When Messi and Barcelona's 'Baby Dream Team' took on Rangers

[andy steel 0]

What ones?

 

That the chief exec. focusing on the firs team means there was nothing going on at youth level; that focusing on winning at first team level is so bad, I certainly wasn't complaining at the time, this

 

He stated: "If I'm very honest, the focus was on the first team for most of the nine years that I've been here."

 

means this:

 

Alarm bells should have been ringing when one of the most influential men at Rangers publicly denounced his clubs antiquated approach to youth development.

 

that we maybe missed out on young talent like wossname in the article, who had to drop to amateur level before coming good, hardly proof positive that his release was a major error by RFC staff: this quote

 

Soon after, the team seemed to plateau before alarmingly beginning their rapid descent into footballs abyss, where the vast majority of the players remain.

 

would suggest that the players who shone at that very young level didn't make it - what were we meant to do, play them anyway just so we could point to a young lad in the first team, while we got pumped?; that Murray Pk hasn't produced anything of note; that the lads 'believed their own press' (what press? at youth level? El Fideldo's blog is the only place I read about any of them!); this

 

the former Rangers youth prospects suffer the nightmare of tainted memories, broken ambition and bitterness that they failed, or were prevented, from truly fulfilling their huge potential, which was abundantly clear to anyone who watched their fantastic displays at the famous Willem II tournament.

 

Ultimately, Rangers’ negligible approach to youth development was one of the main culprits for the creative cull of such a promising batch of players that went off the boil so badly, so quickly.

 

is little more than an attention grabbing headline, quickly modified in the article with unnamed 'other chief protagonists' and effectively rendered meaningless in so doing; and that Barca's model, which has landed them in seriously deep shit, is something to aspire to.

 

Other than that, as I say, good piece.

[amms 0]

Interesting Andy. I didn't read it that way at all. I felt the main point being made, and one I completely agree with, was that at 15 years old a Rangers side were able to beat several good European sides and compete with arguably the best European side. Barcelona were then able to produce three exceptional first team players whilst Rangers couldn't develop one.

 

This is something I've touched upon before, why are Scottish (it's not just Rangers) clubs able to compete at that level but not when these boys get older? What happens to these players when they turn professional?

 

I don't know if the author's release was a major error, but the fact that none of that side made our first team is a little surprising, no?

 

That Martin Bain said his focus was the first team will surprise no one, but it's fair for the author to point out the folly of that, albeit with hindsight.

 

The fact the players plateaud (?is that a word) is a valid criticism of the club, they clearly weren't all going to make it but that none of them did does suggest something was amiss somewhere.

 

I remember reading a report on a Youth European Championships a good while ago now. Scotland qualified and did okay, I think it was world Soccer magazine did a review of the tournament and highlighted three players to watch. They were Robert Pires, Ivan De La Pena and Charlie Miller. According to the author of the article they were the three most exciting talents in Europe at that time. Why didn't Charlie Miller have a career at least comparable to de la Pena far less Pires?

 

I don't know Andy, I think you are being a little harsh on the author. Our youth development has been fairly ordinary for a long time. We could point at Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor and say they're two players who have been an unqualified success and Adam and Hutton who have both been very good in spells, but not much else. I feel the guy has a point.

[andy steel 0]

He does, and I thought it was a very well done piece. But I still disagree with some of it!

 

The 'nothing out of Murray Park' is an easy stick to beat Rangers with and unless it's qualified with the caveats that you mentioned - that Scots youth teams have regularly shone but done nada at top level, which can hardly be the fault of Murray Park, that the best players go to England, like Mackay-Steven, that 1001 factors must be taken into account - it veers toward a little out of balance.

 

But hey, I'm the first to admit I am not rational when it comes to Rangers. Maybe he's right!

[amms 0]

He does, and I thought it was a very well done piece. But I still disagree with some of it!

 

If you don't agree with me on everything then you are my sworn enemy. Die heretic!

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

Don't know how anyone can disagree with what is said in the article.