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McCoist challenge to Rangers wing ace Templeton


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ALLY McCOIST has challenged David Templeton to prove he is worthy of a regular Rangers starting berth.

 

 

 

The winger came off the bench to net the final goal in the Light Blues' 3-0 win over Cowdenbeath on Tuesday night.

 

McCoist elected to go with Lewis Macleod and Steven Smith on the flanks as Templeton had to settle for a spot on the sidelines.

 

But the Gers boss knows the 25-year-old has what it takes to be regular feature.

 

McCoist said: "Temps has absolutely made a claim for a place. How he played against Cowdenbeath is what we're looking for from David.

 

"He gets up the park and takes people on and he's always got a goal in him - he's got two very good feet, two very quick feet and he's always very well placed.

 

"It was really pleasing to see him coming on and scoring. He was great and we know he's capable of that.

 

"All that we can ask of him is to put pressure on myself and the staff to give him a starting position."

 

Templeton was not the only midfielder to find the net at Central Park, with playmaker Nicky Law scoring just three minutes in.

 

And the Ibrox gaffer is pleased with the options he has available middle to front after another Championship success.

 

"I just felt the boys [Macleod and Smith] deserved another crack at it after putting in a solid performance against Dumbarton on Saturday," McCoist told rangers.co.uk.

 

"We have Temps who can come in on the left-hand side and now that young Airdy is out for a couple of weeks we need options - so at this moment in time we're very pleased that we've got one or two.

 

"Big Jon Daly came off the bench and was a real handful and had a couple of good headers and probably should have scored, so we've got one or two options up front too."

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/mccoist-challenge-to-rangers-wing-ace-templeton-187450n.25786073

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I can see both points of view here.

 

All too often Temps fails to impress when he starts - sometimes because, like many wingers, he's inconsistent and lightweight - but sometimes because he doesn't get enough games to really have a proper run in the team to gain confidence and form understandings. As such, it's perhaps an easier decision to use him as an impact player, especially when we consider his injury record where when he does start a few games, he then appears to pick up various strains and knocks.

 

On the other hand, there's simply no excuse for the manager's lack of adventure in many games where he chooses to either deploy defensive or under-performing players instead of starting Templeton. There's a big difference between being conservative in matches against SPL opposition and away games to the (apparent) dross of the lower leagues. It's difficult to answer why we've not used a winger in matches against Dumbarton and Cowdenbeath of late.

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"Wing ace"?

 

He has some talent but the "aces" are Morton, Waddell and Henderson. Then, just below that level, Scott, Wilson, Johnston and Cooper. Templeton isn't even a craftsman yet though he ought to be. A real manager would have got him going by now or binned him.

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Older Bears will remember John Greig and his obstinate attitude to Davie Cooper? He was easily the most talented player at the club, but Ham and Egg regularly kept him on the bench. I fear the Ally/ David Cooper Templeton relationship might be similar?

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I can see both points of view here.

 

All too often Temps fails to impress when he starts - sometimes because, like many wingers, he's inconsistent and lightweight - but sometimes because he doesn't get enough games to really have a proper run in the team to gain confidence and form understandings. As such, it's perhaps an easier decision to use him as an impact player, especially when we consider his injury record where when he does start a few games, he then appears to pick up various strains and knocks.

 

On the other hand, there's simply no excuse for the manager's lack of adventure in many games where he chooses to either deploy defensive or under-performing players instead of starting Templeton. There's a big difference between being conservative in matches against SPL opposition and away games to the (apparent) dross of the lower leagues. It's difficult to answer why we've not used a winger in matches against Dumbarton and Cowdenbeath of late.

 

That essentially covers it for me, especially this season. There are "cast-into-stone" starters who have to suffer injury before they miss out. Our best attacking midfielder Macleod is being shifted all over the park, as Ally does not want to drop him, but that means that the wing players drop out ... when our main strikers Daly and Boyd lack decent enough crosses into the box. What beggars belief is that Macleod is still better on the "wings" than those who fill his natural slot in midfield, namely Law. Every decent enough coach would have a game plan for the various quality he faces home and away and uses it, rather than have one solid block of players who play every game no matter what.

 

Templeton remains primarily an impact player for me, but I would be rather experimental when to use him. That stubborn 65/75 minutes stuff does not work 24/7. Likewise, I'd try to use Templeton in a free role behind the striker, perhaps next to Miller "behind" the main lone striker. I simply fail to understand why we do not utilize what we have and try testing different formations ... my main bone of contention with Ally.

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McCoist's obvious failings should be laid to one side for a minute and not be used as an excuse for the player.

 

Templeton has the knack of looking pish on a pitch even when surrounded by sub-standard players, both in his own team and the opposition. A player, a Celtic-supporting one at that, who wouldn't have been given a second thought in all my time watching Rangers. Best bet would be to try and offload him somehow.

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The lad has obvious talent, but he needs to keep is head up more often and improve his number of pass completions instead of watching the ball at his feet and running straight into opposition defenders.

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I can see both points of view here. Temps flatters to deceive for me a lot especially when he starts, but Stevie Smith was disappointing the other night at Cowdenbeath and it also makes us very defensive with Wallace and Smith on the left. We struggled a lot in the first half the other night because there was nothing down the left and Macleod had a bit of a mare by his standards on the right ahead of Foster

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