Barry Ferguson

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

In the thread of world class players I found myself thinking about the standout players we have had in recent history and he stood out to me and always will. Nobody will ever say he was world class or even close to it. However, in the 02/03 season he was pretty much as great a player I've seen us have and he also showed his ability at a young age in Europe. The Bayer Leverkusen manager famously said he was worth £15m.

 

After us he went to Blackburn and struggled in a poor side that was going nowhere, particularly after selling their star asset Duff to Chelsea who helped fund the move. A collision with Gary Speed resulted in a dislocated knee cap that held his career back massively but Ferguson still had what I believe is still a record streak of man of the matches on the trot (5, 6 or 7 was it?).

 

He came back to us and just wasn't the same player but had a performance at home to Porto (3-2 win, was it in 04/05??) that was unbelievable. He was strangely anonymous in many games though most likely down to poor man management but he went to Birmingham and soon became a standout again. He was in a very struggling side but stood out in many matches, particularly at home to Liverpool where he bossed the game and was man of the match. I recall Martin Tyler waxing lyrical about him in that match. He had hugely impressive pass completion stats at a terrible team as detailed here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1323450/Barry-Ferguson-pass-master.html

 

I just feel that it's a shame what became of his career. I wish he stayed at us for 03/04 and I felt he should have held out for a better move. At that point he was better than 95% of Premiership players. He's the only real standout Scottish player of the past 10 or so years and I just wonder if he had the benefit of Spanish, Dutch or Argentine coaching, he might just have realised his potential.

[MikeN63 0]

good post, it is the hard work and simple things that show a players class, it isn't going for the long, glory passes, or trying to beat three players and then losing possession, but understanding that it is holding on to possession, playing in team mates and supporting them for the return pass. Easy to write down and say but to do it week in week out, whilst still covering the ground and making the important midfield tackles, shows his class.

[Guest Night Owl]

Without wishing to suggest he was never a good player as I considered him to be a sound midfielder for us, but would it be fair to say that his ability was enhanced by the level of player he had around him ?

 

It could be said that in order to get into that team at the time you'd need to be class, however I remember Advocaat at the time wanting a midfield commander and Barry fit the bill and had ability so he got his start.

 

I think Barry let himself down in his peak with that carry on at the Scotland game etc etc, not to mention the PLG stuff... he could have handled himself better I think.

 

Safely say he was born to play for Rangers.

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

Without wishing to suggest he was never a good player as I considered him to be a sound midfielder for us, but would it be fair to say that his ability was enhanced by the level of player he had around him ?

 

It could be said that in order to get into that team at the time you'd need to be class, however I remember Advocaat at the time wanting a midfield commander and Barry fit the bill and had ability so he got his start.

 

I think Barry let himself down in his peak with that carry on at the Scotland game etc etc, not to mention the PLG stuff... he could have handled himself better I think.

 

Safely say he was born to play for Rangers.

We had a great team in 02/03 that would have been very welcome in the last 8 of the CL but as I detailed in my OP, I believe his performances at Birmingham where in a horrific side he out passed Fabregas, Lampard and Gerrard, he showed how talented he was. And that was when he was way past his best.

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

good post, it is the hard work and simple things that show a players class, it isn't going for the long, glory passes, or trying to beat three players and then losing possession, but understanding that it is holding on to possession, playing in team mates and supporting them for the return pass. Easy to write down and say but to do it week in week out, whilst still covering the ground and making the important midfield tackles, shows his class.

This immediately makes me think of Pirlo and Xavi. Both can play the hollywood pass but often keep things simple and control play from the middle of the park. You just do not tend to get such players in the UK, but Barry was such a player.

 

I can't think of a player England have had like the above. Lampard and Gerrard are great players but are more about driving play forward and assists/scoring than the more deeper controlling of a match. Who else is there? Michael Carrick? Nowhere near Fergusons ability. Jack Wilshere perhaps? Yet to live up to his potential.

 

Going off at a tangent here!

 

PS - Paul Scholes is probably the obvious answer. Preferred him as an AMC in the late 90's though but he became a quality deeper player that could completely control a match.

[Guest Night Owl]

We had a great team in 02/03 that would have been very welcome in the last 8 of the CL but as I detailed in my OP, I believe his performances at Birmingham where in a horrific side he out passed Fabregas, Lampard and Gerrard, he showed how talented he was. And that was when he was way past his best.

 

That doesn't surprise me.

 

One of Barry's traits was his constant need to be on the ball.

 

As much as its a benefit to have a man on the park who doesn't hide from possession it is also good to have a man to know when to let it flow, and I think Ferguson lacked that judgement at times. The players you mentioned are a completely different animal to Barry including style.

 

They are more likely to bomb forward and link up play on the move as well as offer an attacking option more often than not.

 

My lasting memory of Barry is to command a ball in the middle of the park, spin around in a circle then lay it off to someone to the side to which by then any chance of a counter or build up had passed.

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

He was called 'back pass Barry' here because he essentially kept possession. In foreign countries such players get applauded.

 

It boils down to the medieval Scottish attitude of pushing forward players based on pace and height as opposed to technical ability.

 

Cue the 'Messi would not have made it if he was Scottish' line...

 

PS - The UK is yet to grasp that football is won and lost based on possession. When they catch up, maybe they will stop being so atrocious.

[MikeN63 0]

he was a different kind of midfielder, definitely more typical of a continental type player. I always think of that kind of midfielder as being a joining up player, he links defence to attack, he is always looking for that undramatic, but effective joining pass.

 

I remember a game he played for Brum against Liverpool and him being the stand out midfielder, with Gerrard on the pitch, some might say understated.

[chilledbear 16]

Collins and Ferguson controlled the game against England at Wembley when he was 19.

 

All the time he played for us and Scotland he always played to keep posession of the ball, something British players find impossible to do.

 

Some games he played for us he was very very good, against timmy and in Europe, all in all he was a top player, but could have been even better.

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

he was a different kind of midfielder, definitely more typical of a continental type player. I always think of that kind of midfielder as being a joining up player, he links defence to attack, he is always looking for that undramatic, but effective joining pass.

 

I remember a game he played for Brum against Liverpool and him being the stand out midfielder, with Gerrard on the pitch, some might say understated.

That game was on a Sunday and is the game I was talking about. It was on SKY and I can't remember the score but I think it might have been 2-1 to Birmingham?