Barry Ferguson

[juffery 0]

Well taking that " logic " further we would have had only four of the starting eleven available in the eufa final and would have been playing reserve and under eighteen players for most the last quarter of the season . We would have won the league cup and been out of everything else by March. Every player plays with an injury at some point , had you ever played sport at any decent level you would know this . I am not a Barry Ferguson appologist and I agree that there were a lot of times when he should have not been played or been subbed but give credit where it is due. Are you honestly going to tell me that if you got the chance to play for Rangers, who really needed you , but were carrying a slight knock you would no ?

 

What I'm saying is that he has to be judged as fit if he's on the pitch. Are we supposed to cut him slack just for filling a jersey. Thomas Buffel could have replaced him - hardly an under-18 player, in fact someone with international and European experience.

 

As for whether I've ever played at a decent level, that is a piss-poor argument. My ability, or lack of, in no way affects my ability to support the team or to form opinions on it.

[Guest LOCUTUS]

What I'm saying is that he has to be judged as fit if he's on the pitch. Are we supposed to cut him slack just for filling a jersey. Thomas Buffel could have replaced him - hardly an under-18 player, in fact someone with international and European experience.

 

As for whether I've ever played at a decent level, that is a piss-poor argument. My ability, or lack of, in no way affects my ability to support the team or to form opinions on it.

 

I totaly agree that you dont have to have played a sport to have a view or comment on it and I was not aiming the comment at you only your pointof view. The point that I was making is that I cant think of ANY player or proffessional sportsman or woman who hasn`t still tried their best when they have not been 100% fit. I would have played Buffel but can understand the clubs reluctance to spend the reported �£400k extra in transfer feesthat it would have triggered. All players should be picked on their ability to perform during a game, irrespective of how fit they are . I would rather have a 50% fit Cuellar than a 100% fit Faye is basicaly my point.

[UCF2008 0]

I think we need to stop playing Barry when he's injured. When he's 100% fit he's the best player at Rangers. Even at 80% he's still useful. However, when he's only 50% (ie. not fit enough to play for Scotland) and making excuses in the press about carrying an injury, he shouldn't be playing. If the team can't play without him, then now's the time (transfer window) to do something about it.

[ascender 352]

On his day he can bring a lot to the team in terms of an individual performance, but those are very, very few and far between now. However, there's no doubting he also brings something to the team, even when he's not playing well.

 

I know i've said it a few times, but I'm fed up with hearing that he's playing through the pain barrier for us and he always seems to be carrying an injury of some sort. Surgery doesn't seem to work and rest doesn't either, so should he still be playing? Its not just a slight knock though, he seems to be carrying a new injury each year that really needs an op to clear up.

 

At times this season I think he's been a waste of a position in that midfield and I'd like to see him stop being an automatic pick as I don't think that helps anyone.

[Leppardized2001 0]

He's turned into Paul McStay

[pete 2,499]

As has been well documented I am not a Barry fan. Many say we cannot play without him but in fact the only real run without him was the first few games under PLG which if i remember right we played some fantastic football. It was only when Barry came back in, that things started to go pear shaped.

I would not say Barry is not a good player as he is a good player.

I will ask, is he the right man for the job in our midfield.

I personally don't think he is as i think he suffocates our whole game\team.

 

Walter obviously realised this to an extent as he pushed him into a more attacking role, but i think everyone will agree Barry will never be the attacking midfielder we would be hoping for.Ian Durrant must be pulling his hair out watching Barry run about like a headless chicken in that forward position that Durrant played so brilliantly before his injury. With Barry in that forward role the game just passes him by and he is caught between wall and ship.

 

Playing Barry as play maker is also not an option imo, as football in Scotland has changed from the day's where teams play with eleven defenders, to young guy's kicking at your ankles in the engine room. Barry no longer has the speed to match the young pretenders.The days of a player getting the time Barry wants on the ball are over.

 

My other gripes about Barry are his endeavour to track-back when he loses the ball. This mostly happens at jogging pace and then he blames others for not picking players up. I will agree that by doing this he will then be free when we get the ball back, but by the time he has twisted and turned he will have two players breathing down his neck leading to a backward pass. Because he has been forced back it normally leads to a punt from the keeper or the CH to a lone forward who has been isolated.

 

In my opinion keeping Barry will be more of the same next year and i will fear for 5 in a row. He has become a bit like my wife. Impossible to live with but impossible to live without. The only way to better things is divorce, i am afraid.

I won't get one as it will cost me too much money. Rangers won't because Walter Smith is too loyal to older players who are falling bellow the grade

[ian1964 10,457]

IMO Barry needs better players around him,which we don't have,if we had players making good runs off the ball i'm sure Barry would find them,instead of being forced into turning too much and playing the sideways pass.Also when he makes forward runs how many times does he receive a good ball ?,not many.It has been stated on here that he is stifling Rangers,maybe the players around him are stifling him !!,i'm not dissagreeing he has been poor but I am dissagreeing about the reasons that are being stated here about him being poor.Sell him ?,well every player has his price so yes,but only if we can bring in a quality replacement,which isn't going to happen,so no we should not sell him,what we need is the other players to be taking more responsibilty in games,not just him,and for me that is the problem,we don't have quality midfeild players and haven't had for a long time now.IMO you would see the real Barry if he was surrounded by quality players.

[pete 2,499]

IMO Barry needs better players around him,which we don't have,if we had players making good runs off the ball i'm sure Barry would find them,instead of being forced into turning too much and playing the sideways pass.Also when he makes forward runs how many times does he receive a good ball ?,not many.It has been stated on here that he is stifling Rangers,maybe the players around him are stifling him !!,i'm not dissagreeing he has been poor but I am dissagreeing about the reasons that are being stated here about him being poor.Sell him ?,well every player has his price so yes,but only if we can bring in a quality replacement,which isn't going to happen,so no we should not sell him,what we need is the other players to be taking more responsibilty in games,not just him,and for me that is the problem,we don't have quality midfeild players and haven't had for a long time now.IMO you would see the real Barry if he was surrounded by quality players.

 

I guess it is the old question then, do you sell one to suite ten or do you sell ten to suite one.

[ian1964 10,457]

I guess it is the old question then, do you sell one to suite ten or do you sell ten to suite one.

 

So what you're saying is we should sell our best midfielder because the rest of the midfielders are not of good quality ?

[pete 2,499]

So what you're saying is we should sell our best midfielder because the rest of the midfielders are not of good quality ?

 

If you look at Arsenal and how they improved after selling Henry who was supposedly their best player and going out from football is a team game then it is possible that yes a lesser human being could maybe improve our team.

The fact that you think that he is our best midfielder is not the feedback i have been reading from the rest of the board, so i guess that opens up the same question does one person know better than 10.