ian1964 10,429 Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 MW knows who he wants and won't sign someone if he didn't think they could do a job,best to wait and see how the guy performs,I trust the manager. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Dynamo 128 Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 David Weir was no longer good enough for England when we signed him. But he had enough experience to still be light years ahead of his contemporaries in Scotland. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,429 Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 Rangers assistant manager Davie Weir has insisted that new signing Clint Hill isn’t at Ibrox to wind down his career, but that he is excited by the challenge of playing for the light blues. There have been comparisons drawn between the signing of 37-year-old Hill and Weir’s own arrival as a Rangers player in his late thirties back in 2007. Despite scepticism over Weir’s signing from some quarters at the time, he went on to earn a place in the Rangers Hall of Fame in a five-year spell as a player at the club. He says that he sees a similar enthusiasm from Hill to help Rangers succeed in their first season back in the top-flight, and believes his experience will prove invaluable. “From speaking to him today and previously we knew he was excited by the prospect,” Weir said. “He couldn’t wait to get up. It’s a new challenge for him, an exciting one, and one he is definitely up for. “He’s very experienced obviously, which is something perhaps you could say we’ve lacked a little bit, so he’ll add to us in that respect. “He’s up to compete for a place and he’s up to add his experience to what is a relatively young group, so we’re fortunate to get him. He’s very excited to be here and I think he’ll complement what we already have here. “He wears his heart on his sleeve, and I think that supporters will enjoy that about him. He’s going to be an important member of our squad for us when we go up back into the Premier League. “I’ve seen him over a number of years, playing against him and watching him, and he’s well thought of among the managers and coaches he’s played under and played against, so he’s a very experienced player. “He’s someone who has been around the block a bit and had loads of good experiences at a really good level. “We’ve brought Joey Barton in who has got experience and Clint will help along those lines as well. “It was an area we saw last year that we were young. We had good experience from the likes of Kenny [Miller], Lee [Wallace] and Dean Shiels and people like that, but it’s important that you get that balance right in regards to having youth and the excitement that youth brings, but also having that experience and that composure when it’s required as well. “Obviously Dom Ball has gone back so we are light in numbers in that position, and Clint will come in and compete for a place. We need competition in all places though, that’s the way it is at Rangers, you’re expected to earn your place – nothing is guaranteed. “Good players welcome competition and it makes them better, so that will be the case here.” Weir is only too aware of how the signing of a player in his late thirties can be perceived, but he insists that Hill should be judged on his own fitness and contribution as the season progresses. “I think people are fixated on age and try to use it as a stick to beat players sometimes,” he said. “But if you look at how he looks, what he’s done and how often he’s been playing and available then I think that’s the most important thing. “Clint’s desperate to do well and he’s really excited to be here, which is very important as well. “You can see the enthusiasm he’s got for the move. He’s excited by the prospect of coming to Rangers and trying to help us build on last season and gain success this season. “He’ll add both on and off the pitch and that’s going to be really important for us.” http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/14566924.Clint_is_far_from_over_the_Hill__says_Rangers_assistant_Davie_Weir/ 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Barristan Selmy 222 Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 20 years ago Franco Baresi retired at 37. That's when 37 was old for as player! Maldini retired at aged 41 in 2009. We are WAY beyond the days of footballers retiring or being over the hill at 33. Late 30's is not an issue for me. Kenny Miller was streets ahead of every other player in blue in the cup final. And over 50 years ago Stanley Matthews retired at 50 while he was still playing for Stoke. Whilst I appreciate that players are in better physical conditions than they used to be, 37 is still very old for a player, just as it always has been. I'd understand this if he was some sort of former world beater looking for some easy games like Frank De Boer or Claudio Caniggia, but that isn't really the case. I wouldn't be surprised if we get a good season out of him given his history and the level he will face but it's not a signing that impresses me at all. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearman 9 Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 (edited) I wouldn't be surprised if we get a good season out of him given his history and the level he will face but it's not a signing that impresses me at all. He's on a one year contract...one good season equates to a very good piece of business. Hill might not have the pace to deal with some of the faster forwards but he is someone who can win most aerial headers and battles and can also be a great player to have when it comes to the sheer number of games which will be played in the season. Rangers do not have the same budget as their rivals from the Old Firm, Celtic ,and this is one way that they can bring in some decent players while ensuring they do not have to pay over the top for their services. Hill might not be past his sell-by date and he has even stated that he will be trying to emulate assistant manager David Weir, who also played well into his 30s at the club. With Jordan Rossiter being a young singing at the club, it could be Hill’s experience which proves to be extremely important for Rangers as they look to win the top flight once again. Edited June 20, 2016 by Bearman 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Barristan Selmy 222 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 (edited) He's on a one year contract...one good season equates to a very good piece of business. Hill might not have the pace to deal with some of the faster forwards but he is someone who can win most aerial headers and battles and can also be a great player to have when it comes to the sheer number of games which will be played in the season. Rangers do not have the same budget as their rivals from the Old Firm, Celtic ,and this is one way that they can bring in some decent players while ensuring they do not have to pay over the top for their services. Hill might not be past his sell-by date and he has even stated that he will be trying to emulate assistant manager David Weir, who also played well into his 30s at the club. With Jordan Rossiter being a young singing at the club, it could be Hill’s experience which proves to be extremely important for Rangers as they look to win the top flight once again. We don't really seem to have any budget at all based on our transfer dealings! Whilst focusing on lower league English players made sense when we were in the second tier, now we're challenging for the title and looking to rebuild for Europe. By all means Warburton should bring in the talent he knows most about but we aren't going to get very far in Europe with a team of lower league English players. Given how dismally their national side do in international tournaments, it doesn't make sense to me to focus exclusively on that nation's players. I really, really hope we have scouts identifying continental players for the years ahead because a club of our size should be a decent European force. Edited June 21, 2016 by Ser Barristan Selmy 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearman 9 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 I really, really hope we have scouts identifying continental players for the years ahead because a club of our size should be a decent European force. Totally agree with this SBS, I'm happy with what we are signing so far but I'd rather we bring in Eastern Europeans/Continentals - When I suggested this a couple of months ago on here, replies were of the gist I must be racist! I wasn't conscientiously being racist just that I think players outwith Britain are technically better footballers than what we produce in the UK. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,263 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 ... and then you see the Ulstermen and Welsh hold their head up against some of the best out there ... despite playing for 2nd tier English or some half-decent Scottish sides. It is all about picking the right talent and gel them into a team. And as I said elsewhere, a) people need to be willing to come and b) there are dozen upon dozen teams out there on the prowl alongside us too. In theory, it all looks rather simple. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearman 9 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 ...and then again you expect the Ulstermen and the Welsh to get humped out next time along with the English. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearman 9 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 Hundreds of Prso and Weiss types out there as opposed to Ledley and Lafferty types. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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