The Summer Transfer Rumour Round-up Thread

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Simple you keep them in the first team squad. Who knows what will happen in a season. But if they are 3rd choice keeper they will know chances will be limited.

[craig 5,199]

Simple you keep them in the first team squad. Who knows what will happen in a season. But if they are 3rd choice keeper they will know chances will be limited.

 

And they will still be getting paid and they still wont be in contention. We are not in a position to be paying someone that we immediately know wont have a chance of competing for a place.

 

Anyway, this is pointless - you either don't see the point being made or are too stubborn to see the validity of it.

 

Best we agree to disagree and get back on topic.

[jhunter 0]

Seems those who are overly concerned with average age are going to be disappointed with the transfers so far. For me, I've always thought there should be a balance between youth, experience and those in between.

 

I'm believing that MW thinks similarly and the irony is that signing 30 somethings is less of a threat to developing our youngsters than signing teenage loan players. If you have a strategy of playing 2 or 3 older players as well as 2 or 3 youngsters, with the rest in between, then the older signings are pretty much competing with each other for those few places.

 

The young loanees are competing with the limited opportunities for our U20 players and tend to take precedence over them due to the very nature of them - to attract top youngsters from top clubs they need to get plenty of game time. That's the way it went last season and the result was probably by far the worse season in modern times for first team game time for our U20 prospects.

 

Personally, I don't think under 40 is particularly old, you just have to look at the likes of Jens Voigt who retired about 42 from a very fitness related sport (cycling), and set the hour record just before his 43rd birthday. Then there's Contador, who won the Giro last year at 32 and is still a contender for the TdF at 33. Roger Federer is 3rd in the world at 34 and will be 35 in a couple of months. Bernard Hopkins defended a WBO title at age 49...

 

I think to play at a reasonably high level as an older player there are certain criteria you need to meet:

 

1. Taking care of yourself.

This is a must and means a professional and expert attention to diet and training while avoiding too much drink (and drugs) etc as well as debilitating illnesses.

 

2. Genetics

The better start you have here the better chance of playing later in life, there must be genes that mean you are slower to age and decline in phyical ability as well as avoiding congenital diseases and complications.

 

3. Avoiding injury

I think one of the biggest aspects of ageing before your late 40's is the accumulation of bad or repeated injuries. These restrict flexibility, muscle growth and recovery from knocks and muscle tears. They also add in pain with extreme exercise that restricts training. New injuries also tend to take longer to heal and have more complications.

 

4. Intelligence

I think the best older players are the ones who use their heads as much as their physical ability, reading games, and opposition players, a deep understanding of tactics, all contribute to raising your game to another level that isn't diminished by age, we keep on learning so it only adds to it.

 

5. Motivation

Players need to relish new challenges and avoid becoming jaded and bored with the non-stop training and game after game where they need to be fully focused and give 100% every time. This also means still having that despite perhaps dropping down a level or two from where they have peaked which can be hard to take. There's also the short term contracts where they have to move to a new city and remake their life which can be difficult when it's an age where many just want to settle down.

 

There's probably loads of other factors but that's the main ones that come readily to my mind. The main thing is to choose the players that fit all those attributes - David Weir is an obvious example - the likes of Maniero, obviously had absolutely no motivation no matter how much of the rest he had in spades.

 

 

the reason we're signing guys as old as this is we have no money to sign quality at the peak of their careers

[the gunslinger 3,366]

I understand your point fully. Some countries pay ransome to terrorists some don't. It's the same here. You can pay and no player will ever leave without getting weighed in or you take a stand.

 

I would take a stand even if it costs a bit.

[der Berliner 3,725]

the reason we're signing guys as old as this is we have no money to sign quality at the peak of their careers

 

... or said people are not available at reasonable prices, the English destroy the market due to their inflated riches, said people don't want to come to play in Scotland at this moment and time, etc. ... The world does not solely revolves around Rangers.

Edited June 22, 2016 by der Berliner

[Bearman 9]

Would be great if Niko Kranjcar joined the Bears...any updates?

[ian1964 10,720]

NIKO KRANJCAR talked the talk – and Mark Warburton is convinced he can back up his words with actions.

 

The midfielder is on the verge of clinching a two-year deal to become Warburton’s sixth signing of the summer as Rangers gear up for a shot at the Premiership title.

 

Kranjcar is the latest former Premier League star to sign on at Ibrox ahead of the big kick-off and was given a tour of Murray Park on Wednesday as he edged closer to a move to Scotland.

 

It is several weeks since Gers boss Warburton jetted out Stateside to hold a face-to-face chat with the former Portsmouth, Spurs and QPR star and to present his vision for a Light Blue future.

 

Warburton did enough to convince Kranjcar to give up his life in New York and spurn interest from elsewhere to make the switch to Ibrox.

 

And it was the 31-year-old who sealed the deal with his side of the conversation as he proved to Warburton he had the mentality to match his talent.

 

Warburton said: “You can go and interview someone for an hour and after five minutes you are sitting there with nothing more to be said.

 

"There is nothing coming back. But we had three hours in New York and we could have had six.

 

“We talked about football and systems of play and where he sees himself.

 

“We went through a, b and c and the fact is you can sit there and talk about football all night if it’s the right person.

 

“I had that with Joey (Barton), I had that with Clint (Hill), he came to see me at St George’s Park and right away you know it’s the right person.

