Looking Disinterested.

[pete 2,499]

I bring this up for discussion because it was also talked about on a Dutch football programme tonight. Over the last season we have blamed namely Cousin for at times looking disinterested. Personally i don't believe a player walks on to the park thinking i can't be bothered today. In my opinion different styles optically look like one player is trying harder than another. The examples given on the Dutch programme was Frank Rijkaard and Edgar Davids. Rijkaard played with his head held high and strolled through games, while Davids had his head down and was kicking at every ankle he saw. Did the stallion style of Davids bring any more to the team than the pedigree style of Rijkaard? I doubt it. Yet at times when things were going wrong for both players Rijkaard looked disinterested and Davids was given the benifit of the doubt that it was an off day.

Lets put the theory into Rangers perspective. Cousin also had the style of gliding through games with his head held high. If he had an off day or a day where he could not get free of the shackles of a defender then it was said he was disinterested. If Nacho Novo who runs about like a headless chicken at times has a bad day then people only have sympathy for the poor wee soul. Ran about like an idiot but things never worked out for him.

Defenders do get on top of strikers sometimes it does not mean the striker is not trying his best.

[alexscottislegend 2,090]

I bring this up for discussion because it was also talked about on a Dutch football programme tonight. Over the last season we have blamed namely Cousin for at times looking disinterested. Personally i don't believe a player walks on to the park thinking i can't be bothered today. In my opinion different styles optically look like one player is trying harder than another. The examples given on the Dutch programme was Frank Rijkaard and Edgar Davids. Rijkaard played with his head held high and strolled through games, while Davids had his head down and was kicking at every ankle he saw. Did the stallion style of Davids bring any more to the team than the pedigree style of Rijkaard? I doubt it. Yet at times when things were going wrong for both players Rijkaard looked disinterested and Davids was given the benifit of the doubt that it was an off day.

Lets put the theory into Rangers perspective. Cousin also had the style of gliding through games with his head held high. If he had an off day or a day where he could not get free of the shackles of a defender then it was said he was disinterested. If Nacho Novo who runs about like a headless chicken at times has a bad day then people only have sympathy for the poor wee soul. Ran about like an idiot but things never worked out for him.

Defenders do get on top of strikers sometimes it does not mean the striker is not trying his best.

 

That's a really good point and I'd have to agree that players have different styles which can be misunderstood. However, with regard to Cousin, I think it was his actions (headbutting etc) and his off-field comments about wanting to go to the Prem which alienated most of us.

[Cotter 0]

That's a really good point and I'd have to agree that players have different styles which can be misunderstood. However, with regard to Cousin, I think it was his actions (headbutting etc) and his off-field comments about wanting to go to the Prem which alienated most of us.

 

 

Yeah agreed. Triers do always get the benefit of the doubt because it seems that physically they are putting more effort in ergo they must want to win more, love the team etc. With Cousin however there were some games when he simply wouldn't run for a ball. When you see him put in barnstorming performances like that final one against the scum and a couple of others, high profile games I might add, then it's hard not to come to the conclusion that he couldn't be arsed sometimes.

[UCF2008 0]

If Nacho Novo who runs about like a headless chicken at times has a bad day then people only have sympathy for the poor wee soul. Ran about like an idiot but things never worked out for him.

 

I think you're being a bit harsh on Novo there. He doesn't have the skill or strength of Davids, but I would say Novo is more the 'head down' and 'kicking at every ankle he sees' type. I can think of a few players I would describe as 'headless chicken' at times (BF being one of them) but Novo isn't one of them.

[CammyF 6,897]

RDB at times looked 'disinterested' at times - however, I'd would say he is one of the best players I've ever seen at Ibrox.

 

Cammy F