How come Davie Cooper only got very few caps for Scotland?

Pvt. Hudson

Well-Known Member
Seems hard to believe that someone of his caliber only got 20 odd caps for Scotland. I know back then we had a decent team and a much better quality of player to choose from than we do now.

Was this a case of managers as we have seen with Brown and Roxburgh who continued to pick their favourites and ignore Rangers players?

Plus did Davie ever play in a WC?
 
A few reasons.

John Robertson of Nottingham Forest was the left winger late 70s and early 80s and was a star player.
Cooper suffered under John Greig's management and was often dropped, he was still brilliant on his day but those few years were wasted.
Under Wallace he flourished again and got back into the national team. That's when he scored the goals to take Scotland to the 86 finals, and he did play in the tournament although as a sub.
He was brilliant under Souness but by now in his 30s, then got replaced by Mark Walters after a couple years.
Then got a recall at Motherwell.
 
Scotland team became much more defensive after the 1978 World Cup, so wingers who weren’t big on defending were much less popular. Ally McCoist didn’t get as many games as he should have because they preferred workhorse strikers, for example.
 
Genius though he was, he wasn't always regarded as a consistent performer even for Rangers. I remember seeing John Greig, playing left back behind Davie, muttering and rolling his eyes about his teammate in one of his quieter games.
 
His peak years of 24 to 30 were spent with the 4th best team in Scotland. At times he looked as if he couldn't give a phuck and looked unfit. I never thought he should have played on the wing but should have been an access all areas number 10 That's where he played with the bankies and Motherwell and it brought out the best of him.
 
Seems hard to believe that someone of his caliber only got 20 odd caps for Scotland. I know back then we had a decent team and a much better quality of player to choose from than we do now.

Was this a case of managers as we have seen with Brown and Roxburgh who continued to pick their favourites and ignore Rangers players?

Plus did Davie ever play in a WC?
Often he wasn't getting a game for Rangers.
 
His peak years of 24 to 30 were spent with the 4th best team in Scotland. At times he looked as if he couldn't give a phuck and looked unfit. I never thought he should have played on the wing but should have been an access all areas number 10 That's where he played with the bankies and Motherwell and it brought out the best of him.
As I remember, he hardly moved out the centre circle at Motherwell, but could land the ball anywhere on the park and had others to do the running for him.
 
He would probably have won more caps had the Rangers team between 1979 - 85 been more successful. We struggled during those years and don't forget that at various points our own manager (John Greig) would not give Davie an automatic starting berth.
 
I think it was either him or Davie Provan most of the time. The emerging Aberdeen and Dundee Utd teams had players in the mix too
Provan was more consistent and played for a more inform team
 
As I remember, he hardly moved out the centre circle at Motherwell, but could land the ball anywhere on the park and had others to do the running for him.

Pretty much. A lot of the stuff with JG was said to be personal. When at the bankies a young Coop pretty much ripped JG a new one and he didn't like it.
 
Cooper was the most naturally gifted player I’ve ever seen at Rangers.

However, he was a notoriously poor trainer and he also was a player who fed off confidence. If Coop skinned his man early in a match, look out. However, if he got a hard time early in a match he could drift out of it.

Also, Robertson was playing very well and very consistently at the same time. So, international managers I think preferred the consistency of Robertson over the mercurial brilliance of Cooper.
 
A few reasons.

John Robertson of Nottingham Forest was the left winger late 70s and early 80s and was a star player.
Cooper suffered under John Greig's management and was often dropped, he was still brilliant on his day but those few years were wasted.
Under Wallace he flourished again and got back into the national team. That's when he scored the goals to take Scotland to the 86 finals, and he did play in the tournament although as a sub.
He was brilliant under Souness but by now in his 30s, then got replaced by Mark Walters after a couple years.
Then got a recall at Motherwell.
I would say under souness, it was about his most consistent time with us.
 
It's crazy when you see how few caps some of the greats of Scottish football picked up, especially when you see how many poor players have racked up 20+ in the last 2 decades.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scotland_international_footballers_(5–24_caps)
 
Scotland team became much more defensive after the 1978 World Cup, so wingers who weren’t big on defending were much less popular. Ally McCoist didn’t get as many games as he should have because they preferred workhorse strikers, for example.
Really?
McCoist was capped in nearly every game after his debut. Except after his leg break and as he hit his thirties.

