PortoyMortoy
Well-Known Member
Using guys like Cochrane aren't a particularly good example, no one is saying we need to mismanage youngsters but even the difference between a 16 and 18 year old is massive in terms of physical development. Cochrane's problem was he had a clueless manager who at 16 would get injured and be thrown right back into the team when he was fit. Levein was a idiot throwing a 16 year old in right away and making him a important piece of that Hearts team, especially after his injuries started piling up.Gerrard isn't daft here.
The fact is, football has changed a fair bit in terms of physicality in the last 20 years. This isn't a "typical Scottish attitude" thing at all, it's just the way sports tend to go when the science improves the way that it has.
Not so long ago, tennis was all about the younger guys and you were considered done by your late twenties. Now, it takes until mid-twenties for most to get to the required level physically. The odd exception to the rule only really proves the point.
Football is on a similar path. McPake looks much bigger and stronger than most at his age in our youth team, but still looks like a little boy next to our first team players. Middleton was lucky he had filled out somewhat, as was McCrorie, but after them we don't have anyone ready just yet for regular games at first team level.
The old "if you're good enough, you're old enough" phrase no longer applies in the way that it used to. We only need to look at players like Cochrane and Hickey at Hearts, who are struggling at that level despite obvious talent, or how easily talented young players currently at Hamilton can be bossed out of games, to see why we need some patience.
Look at the current top nations at youth level. Not only are they talented, but their players are also gifted physically. People will point to Messi, Iniesta and Xavi and say "your attitude means they'd never have made it", but they were more than physically capable of handling that side of the game, they just happened to be a bit shorter.
No one at Rangers is deliberately holding players back. We just don't have a number at the right stage of their development. In a couple of years time, that'll change.
Im not asking Gerrard to do that, what i want Gerrard to do is to bring them into the team, give them the odd game similar to what a guy like Barker is getting now and see if they look the part, if they do great then you can continue to bring them along slowly and if they perform well and as they get more and more comfortable and adjusted to everything from the pace and physicality of matches to the lifestyle of being a first team player for Rangers then you can ask them to do more and more until they're just another player for us like Tavernier,, Jack, Davis, etc. I dont want half our squad to look like a play park or anything but i want our best youngsters once they get to be 17 or 18 poking their head through and getting a few chances to show what they can do.
What i dont want to see is a guy like Young-Coombes just thrown in the firing line immediately, but guys like Dapo, McPake, Kelly, Patterson i do want to see be given the chance. In my opinion January is the perfect time to do this, try and move the deadwood on and the first gam out of the winter break is a cup match at Ibrox against Stranraer