Transfer Deadline Day: Michael O'Halloran signs until 2020

[Frankie 8,150]

The whole point of putting a scouting system into place is to find good players as cheaply as possible. Yes, their CVs may not be fantastic but that doesn't mean they're not good players or capable of being developed into such. Further for every Kiernan critic, there's someone like me who thinks he looks a really useful player and capable of improvement alongside a more experienced centre half. Then there's the likes of Waghorn and Tavernier that have done very well by and large.

 

Every signing has an element of risk as there's so many factors related to transfers. Will they settle in the country? Do they speak English? Will their family move? Will they make friends in the dressing room? Can they form professional relationships with the management team? Will they stay injury free? Will the fans be patient? How will they fit into our system? How will they cope with a spell of bad (or even good) form? Who is their agent? Etc etc etc....

 

Obviously a good scouting system will try its best to answer these questions in advance but ultimately we won't know until we know. And sometimes it may cost us a few million pounds in the process.

 

I don't know much about Windass, Crooks, Forrester or Gostomski and it's fair to say I'm not convinced at their lack of profile. However, I'm also acutely aware of where our clubs stands financially and past expensive mistakes which almost gave us no club to support. To that end, I'm excited by a refreshed approach to the transfer market and I think the manager and his team have done enough to suggest their eye for a player seems acceptable enough all things considered.

 

Let's at least give them a few months to a year in the jersey before we write them off.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Frankie

[Bruno55 0]

The whole point of putting a scouting system into place is to find good players as cheaply as possible. Yes, their CVs may not be fantastic but that doesn't mean they're not good players or capable of being developed into such. Further for every Kiernan critic, there's someone like me who thinks he looks a really useful player and capable of improvement alongside a more experienced centre half. Then there's the likes of Waghorn and Tavernier that have done very well by and large.

 

Every signing has an element of risk as there's so many factors related to transfers. Will they settle in the country? Do they speak English? Will their family move? Will they make friends in the dressing room? Can they form professional relationships with the management team? Will they stay injury free? Will the fans be patient? How will they fit into our system? How will they cope with a spell of bad (or even good) form? Who is their agent? Etc etc etc....

 

Obviously a good scouting system will try its best to answer these questions in advance but ultimately we won't know until we know. And sometimes it may cost us a few million pounds in the process.

 

I don't know much about Windass, Crooks, Forrester or Gostomski and it's fair to say I'm not convinced at their lack of profile. However, I'm also acutely aware of where our clubs stands financially and past expensive mistakes which almost gave us no club to support. To that end, I'm excited by a refreshed approach to the transfer market and I think the manager and his team have done enough to suggest their eye for a player seems acceptable enough all things considered.

 

Let's at least give them a few months to a year in the jersey before we write them off.

 

Totally agree Frankie, I like Kiernan he's been here six months and still finding his feet in Scottish fitbaw. Rangers fans want instant success but those days are gone because the money isn't there anymore to bring in big name signings...

[pete 2,499]

Supporters have being saying for years we need a Scouting system to pick out the gems that we can sell on and now there is a push to go back to the old expensive ways. if I remember right Bobby Russell came from a junior team at 22 years of age and look how he turned out.

I watched an interview with Windass and he said his weak point is his decision making. He tends to shoot instead of looking at other options. He is only 21 so he has time on his side.

[pete 2,499]

Totally agree Frankie, I like Kiernan he's been here six months and still finding his feet in Scottish fitbaw. Rangers fans want instant success but those days are gone because the money isn't there anymore to bring in big name signings...

 

He is very poor when 1 on 1

[calscot 0]

While not yet convinced by any of our centre backs, despite the attacking way we play we've conceded the same number of goals as Hibs and Falkirk while scoring more than an extra goal a game - which is between 67 and 72 percent more.

 

I think while it doesn't suggest they are top of the SP quality, it shows they are definitely enough quality for this season and probably good enough for most SP teams. Remember our style of play does not flatter our CBs unless they are of top class.

 

Hibs and Falkirk must be playing a far more defensively orthodox game and yet are conceding the same number of goals - although I recognise it could be argued that Falkirk have the best defence due to having played one more game.

 

While it's hard to argue that both rival teams have been a bit lucky, their goals for and against stats make their points totals look flattering - you'd really expect two goals a game to have that many points. I still think that our massively superior goal difference suggests we're better than the points suggest.