 

“Likewise Niko. I was delighted with the desire and quality of question and I hope the Rangers fans enjoy seeing a player of that quality on the pitch.”

 

There is no doubt that Kranjcar has the natural ability to make an instant impact at Ibrox but only time will tell if he can walk the walk after saying all the right things to Warburton last month.

 

He has spent recent months on the books of the New York Cosmos and seemed set to spurn a Gers switch to remain in the Big Apple with his actress partner.

 

But Warburton has dismissed fears that the playmaker had been winding down across the Atlantic and is sure he will shine on the big stage at Ibrox.

 

He said: “If you go and someone tells you they love going shopping in Fifth Avenue, or they tell you love flying to Florida for the weekend…

 

“Well if they are the responses you have a nice Italian and fly home with nothing done. But that wasn’t the response at all.

 

“It wasn’t about the money. He was asking about the Champions League, the squad and how we play and about the Celtic game.

 

“He asked all the right questions and, as I say, three hours in you are still going.

 

“He has training in the morning and I had a flight, so it was one of those. But I was delighted because he showed a real passion and desire.

 

“That doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to be a great success. Every player you try to recruit is a risk.

 

“But I hope very much his quality will shine through and the Rangers fans will take to him.”

 

With his former Loftus Road team-mates Barton and Hill already on board at Ibrox, Kranjcar will look to quickly settle into his new surroundings as Rangers set their sights on Premiership glory next term.

 

The midfielder has ten honours and countless big games under his belt from a high-profile career, but life in Glasgow will present a different challenge.

 

It is one Warburton has no doubt that Kranjcar will rise to as he looks to inspire Rangers to glory next term.

 

He said: “When someone has 80 caps for Croatia like Niko it tells you a lot about their desire and their quality.

 

“I keep using the word quality and apologise for that, but you don’t get 80 caps for Croatia and not have bags of talent and vision and an ability to add something special to a very high calibre team.

 

“What we have to do now is produce a performance that gets the best out of him and likewise he has to work hard to get in our team.

 

“There are no givens, no guarantees. Any good pro knows that.”

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/14573960.Mark_Warburton__New_York_chat_with_Niko_Kranjcar_convinced_me_he_can_shine_at_Rangers/

Edited June 22, 2016 by ian1964

[ian1964 10,720]

MARK WARBURTON insists he hasn’t broken his Ibrox wage structure to land marquee signings and bring big name recruits to Rangers this summer.

 

The Light Blues boss is set to clinch his sixth deal of the window with the capture of former Croatian internationalist Niko Kranjcar.

 

And goalkeeper Matt Gilks is also poised to sign on the dotted line as Warburton continues to bolster his ranks for a crack at the Premiership crown next term.

 

Former Premier League stars Joey Barton and Clint Hill have already made the move north of the border in recent weeks, while Matt Crooks, Josh Windass and Jordan Rossiter have also joined the Gers.

 

But Warburton has ensured he hasn’t upset his Light Blues squad by splashing the cash to lure players to Ibrox.

 

He said: “You can’t do that or you will lose the dressing room. You can’t have one player on x and one on 10x. It doesn’t work that way.

 

“It’s about selling the club where we need to be, getting to the Champions league and that’s the project I sell to players. If they are hungry and driven then they’ll bite.

 

“If the club is successful in achieving its aims then the money naturally follows, if that makes sense.

 

“The club does benefit financially from success on the pitch – and so do the players.

 

“People have to buy into the idea and recognise the project.

 

“If they can do that with people like Joey and Jordan Rossiter then hopefully we can attract more of the same ilk.”

 

The arrival of Kranjcar is another significant swoop from Warburton as he prepares his squad for a top flight campaign next time out.

 

The playmaker has spent recent months with the New York Cosmos and Warburton has no doubt that he will be a valuable asset for the Light Blues.

 

He said: “What we have to do is add some quality. I’ve spoken about maturity and ruggedness.

 

“But it’s also about technical ability and players such as Niko have that ability.

 

“We had possession last year without the killer pass and players such as him possess that vision.

 

“When you have that many caps for a country like Croatia it tells you his quality.

 

“He will have to work hard and he knows that. I went to New York to see him and that hunger and desire shines through. Remember he’s only 31.

 

“If you saw Kenny Miller train at the age of 36 then you’d realise that the passion burns strong.

 

“It’s important for a manager to go and see a player and hear the quality of his questions.

 

“He wanted to know how he could help the club and he wants to win trophies – that’s the important thing.”

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/14573959.Mark_Warburton_insists_he_hasn_t_burst_the_bank_to_land_big_name_Rangers_recruits_this_summer/

[der Berliner 3,725]

Our main informer over on FF said that the deal for Kranjcar is done and dusted.

[ian1964 10,720]

NIKO KRANJCAR might not be the only member of his family on the move this week.

 

Father Zlatko is on the brink of being named the new boss at Dinamo Zagreb.

 

It would be the third time the 59-year-old has managed the club after one spell between 1994 and 1996 and another in 1998.

 

Former Croatia manager Kranjcar was most recently gaffer at Qatar Stars League side Al-Ahli but was sacked in February after a poor run of results.

 

It's thought his appointment at Dinamo could be confirmed by the end of the week.

Son Niko penned a deal with Rangers earlier today.

 

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/7203329/Like-father-like-son-Niko-Kranjcars-dad-set-to-be-named-Dinamo-Zagreb-boss.html