[Official] Rangers appoint Zurab Amirian as Head of Academy

[yuddie 1,012]

6 minutes ago, compo said:

Back in my day lads that went to Highbury got a first class football education but in case they didn’t make the grade they were give a job either in the city or they learned a trade like electrician or plumbing to fall back on I don’t know what happens to them today do we just discard them if so then that’s shameful.

Aye SAF said in his interview that he served an apprenticeship whilst he was playing, a toolmaker iirc?

[JohnMc 2,468]

1 hour ago, SykseyBear said:

Nothing funny about it, they are good solid stable sides, that's why they are able to blood kids and still be relatively successful. 

 

Liverpool got away with not winning a league title for 30 years. Man Utd 10 years. Arsenal more. These clubs might be massive but they don't have anywhere near the same pressure as us in terms of must win. They don't have to win. They are happy with just competing. With top 4. With the odd trophy every 5 years or so. We will never be like that. 

 

 Charlie is a family friend, i know exactly what happened with him at Rangers, i didn't say he fulfilled his potential. 

 

Lowry doesn't have a chance, he won't make it hear, he will never be good enough. He lacks things that cannot be coached on the training pitch. 

 

Worked out well for Falkirk i guess.....🙄

Family friend or not he's hardly a poster boy for our youth set up or someone I'd be holding up as an example to our current young players. 

Are you really comparing Rangers to Falkirk? 

 

We've really only got Nathan Paterson to show for years of work and millions invested. Gilmour left the second he could, as did Mebude and Rory Wilson earning us very little in reality. More importantly we've really only got Leon King as a recognised first team squad player and he's what, fifth choice now? 

I've unhappily come to the conclusion that we'd be better off focusing our energy and money on finding players in the 18 to 21 age group. Bassey, Aribo, Kent, Morelos have provided far better value for us, I think Lewis Ferguson, Doig and Hickey could have done similar too. Hopefully Raskin will prove a good player for us and command a decent fee in the future. If we accept that we're now a stepping stone club, a tier below much wealthier leagues, then those are the kind of players we should focus on. 

[JohnMc 2,468]

10 hours ago, SykseyBear said:

Do we really? I suppose Scotland internationals

 

Allan McGregor

Robbie McCrorie

Alan Hutton

Charlie Adam

Stephen Hughes

Liam Kelly

John Fleck

 

And multi trophy winning Rangers players 

 

Steven Smith

Ross McCormack

Danny Wilson

Chris Burke etc etc

 

don't really count then?.......i could also list the ones who came through Murray Park and were stopped in their Rangers careers by numerous failed first team employees at the club....guys like Robert Snodgrass, Kenny McLean, Graeme Smith, Greg Taylor, Barry Robson, Lawrence Shankland, Lewis Ferguson, among so many others, then there's Billy Gilmour and those ones you mention too. Just because they didn't break through here, doesn't mean our Academy didn't or doesn't work. It works and it works very well. Our problem is integrating it with the first team. Using it properly. Said Academy clearly developed excellent young players, international footballers. It wasn't Murray Parks fault first team managers refused to give those kids a chance....that's a failing of the first team set up! 

 

What value did we get from Kent? £7m investment, top wages for 4 years only to walk out on us for nothing with barely a trophy to show for it. He was a monumental loss for the club. A perfect example of how NOT to operate! 

 

Charlie Miller is an example i have used for every single team i've coached and boys i've scouted for. He's proof the wee scheme boy can make it in the game and can make it in the game at a club the size of Rangers. 

 

We've been a stepping stone club since the turn of the millennium. That's exactly who we are. 👍

C'mon, why don't you include Ian Durrant then, how about Derek Johnstone or John Greig? I mean if you're counting players from 20 years ago why not just make it 50 years and we can close the discussion now? Or, we can talk about the here and now, where we actually are as a club and deal with reality? 

If they don't break through to our first team then really, what's the point? Listing players the club released as an example of how good our youth system is seems a self defeating argument. The fact that Greg Taylor is a first choice full back for Celtic is not the ringing endorsement for the Rangers 'Academy' that you seem to think it is. Look, I'll be delighted if McCausland, Rice and King, or any of our current youths, go on and establish themselves as first team regulars, I'll gladly recant my criticism. I'm sceptical, but we'll see. 

 

Ryan Kent played 140 games for Rangers, that's a decent return for any player who was 19 when they joined us. Did we overpay for him, probably, and should we have sold him a couple of seasons ago, definitely. Same with Morelos and Kamara. But all 3 of those players contributed more to our first team than every Academy player put together over the last 5 seasons. Let Motherwell or Hibs or Charlton or whoever develop them into first team players, then we should sign them young, offer them the chance to play in front of 50,000, European football, the chance of medals and fame before moving to a wealthier club in a wealthier league. From the outside that looks to be a much better 'business model' for the club. 

 

It's interesting that Celtic had a short period where they developed McGregor, Forrest, Christie and Tierney, successfully integrating them into their first team. The period coincided with us being out of the league. Without us the challenge to win the SPFL was much easier, Celtic could afford to drop points, take some chances on youth and know it wouldn't really matter come title time. Since our return they've not developed anyone of note. I don't think that's coincidence. 

I've been having this same conversation on here for a long time. I'd love Rangers to be able to spot, nurture and produce our own players, but unfortunately all the available evidence says we haven't and can't.

Edited November 9, 2023 by JohnMc

[JohnMc 2,468]

Yeah, I think I can agree that we're watching completely different games. 

[yuddie 1,012]

Just on scottish talent and young players, I'm following the scores and Josh Campbell has scored for hibs again - he'll be 24 at the end of the season...would you start a dialogue?

 

I get Lewis Ferguson vibes with him tbh.

 

And I'd have taken him btw.

 

What you reckon? Cheers.

Edited November 11, 2023 by yuddie

[compo 6,129]

If reports are to be believed then our manager wanted Robbie Neilson as his assistant 

[Bill 13,717]

1 hour ago, SykseyBear said:

Frightening and repulsive in equal measure. Note he still has that loser Alex Rae hanging about like a bad smell as well. Those kind of decisions rarely, very rarely, end well.

I’m intrigued, are you actually one of us or just a visitor intent on criticising everything in sight?

[JohnMc 2,468]

That's some way to speak about an ex-player and current coach. 

[Bill 13,717]

8 minutes ago, SykseyBear said:

It's not really though is it! Guys an out and out failure. He should be nowhere near this club.

 

@Bill It's not everything is it? Why do you feel the need to stretch such lies? Why not ask me why 75% of my posts about the club come across as pessimistic, slightly negative even? Instead it's sad tim accusations and everything and everyone is bad. When that really isn't the case, which of course you know!

A. I never once mentioned you being a Tim although you certainly behave like one.

 

B. Stop being so pathetically needy.

[Bill 13,717]

2 hours ago, SykseyBear said:

🥱

And? Absolutely no mention of Tim’s. You may be getting a little paranoid in your dotage. You’re seeing things that aren’t there I’m afraid.

 

I might be confusing you with someone else but aren’t you the fellow who arrived recently spouting tales of having been banned from another Rangers forum? I’m beginning to smell a coincidence hurtling towards us.