What workhorse strikers kept him from getting more than the 61caps?
 
Scotland team became much more defensive after the 1978 World Cup, so wingers who weren’t big on defending were much less popular. Ally McCoist didn’t get as many games as he should have because they preferred workhorse strikers, for example.
In a time when 442 was used almost across the board, many teams midfield would consist of precisely that, 4 midfielders. For example in Scotland's excellent 2 0 win over France in the late 80's, Iain Ferguson played on the left of a 4.
 
In a time when 442 was used almost across the board, many teams midfield would consist of precisely that, 4 midfielders. For example in Scotland's excellent 2 0 win over France in the late 80's, Iain Ferguson played on the left of a 4.
Probably the biggest soaking i have had in my life. Great result though.
 
I don't remember coop playing for us but he stuck out for me at Motherwell.

I always asked my dad why we didnt keep him as he looked the business. Even watching back old videos he caused us problems.

Shame at 39 getting taken too soon.

Shows how quick life can end.
 
Cooper, on his game, was unplayable, but was very inconsistent . Nothing to do with anti Rangers conspiracy. Why select a player who could be dreadful one game, fantastic the next.
 
Seems hard to believe that someone of his caliber only got 20 odd caps for Scotland. I know back then we had a decent team and a much better quality of player to choose from than we do now.

Was this a case of managers as we have seen with Brown and Roxburgh who continued to pick their favourites and ignore Rangers players?

Plus did Davie ever play in a WC?
John Robertson and Peter Weir mainly.
 
Really?
McCoist was capped in nearly every game after his debut. Except after his leg break and as he hit his thirties.

What workhorse strikers kept him from getting more than the 61caps?
Except the big games at major tournaments when they almost invariably jumped to almost anyone else, so off the top of my head - Alan McInally, Gordon Durie, Robert Fleck, John Spencer and Kevin Gallacher. Debut April 86, but not taken to the World Cup, only picked for the last game of World Cup 90, ditto Euro 96, not taken to World Cup 98.
 
I remember watching Coop get a player sent off at Ibrox (maybe Charnley) he was unplayable but as soon as the player was sent off, he disappeared out of the game.

Still the best player I've seen. A true icon and legend.
 
I think it was either him or Davie Provan most of the time. The emerging Aberdeen and Dundee Utd teams had players in the mix too
Provan was more consistent and played for a more inform team
Proven rarely played for Scotland. John Robertson was one of the top left wingers In Europe at the time
 
EB
Proven rarely played for Scotland. John Robertson was one of the top left wingers In Europe at the timrp

Proven rarely played for Scotland. John Robertson was one of the top left wingers In Europe at the timte

Proven rarely played for Scotland. John Robertson was one of the top left wingers In Europe at the time
Provan had quite a few caps , plus being nowhere near as good as davie.
 
Seems hard to believe that someone of his caliber only got 20 odd caps for Scotland. I know back then we had a decent team and a much better quality of player to choose from than we do now.

Was this a case of managers as we have seen with Brown and Roxburgh who continued to pick their favourites and ignore Rangers players?

Plus did Davie ever play in a WC?
I agree. He was breat on his day but unfortunately he had a lot more days when he wasn’t good and was not even a regular under Grieg s last few years IMO he is vastly over rated on here. Yes on his day he was brilliant but a great player has more good than bad sadly Davie was the opposite still loved him though but should never be in greatest ever team there a a few more better options Wilson Henderson Willie Johnston to name just 3
 
Cooper was a player every nation apart from New Zealand, because football is an alien concept, would have built their entire football philosophy around. Instead we see an shitcan academy from Largs inspired a league full of players that can’t spell football never mind play the game.
 
One for older bears who genuinely remember what following Rangers was like from 1979 to 1984
We were pretty brutal and Cooper would go into a kind of sulk get abuse from us in the terraces.
I remember him getting absolute pelters at Dens Park early 80’s guys standing right beside me.
We weren’t a force in that 5 year period
 
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