Leon King
- Thread starter EssexBear
- Start date
ChildOfGoth
Well-Known Member
Is Leon a Rangers fan ?
Riquelme
Well-Known Member
May 2022.
Ross Wilson said “relaxed about contract situation.” so I won’t get too worried yet.
Lovenkrands Dug
Well-Known Member
Same thing was said the last time.
He comes from very good stock.
northsealoyal
Well-Known Member
Hopefully he commits to the GVB revolution I have no doubt that he will thrive
Kenny Senior
Well-Known Member
Cant blame him at looking at the pathway to the team. If we keep signing dross like Simpson blocking these guys they will leave, simple as that.
Last night we had Jack, Ofoborh, Simpson, Bacuna, Defoe not make the bench on top of Helander and Balogun who are injured, that must be quite depressing for any of the young players trying to break through, especially midfielders.
Last night we had Jack, Ofoborh, Simpson, Bacuna, Defoe not make the bench on top of Helander and Balogun who are injured, that must be quite depressing for any of the young players trying to break through, especially midfielders.
Regardless of who he supports, I imagine any player with half a brain would prefer England over Scotland. Emotions or loyalties never usually come into it.
Ibroxmassive
Well-Known Member
The new management team have been in place for three games, we clearly have a setup that is geared towards promotion of youth players into the first team. Hard to make a decision on it yet.
blueintheface
Member
If any of the players had any indication that Gerrard wanted to bring them to Villa and they want to go, they're not going to sign a new deal.
This is one area we can't really compete with the money in the EPL. Villa can offer King a 5 year deal at £5k a week and it's basically a rounding error in their accounts. Can we speculate to that level?
strathavenbear
Well-Known Member
Hopefully from next season the 4th central defender is someone from the academy. Whether that is Mayo, McLelland or King remains to be seen. King is probably behind the other 2 so would likely be loaned out.
Gascoigne8
Well-Known Member
How has he been performing this season? Noticed Mclelland seems to be the one used on the bench rather than king for the first team
Its a bit early to make assumptions on how Gio will be regarding playing young players and a pathway to the first team. The dutch usually have no problem playing young players, if youre good enough youre old enough, so we could see a bit of a change here. Youve gotta be good enough though.
BrooklynBlue
Well-Known Member
It was Gerrard who signed these players. Wouldn't exactly make sense to then go to Villa.
Maybe young players should just get the head down and work at their football. If they do so, they'll get the move and/or playing time they want.
If Kai Kennedy had done that, maybe he'd be on the same pathway as Patterson.
tazzabear
Well-Known Member
Where is the speculation?
tazzabear
Well-Known Member
Was said about Kennedy as well.
Was in the sun and they used Charlie McCann as their picture for the story so to me it just shows its made up to generate a few clicks.
Liviger1984
Well-Known Member
Dave kings boy so yes.
BoyciesDa
Well-Known Member
Gerrard wouldn’t play the young fella King in Scotland that clearly tells you how true this speculation is
Blue Steel
Well-Known Member
I would leave Bassey as 4th choice , if Barisic still here , he is same age and already miles more experience .
Texas ranger
Well-Known Member
If I’m a young player at Rangers, want to develop my footballing ability and I’m using Gerrard as the measuring stick, I’m going no where near Villa. If I’m interested in money that’s a different matter.
Fothyman
Well-Known Member
Would be good if he can sign a new deal then get out on loan at a decent English league 1 side for a bit to get some first team football.
He's not going to be first 11 for us or Villa for some time. Get some experience somewhere and come back and challenge for a squad place.
He's not going to be first 11 for us or Villa for some time. Get some experience somewhere and come back and challenge for a squad place.
strathavenbear
Well-Known Member
I suppose a lot will depend on our centre half situation come the summer.
Goldson probably away, constant injury concerns over 2 others.
Blue Steel
Well-Known Member
No Mufasa is his Da , founder of the Serengeti loyal .
JMCK
Well-Known Member
What a risk it must be to leave Rangers right now, regardless of the money that a player may get immediately, especially when there are signs of young players on the fringe of making it into the first team at this moment in time. Added to that is the quality of the Rangers coaching staff, particularly in the recruitment of Dave Vos, formerly of Ajax.
Riquelme
Well-Known Member
Can talk about what the future may hold all you want, and folk used to say how can you leave when Gerrard is the manager, but the cold hard truth is we are extremely poor at giving youth a chance. There is no pathway.
Until there is, I don't think we're in a position to say things like 'what a risk to leave'. Struggle to find another team with less of a pathway.
JMCK
Well-Known Member
I don't agree. We have come a long way getting to this stage where we can now introduce players into the side; look at the side a decade ago, just on the verge of having young players in the squad. Auchenhowie is an ideal place to make the next level; it was ten years ago, and it will be again.
