How good was Michael Mols?

The three/four months before Munich he was the greatest centre forward I have ever seen play for Rangers. We would never have survived in Parma without him.

Not the best goal scorer.

In terms of touch, control, technique and movement he was sensational.

You knew when he had the ball he was going to turn the defender.

The defender up his bahookie knew he was going to be turned.

But he still did it.

I remember an early game at Tynecastle (4-1?) and listening to the game on Snyde and after one of his turns, Derek Johnstone just went Ohh. He had never seen anything like him either.

My biggest regret is I didn't get to see him against Mjalby and Stubb before his injury. We'd still be talking about that today.
 
Bunk Moreland said:
My first memory of Rangers was the team of 99. Had this man’s name on the back of the NTL home top. My absolute hero alongside Stefan Klos.

The injury against Bayern broke my heart (it wasn’t Kahn’s fault before anyone has a go) - how good do you think he would have been if that didn’t happen?

I was young at the time, but I reckon he would have been good enough to sign for a Champions League contender.

Spent my summer trying to mimic his famous turn (most of the time I fell on my arse).
Click to expand...
I was in Munich the night he got injured. Should have beaten them ,
Mols was an outstanding player .
 
He was very good. Without injury the the top 4 in England (City and Spurs weren’t that good then) would have been sniffing about after his first year with us.
 
He was absolutely brilliant before that injury and you’re talking about up there with our greatest ever players if it wasn’t for that night in Munich.
 
A joy to watch in Light Blue.

If memory serves me correctly, he made his debut in a pre-season friendly on July 12th against St. Mirren at Love Street. Dariusz Adamcuk also made his debut that day at full back.

I loved Michael Mols.

He played for us with a smile on his face.

A God-given talent who could’ve been epic but for his injury.
 
A prince amongst men.
After the 4 goals against Motherwell I knew we had struck gold. Munich was devastating :confused:
 
Not sure they're available as individual clips but these three stand out:

1) away vs Parma in the CL qualifier we were under the cosh for long periods. At one point he got the ball on half way with Thuram at his back. He did his turn and by the time Thuram realised he had to turn back again Mols was already rolling the ball back the other way. This is Lillian Thuram, revered as one of the best defenders ever.

2) PSV Eindhoven at home. He has the ball around half way marked by three players. He takes about ten touches in three seconds and the defenders look like the monty python sketch of the 100 metres of those with no sense of direction. Unreal.

3) Celtic just after he had returned. Ball in the box, he steps over it and turns back in a manner that would require most humans to need a hip replacement. Shoots at the bottom corner and it's saved for a corner. We scored from the corner I believe.

Mols was the mutts nuts in his day and absolutely unplayable. So sad he was crippled at his peak.
 
In his last game with his previous team before signing for us his team mates carried him on thier shoulders for his lap of honour.

He also put 4 past the goalie in one match,

His and Durrants injuries are my saddest Rangers moments football wise

I was so delighted for him when we won the league against dunfermline. Lump in the throat moment.
 
In my lifetime watching Rangers only three players have made me genuinely go 'wow' when I first seen them play for us. Laudrup, Albertz and Mols.

That's not to say others haven't been ourtsanding but in terms of not knowing what to expect and seeing them play.
 
Danger Zone said:
The guy was so good a load of Utrecht fans would come to watch him at Ibrox. They worshiped him.
Click to expand...

I've still to watch anyone like him.

I know the record books say you can't be a legend after three or four months, but Mr Smiles achieved stuff in that short space of time, that should never be forgotten,
 
Coatbridge Chancellor said:
Superb. A top class striker.

In before the 'fu@k that prick Khan', it was a good tackle that sadly had big consequences.
Click to expand...

Oddly as a US Bear in the middle of nowhere this game was my first time seeing him and Rangers in at least 6 years. It was on espn champs league coverage, We battered them and then it happened. I could not believe how good he was leading up to injury, almost unplayable. It was a good tackle but somewhat reckless, Mols should have stepped on him :)
 
Rangers were robbed of their greatest ever player.

Better than Laudrup, Gascoigne and Greig, yeah I'll say it.
 
Mols could have been a mainstay for the Netherlands. He was different but equally as talented as Van Nistelrooy and was certainly better than Roy Makaay, Pierre Van Honkydonk and Vennegoor Hesselink.
 
Bunk Moreland said:
My first memory of Rangers was the team of 99. Had this man’s name on the back of the NTL home top. My absolute hero alongside Stefan Klos.

The injury against Bayern broke my heart (it wasn’t Kahn’s fault before anyone has a go) - how good do you think he would have been if that didn’t happen?

