Gribz 743 Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 9 hours ago, craig said: See looking at that 07/08 team - it amazes me that they made it to the Europa final, and I am sure it amazes almost all of us. It is testament to their professionalism but, moreso, the guile of Walter Smith that this team made the final of a European competition. A team that included a 38 yr old Davie Weir and "limited ability" Kirk Broadfoot in the back 4 is head-shaking stuff. Looking through that whole team none of those players would stick out the way a Gascoigne or Laudrup would. Cuellar was our best player that season, IMO, yet only ended up at Aston Villa. We were solid in midfield with Ferguson, Davis, Thomson and the under-rated Hemdani (better suited to European football than domestic) and even Darcheville up top wasn't a fantastic player. Just look at that team in comparison to the 91-97 team.... How many of the 07/08 team would make that 91-97 team ? Cuellar in place of McLaren maybe (and I liked McLaren too) ? Papac instead of Brown maybe ? Not one of the midfield 4 would get in the team (aside from Ferguson being in both...) and Darcheville wouldn't get in front of McCoist. And yet that 07/08 team made the Europa final - amazes me. You could argue that some of the 91-97 team reached the Champions League Semi Final and only went out to the side who match fixed their way to victory. At the same time they went on something like a 44 game unbeaten run and won the treble in the same season. So the 92-93 team were a cracking side and just played fully as a team. Names you'd need to include who contributed that are not listed are Durrant, Mikhailichenko, Huistra, Neil Murray (scored in the cup final), Scott Nisbet (the classic fluke), Gary McSwegan, Trevor Steven. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rousseau 9,360 Posted March 31, 2020 Author Share Posted March 31, 2020 12 hours ago, craig said: See looking at that 07/08 team - it amazes me that they made it to the Europa final, and I am sure it amazes almost all of us. It is testament to their professionalism but, moreso, the guile of Walter Smith that this team made the final of a European competition. A team that included a 38 yr old Davie Weir and "limited ability" Kirk Broadfoot in the back 4 is head-shaking stuff. Looking through that whole team none of those players would stick out the way a Gascoigne or Laudrup would. Cuellar was our best player that season, IMO, yet only ended up at Aston Villa. We were solid in midfield with Ferguson, Davis, Thomson and the under-rated Hemdani (better suited to European football than domestic) and even Darcheville up top wasn't a fantastic player. Just look at that team in comparison to the 91-97 team.... How many of the 07/08 team would make that 91-97 team ? Cuellar in place of McLaren maybe (and I liked McLaren too) ? Papac instead of Brown maybe ? Not one of the midfield 4 would get in the team (aside from Ferguson being in both...) and Darcheville wouldn't get in front of McCoist. And yet that 07/08 team made the Europa final - amazes me. It is mental when you see it listed like that. Testament to the management - and a bit of luck. (The Ferguson in the '90s side is Ian Ferguson.) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedell 5,329 Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 22 hours ago, Rousseau said: Rangers '91-97: Goram, Cleland, Robertson, Gough, McLaren, Brown, Gascoigne, Ferguson, McCall, Laudrup, Durie/McCoist No Hateley? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rousseau 9,360 Posted March 31, 2020 Author Share Posted March 31, 2020 18 minutes ago, Bluedell said: No Hateley? I just went with a cup final side. He was probably injured at the time? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedell 5,329 Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 23 minutes ago, Rousseau said: I just went with a cup final side. He was probably injured at the time? Hateley was integral to most of that period and basically won the 93/94 season on his own. I'd have probably split it. The 92/93 team deserves recognition for what it did and is perhaps the greatest Rangers team that I've seen, but the 95/96 season with Laudrup and Gazza was also memorable. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rousseau 9,360 Posted March 31, 2020 Author Share Posted March 31, 2020 2 minutes ago, Bluedell said: Hateley was integral to most of that period and basically won the 93/94 season on his own. I'd have probably split it. The 92/93 team deserves recognition for what it did and is perhaps the greatest Rangers team that I've seen, but the 95/96 season with Laudrup and Gazza was also memorable. I tried to split the 90s side between the early Souness side and the later Smith side. Could it be split further? Maybe: '88-90, '91-94 and '95-98? Are they sufficiently different sides? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott7 5,140 Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 How many goals would Hateley have scored with headers from crosses from Scott or Henderson? Perhaps not more than Jimmy Millar. Several inches shorter than Hateley but lethal in the air. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedell 5,329 Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 32 minutes ago, Rousseau said: I tried to split the 90s side between the early Souness side and the later Smith side. Could it be split further? Maybe: '88-90, '91-94 and '95-98? Are they sufficiently different sides? I'm not sure that the 88-90 team deserves mention in this, but you could include 91-93. (93-94 was a horrible season and doesn't serve mention either). As I've said the 92-93 team would be up there as one of the greatest (a goal away from reaching the CL final) and the team with Gazza and Laudrup also deserves inclusion in my opinion, so yes, they probably are worthy of inclusion, even though the teams share a number of players. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rousseau 9,360 Posted March 31, 2020 Author Share Posted March 31, 2020 3 hours ago, Bluedell said: I'm not sure that the 88-90 team deserves mention in this, but you could include 91-93. (93-94 was a horrible season and doesn't serve mention either). As I've said the 92-93 team would be up there as one of the greatest (a goal away from reaching the CL final) and the team with Gazza and Laudrup also deserves inclusion in my opinion, so yes, they probably are worthy of inclusion, even though the teams share a number of players. That's interesting. I've added a '91-93 and '94-97 side, removing the 88-90 stuff. I've tweaked the teams too. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
26th of foot 5,827 Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 Surely, our best team would have to the 98/99 season, the 1898-99 season. We played 18 league games and won 18, a 100% record. We scored 81 goals, including a 10-0 against Hibs, and defeated ra Sellik 4-0 and 4-1 respectively. We conceded 18 goals. Robert Hamilton was top scorer with 25 goals. My paternal Grandfather, born in 1894 remembered players from this team that continued to represent Rangers in future seasons. I have his collection of wee Blue Books, beginning 1903-04 season. Often, he would argue with my old man in the mid-sixties to late seventies on the merits of Neily Gibson, the best player he ever witnessed. My old man loved Baxter. Team was most probably : Dickie, Neil, Crawford, Smith, Drummond, Gibson, Campbell, McPherson, Smith, Hamilton, and Millar. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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