chilledbear 16 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 http://www.sellsgoalkeeperproducts.com/news/rangers-on-the-rise Hi Steve, we haven’t spoken since you joined Rangers – how did the move come about? I was on loan at Dundee last season from Preston and the manager, John Brown, is a former Rangers player who still has a lot of contacts at the club. I’d heard they were looking for another keeper ahead of this season, so he kindly made a couple of calls on my behalf. Ally McCoist [Rangers manager] invited me to train for a couple of weeks and at the end of it I was handed a contract. You’ve played for some big clubs like Everton, Stoke and Sheffield United, but Rangers must be an amazing club to play for? If you put aside the league we are playing in at the moment, it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world in terms of its stature and support. Despite everything that’s happened off the pitch it’s a fantastic club to play for; the facilities are top class and we have 36,000 season-ticket holders at Ibrox – and that’s for the third tier of Scottish football. The loyalty is incredible and there are many clubs in the top leagues in world football who would love that kind of backing. The size of the club is what entices players here, not the fact that we are playing in League One; Rangers have a worldwide status. It’s looking good for successive promotions, isn’t it? We’re 23 points clear at the top of the table, so hopefully we can get the title wrapped up by mid-February and then that takes us into the Championship – just one promotion from where the club was prior to our demotion. What’s happened off the pitch is not fault of the players, the management or most of the staff. It was taken out of their hands, but what we can do is work hard to get the club back to the highest level in Scottish football as soon as possible. Are away games tougher, given games against Rangers are like cup finals for these teams? You visit some of the grounds and they are like the equivalent of three leagues lower than the Conference in England. They have just the one stand with some terracing but when Rangers visit they have to erect two or three temporary stands to accommodate all the supporters. I’m using East Fife as an example, but when we play there twice a year, the finances raised will keep them going for two or three years. With the league wrapped up, does the Scottish Cup take on primary importance? It does. We’ve beaten Airdrie from our league, Falkirk – who are top of the Championship – and next week it’s Dunfermline. We’re then in the last eight with a real chance of playing a Premiership team. We need to play that type of opposition, to give us a better yardstick of where we are. Who knows, we might even get Celtic! You’ve come in as understudy to Cammy Bell – but made quite an impression on your debut, didn’t you? Yes, Cammy’s partner was giving birth, so I came in for the game at Forfar and kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 win. I also made what must be the best save of my career; a corner has come in, deflected off the side of Lee Wallace’s head and was heading for the top corner. I’ve pounced like a cat out of a tree and managed to claw the ball away with my left hand. I had nice comments on Twitter, people saying it was the best save they’d ever seen, and that – like the manager says – is why I’m here. I’m here to step in when needed and show my worth to the side. Finally, what does the future hold for you? I’m contracted until the end of the season, but would like to stay longer. At 34 I’ve still got a lot to offer and I’d like to think my experience is also rubbing off on the other keepers at the club. Along with our goalkeeper coach, Jim Stewart, we’re a tight-knit bunch of keepers and we’ve got a good working relationship with each other. Cammy is the club’s long-term prospect, but if I can keep pushing him and also do myself justice when I play, then that’s good news for the club. I’ve also started coaching the younger keepers here but as I’ve shown when I’ve played, there’s still plenty left in the tank! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,145 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Guy comes across well but he's surplus to requirements now Scott Gallacher is back. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilledbear 16 Posted January 30, 2014 Author Share Posted January 30, 2014 Guy comes across well but he's surplus to requirements now Scott Gallacher is back. Could get rid of one, personally would keep SS and Gallacher. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTP 0 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 This is an interesting one for me. The Forfar game i have no doubt that SS saved us 2 points. Had that gone in it was a stone wall 1-1 draw. But the fact we are so far in front made it almost irrelevant. Roll forward to next season and lets say Bell takes a bad one and is ruled out for 6 months. Can we afford to throw in a youngster with little experience? We probably could but it would be more of a risk. That save was special though. Not as good as the Goalie's against PVH but it was still top drawer. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,145 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Gallacher looked more than capable earlier in the season and would be a suitable deputy IMO. Simonsen brings more experience and again did well at Forfar but we definitely don't need both. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darthter 542 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 You can't base a keepers future based on one save, no matter how good it was. I thought he generally looked unconvincing overall. As for Scott Gallagher....he played at the start of the season, before Bell was available - he did well. In the league & Challenge Cup (until 1st Sept), Gallagher didn't concede....only conceding (2) to Forfar in the League cup. Simonsen has conceded 2 in one match. I would let Simonsen leave (with thanks), and continue with Gallagher as 2nd choice. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC 150 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 This position worries me greatly, looking ahead. How de we feel about Bell as the long term prospect he's being talked about here? is he up to it? For most of the last 30 years we've had top keepers. In some years that's what separated us from challengers, esp you know who. For titles and - especially - for when we get back to Europe it's probably the most important position there is. I don't know enough about Gallagher (insert shame-faced icon) 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,145 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Bell looks OK to me but has hardly been tested. What I would say is he seems to lack stature and I'm not convinced he's commanding enough. We won't know whether he's good enough to possibly next season or beyond though. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC 150 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Bell looks OK to me but has hardly been tested. What I would say is he seems to lack stature and I'm not convinced he's commanding enough. We won't know whether he's good enough to possibly next season or beyond though. Thanks Frankie, yes he looks the opposite of imposing especially at corners. I know Goram was small for a keeper, even McGregor is but they were exceptional to make up for it, as you have to be. I don;t want to be against Bell but, well, I worry.......... 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 we need to find a way to bring along liam kelly he is a fantastic prospect. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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