I was young at the time, but I reckon he would have been good enough to sign for a Champions League contender.

Spent my summer trying to mimic his famous turn (most of the time I fell on my arse).
Click to expand...
Possibly the one player from this century who could have got into our “Greatest ever team”.
 
He was amazing, he should have just stamped on Kahn, not before or since have I seen a keeper so far out of his box like that. Wanker.
 
One of the most accomplished strikers I’ve seen at our club until he was cruelly and deliberately crocked by that scumbag German.
 
Goggs21 said:
Absolutely loved the guy...a unique player who could make a fool of his opponents with one twist or turn
If he had not got injured in the Bayern game then I honestly think he would have became our best ever centre forward
He could beat a man with ease and he could score with ease
We were defo short changed when he injured himself
As a team we were fantastic that night in Germany, ran over the top of Bayern, yes we lost but what a performance against one of the best teams in the world away from home, even their left back Lizazaru said he had not seen any team do that to Bayern at home
Oh the memories
Click to expand...

I remember some of their players being totally taken aback by Mols in particular. Looking at him as if to say “who the fcuks this guy!?”
 
Jimmy the Gent said:
He was breathtaking, would have been one of our greatest players if he had stayed injury free.

Him and Durrant battled back to have great careers but they were never the same.
Click to expand...

I was actually surprised Mols continued to have a decent career after us as towards the end of his time with us I thought he looked done.
 
i only seen him play live in 03/04 but its fair to say his first 3 months were incredible. Being a football geek obviously watching rangers dvds and VHS all my childhood i could appreciate how good he was , however after that he was still a fairly servicable striker but i often think those first 3 months create a false perception of his whole rangers career in comparison to someone like arveladze who was shunted out on the left and still scored more goals in less games. The turn was never the same after the injury and we picked him up aged 29 going on 30 and his goalscoring record as stated wasnt spectacular (40 odd goals in 140 odd games) , he wasn't going to develop much more. a story of what could have been tho. also scored the best disallowed goal ever v pana
 
IMG_20190627_222102.jpg


Got this on holiday hahaha
 
simplyzebest said:
Pre Injury: scintillating
Post Injury: decent but far from spectacular.
Click to expand...
He had lost that burst of pace and se confidence,despite what was said on the rangers myths thread , I've always blamed that ceunt khan for coming so far out his box to stop him and effectively ending the Michael mols that we knew,that and Stefan klos not being brought back as first choice after making a mistake and getting lobbed on his first(?) game back were 2 of the saddest things I've seen as a rangers fan
 
Bunk Moreland said:
My first memory of Rangers was the team of 99. Had this man’s name on the back of the NTL home top. My absolute hero alongside Stefan Klos.

The injury against Bayern broke my heart (it wasn’t Kahn’s fault before anyone has a go) - how good do you think he would have been if that didn’t happen?

I was young at the time, but I reckon he would have been good enough to sign for a Champions League contender.

Spent my summer trying to mimic his famous turn (most of the time I fell on my arse).
Click to expand...

He was amazing
 
Hated Kahn every since and don’t intend to rewatch it now i am older to see if it was a good tackle, still a prick
 
Pre injury he was sensational. 50m player in todays money. Post injury still good but never the same again.
 
Before injury and in form he was in a different league. Far too good for Scottish football. Wouldnt of looked out of place with the Spanish giants and Man utd etc. I was gutted when he got injured :(
 
one of the biggest regrets i have had watching Rangers is we didn't see a pre injury Mols take that scum team apart

they'd have been red carded every time they tried to tackle him
 
As a youngster he was one of the players that made me fall in love with the Club but I have to ask, why wasn't he at bigger Clubs beforehand if he was as good as stated? He joined us quite old, it wasn't as if it was a case of the Kahn incident ruining an incredibly talented young prospect, but it definitely hindered him.
 
ShotaShuffle said:
Bearing in mind he was 28 when he signed (and no one had heard of him prior), I still believe he wouldve been spoken of in the same breath as Laudrup, Gascoigne etc as one of the greats barring that injury.

He was phenomenal in that first 6 months.
Click to expand...
Yep he was fantastic.....
If we got a couple of years of that pre injury form it would have been incredible and likely he would have moved for big big money
 
Loved him. He honestly couldn’t believe how good he was in those first few months.
Diana’s death meant he didn’t get to play the mhanks until after the injury if I remember correctly as the first game v them was cancelled.
 
The king and my hero. He truly was one of the best strikers to play for us. It always annoys me the injury he got because he was never the same. To me he's a legend and I know some people don't think that because of how he played after the injury but he was magnificent to watch. You don't see many strikers like Mols was on his day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top