Remember those introduced las season, Ness, Hutton, Wylde even D. Wilson was forced on management by injury and lack of depth in the squad.

[chilledbear 16]

As an aside Hutton in Malmo game.

 

We are up 2-0 against Saints on the Saturday and he doesn't put him on, and then flings him on in a European game !!!!

[Danny 0]

Well all the news I'm reading in this thread today fills me with a great level of joy.

[calscot 0]

I understand what you are saying, but we are competing in the SPL.

 

We may be in the SPL, but our youngsters are mostly Scottish, so the question is, what makes them likely to be that much better than other Scottish youngsters at other team? By all accounts, Hibs have been the most successful recently at bringing through Scottish international players, but they didn't win much and who is to say, their current youngsters are better than ours? And if that's the case, how do you beat the likes of Hibs with our youngsters against theirs?

 

Arsenal play in the EPL but they have been putting together some of the most promising (and most expensive) youngsters in the World in order to "build a team for the future" - it hasn't worked yet and they haven't won the league since they started this grand plan.

 

Obviously not packing the team with untried yunks, we have 3/4 who have played in the first team, plus the likes of Whittaker, Papac, Ortiz etc. But waiting until injuries force you to introduce a youngster is imo the wrong way to go.

 

But that's almost what we do anyway - Wison, Bartley, Fleck, Weiss, Lafferty, Ness, Hutton etc, except it's usually a couple at a time. If you think our team is already struggling, then do really think that swapping experienced players for kids is the way to improve. I'm all for giving youth a shot - especially if we're a few up, but first I want a squad of experienced, decent players - supplemented by youth.

 

Remember those introduced las season, Ness, Hutton, Wylde even D. Wilson was forced on management by injury and lack of depth in the squad.

 

I don't get this "forced" bit. Walter chose his squad with the funds he had and used it. Nobody forced him to play Wilson or Ness for so many games, quite the opposite in fact. Wilson was sold and Ness was injured. Nobody forced him to sign or play Bartley and Weiss, but he was forced not to play them due to injuries again. Nobody forced him to play Lafferty and in fact the fans gave him stick for that. He played Fleck at 16 without being forced; however he's not really fulfilled his promise as of yet. Hutton, McMillan, Cole and Hemmings all had outings also when there were other options.

 

It was more the fans that drove Adam away as well as the likes of Maurice Ross, Stevie Smith, Chris Burke, Bob Malcolm - all of whom the fans didn't see as good enough.

 

Introducing youngsters into a high pressure, successful team like Rangers, with incredibly impatient fans is a delicate affair - trying to do an 80's Aberdeen simply won't work as Hibs have found out. Besides, Sir Alex regrets that he burned out most of that Aberdeen team.

 

I lost the naive, misted eyes about youth when I was about 12 and saw Gordon Dalziel miss three sitters in a friendly against Spurs where we lost 1-0. I couldn't help thinking that the likes of John MacDonald would have had a hat trick and won the game.

 

That new idea was then sealed when Souness took over and bought a load of experienced players and we started winning leagues again.

 

We've had so many next great things in our youth ranks, even paid millions for them, but so few have actually made it. If we're going for youth I'd rather we abandoned our youth system and instead just spend five million every year in buying up the best 20 year olds in the SPL. That seems a much more efficient and promising strategy.

[chilledbear 16]

As I said, we play youngsters when forced, instead of introducing them in better circumstances. Cole and Hutton in Champion League games, Little in an Old Firm game.

 

I find the Ibrox crowd give young lads a fair crack when they first arrive, tho' playing them out of position or when they lose a bit of form, Adam and Fleck comes to mind, certainly doesn't help.

 

No it's no use being misty eyed, although remembering DJ beating McNeil to score the winner at Hampden, makes you want to see youngsters succeed.