Northhiglander
Well-Known Member
Our squad is so big we give no youngsters a chance. We need a smaller squad with space for youngsters. Almost every team we face in Europe is better than we are at using young players.
Riquelme
Well-Known Member
The youth players in the squad a year ago were only in because we had zero money.
I have no idea how you can say Auchenhowie is the ideal place to make the next level, you can't sell that when there is no examples.
I think there is a lot of good people in the academy and Mulholland and the staff have made massive strides from where the academy was previously. We can develop good players, but there is no pathway in to the first team.
If it was my son I'd want him at Auchenhowie until 17/18, when the academy stops developing/benefitting you because there is not enough chances in the first team. Like I said, you'd struggle to find another club as poor at bringing youth through.
nasalsinatra
Well-Known Member
Tierney, McGinn and Robertson have shown the pathway all young Scottish players need to follow. Go to England when established as a first-team player at whatever club you play for in Scotland. Better still to have had some recognition, regardless of appearances, to boost your reputation. Going to England as a very raw youngster could result in being loaned out for years and swallowed up in the system only to finish up in Div1.
JMCK
Well-Known Member
Hardly ideal for there to be pathway, considering where the club has been in the last decade. A decade ago we had four or five young players breaking tnrough, and that coukd well happen again.
JMCK
Well-Known Member
That may happen, and it's perhaps a fair point; possibly this will be something we see more in the next season or two.
ibrox1975
Well-Known Member
What has that got to do with it?
The failure to understand the gigantic gap between what footballer players priorities are and what football fans priorities are never fail to amaze me.
Players will largely go anywhere if the money is right.
One exception is going to local rivals, players tend to avoid that not because they hate the rivals but because of the hassle factor it will attract.
99.999% of footballers are mercenaries.
M
MearnsUnionist
Guest
McLelland has been injured recently and was on the bench for the B team against Cove on Tuesday night, which we lost 5-1.
However, posters on here who regularly watch the B team say McLelland has been more impressive than King this season.
Leon King started the game against Cove in central defence, but I've no idea how he played.
By all accounts though, he's a long way off Rangers 1st team squad level currently.
I know the guy's really young even for B team standards, and am sure there must be something behind the hype but thought he looked quite poor against Cove Rangers the other night and got subbed at half time.
M
MearnsUnionist
Guest
BoyciesDa
Well-Known Member
Tad far during week to take match in just followed match updates on twitter & SKY app
Interesting that the young fella King was replaced at HT by McLelland and the swifts only conceded 1 goal second half
M
MearnsUnionist
Guest
I know you go and watch the B team regularly mate and you've commented that McLelland has been far more impressive than King this season.
Valley Bluenose
RTV? Completed it mate!
McClelland came on after 25 minutes mate, to replace the injured MacKinnon. It was 3-1 at the time.
ALittleBitOfTheBubbly
Well-Known Member
Starting to think you have some sort of bat signal that goes off when Leon King is mentioned to post the above about McLelland being more impressive, further ahead and King being a long way off/
Like clockwork.
Valley Bluenose
RTV? Completed it mate!
Doesn't mean its any less accurate in fairness. McClelland, right now, offers more than King. Will that still be the case in a couple of years? Probably not. Bear in mind King is a full 2 years behind McClelland in his development, both as a player and physically. King probably has the brighter future but, at 17, you can never guarantee he will turn out to be the player we all hope. That age, 17-21, is where it counts for those that are going to make it.
ALittleBitOfTheBubbly
Well-Known Member
Never said it did and agree with the above. Just felt like i've read the post on about 10 threads this week (albeit I am off work and never usually on FF this much during the day!)
M
MearnsUnionist
Guest
Nah mate, only repeating what supporters who regularly watch the B team have said.
I've also pointed out that King is 2 years younger than McLelland and probably has a higher ceiling and greater potential.
However, what can't be argued is that McLelland has been preferred to King in our Europa squad as cover.
Valley Bluenose
RTV? Completed it mate!
Ha ha I spend f*cking hours a day on FF mate and it does get very repetitive - right down to threads about poor throw-ins which seems to be in vogue currently.
Because the B Team are getting much more publicity this season there are never-ending questions - and even demands - for some of them to get brought into the First Team squad. There's a handful of us who like to step in and remind folk that the B Team are, effectively, out third string rather than our backups. Its an uphill task getting that across admittedly. The backups, second string if you like, are folk like Mayo, Williamson, McPake, Kennedy etc who are all out trying to prove they can cut it at a higher level than the 5th tier Lowland League - with varying degrees of success or otherwise.
We've a number who look very promising - and King is amongst them - but we will be doing very well if even 1 can follow Patterson into becoming a regular feature in the First Team. The 'dark horse' might be Williamson, who seems to be doing pretty well at Livi but doesn't attract as much attention as some of the others.
TheCanonburyCaniggia
Well-Known Member
Exactly. They say about Patterson being a good role model to the first team but he’s on the bench 9 out of 10 games.