 

So while our CBs can look out of sorts, I think it's hard to compare them to other defenders who have far more protection in front of them and sit a lot deeper. However, I agree that I wouldn't be confident in their current ability against stronger sides than we're facing. They need to show improvement and like most others on here, I fancy a new signing in that area.

Edited January 6, 2016 by calscot

[calscot 0]

Thinking about needing a CB, the popular wish list also includes a central mid and a centre forward. That suggests we need a whole new "spine" of the team with perhaps the exception of the goalie. That makes me wonder if some of the stuff about "having no spine" has been misinterpretted by Warburton as more having no backbone ie no strength of character - which he found, "disrespectful".

[ian1964 10,416]

I agree that every club needs a good scouting team in place you have to remember that even the top clubs in the EPL & Europe still fill their first team with very expensive and experienced players,how many home grown players are in these first teams?.

If we are to put up a real challenge to win the title next year and also eventually getting back into Europe regularly we will need to get some top quality players in at a cost!,we can't expect to win the top league and compete in Europe with signing young players and Bosmans' alone,at some point we will have to aim a bit higher than that.

If we use C****c as a guide to where we need to get to?,just look at how badly they do in Europe consistently,and I also think it is the worst C****c team for years!,yet their wage bill is the highest in Scotland.

Warburton needs to find the right balance,but to expect miracles with the kind of cheap signings we are making at present is hard to believe long term.

[SteveC 150]

Two youngsters extend their loans at Arbroath and Alloa

 

http://www.insidefutbol.com/2016/01/06/rangers-midfielder-extends-loan-stay-at-alloa-athletic/262199/

 

http://www.insidefutbol.com/2016/01/06/arbroath-extend-loan-deal-of-rangers-starlet/262203/

Edited January 6, 2016 by SteveC

[calscot 0]

WRT signings without an impressive CV, I'm buying into what we're doing. Our finances are a bit up shit creek (not least due to the TV money in England), especially due to Ashley, the weird TV money distribution, and lack of European money, to succeed to compete with Celtic we really have to shop for bargains rather than matching their spending.

 

That requires us to find players with no CV – as long as they are relatively young, as an older player obviously has had his chances to show potential.

 

A bonus aspect of it is that if one of them doesn’t work out, then it’s not too expensive to rectify. And we should be able to sell (or release) them back to League 2 easily enough. Which kind of reflects Souness’ thinking when he signed top English players – he knew he could always get money back on them – whereas expensive up and coming players from Scottish teams had no-one in Scotland who could afford to buy them and no-one in England would be interested.

 

I think we still need to buy the odd older player with pedigree as I’ve never thought you can just put out a team of youngsters as their naivety can be exploited by savvy, more experienced players. They need older, well seasoned players to steer them through, and stop them from making getting drawn in to gamesmanship or making emotional mistakes.

 

It’s where the likes of Kenny Miller can fit in, or I suppose Weir himself is a better example. Again in our position we can get a couple of these guys for pretty cheap in terms of fee, but expensive on wages if they are coming nearer to the end of a career in say the EP.

 

With a couple of top class, young loanees, our measly budget can after that be used for two or three “marquee” signings – which will be the biggest risk and need the most research.

 

Therefore, most of our recruitment will be pretty underwhelming on paper and we’ll probably have to get used to it.

[der Berliner 3,247]

In the games we drew and lost, our midfielders (bar Halliday) were too easily brushed of the ball, as McKay, Holt, Zelalem and Law aren't your archetypical Scottish bulldozing midfielder. That is, IMHO, what Warburton referred to. That is why we look(ed) at a holding/defensive chap like Eustace. Likewise, right now, only Kiernan and Wilson are in for the long haul and both still have to find their feet somewhat, as the style we and the opposition playy is probably something they haven't encountered that often. I'm not exactly sure whether the criticism aimed at Kiernan is appropriate. It's not like we lose goals regularly and only down to him. And we should keep in mind at what sort of quality and experience we look here. I would assume that Davie Weir knows everything there is to know about centre halfs and Kiernan will improve over time. If not, W&W will address this issue.

 

We have one clicking striker, i.e. Waghorn, plus the old hand Miller. If either gets injured, we'd be down to Clark and Hardie. That neither gets that much of a look-in thus far is down to the system we play, plus some hesitancy to use Hardie (though he was unavailable a few times). An experienced striker would be welcomed, if he is a bit versatile like Waghorn, all the better.

 

BTW, it looks like Ryan Sinnamon is back with us now, it remains to be seen whether we try him every now and then or loan him once more.