Peak Durrant or peak Barry?

It is close, very close.
Those dismissing Ferguson obviously have an agenda. He was a quite magnificent talent, comparable to any of the great midfielders we've had, not saying better, but certainly comparable.

The pre-injury Durrant was unique.
Had had touch to die for, could spray passes around with the best of them, was lightning quick, could score goals but it was his inate ability to go beyond the front men that set him apart. It's an ability that very very few midfielders possess at the top level. The tragedy is that we never saw the best of him. We can only speculate on what level he could've reached.

Given what we did see,of both players it's a very very close call.

As to the OP's point on who would best suit us tomorrow? I'd take both!
A reasoned and balanced post :)
 
I’m (only) 34 so didn’t see as much of Durrant live as I’d have liked, but from what I’ve seen he’s probably more my type of midfielder than Ferguson.

However, all this talk of him being miles above Ferguson etc isn’t accurate for me and probably more reflective of peoples’ opinions of Barry’s media work than him as a player.
It’s nothing to do with Barry’s media profile at all
It’s more a case of take them both at their peak and Durrant wins it. Not a slight on Barry either.
Barry did it for a more prolonged period of time but that wasn’t Durrants fault, if he hadn’t been assaulted by Simpson then he would have went on to the very top for a long time.
Durrant would also have had better options than Blackburn if he had chose to leave.

I remember Durrant playing in Midfield with Barry’s brother Derek, what a midfield that was and IMO Derek could have went on to have a better career than his wee Brother if he hadn’t pissed it all away.
 
It is close, very close.
Those dismissing Ferguson obviously have an agenda. He was a quite magnificent talent, comparable to any of the great midfielders we've had, not saying better, but certainly comparable.

The pre-injury Durrant was unique.
Had had touch to die for, could spray passes around with the best of them, was lightning quick, could score goals but it was his inate ability to go beyond the front men that set him apart. It's an ability that very very few midfielders possess at the top level. The tragedy is that we never saw the best of him. We can only speculate on what level he could've reached.

Given what we did see,of both players it's a very very close call.

As to the OP's point on who would best suit us tomorrow? I'd take both!

To be fair, I think both would compliment each other very well in central midfield.
 
Ferguson. He was brilliant at his best and dictated games against world class players.

Durrant had the potential to be better but never fulfilled his promise through no fault of his own.
Agree
I’m not sure, it’s hard to be objective as I’m clouded by an early love of durrant. He was incredible.
BUT for equally 2 years Ferguson was arguably in the top young midfielders in Europe. He marched through the champions league under advocaat against the best in the world and at times made the best of midfielders look amateurish. He made a massive career mistake going to Blackburn and never fully recovered.

I’m going to settle on both were different players. If I could one for tomorrow it would be Ferguson.
Agree, both great players and very different styles but Ferguson for me.
 
It’s nothing to do with Barry’s media profile at all
It’s more a case of take them both at their peak and Durrant wins it. Not a slight on Barry either.
Barry did it for a more prolonged period of time but that wasn’t Durrants fault, if he hadn’t been assaulted by Simpson then he would have went on to the very top for a long time.
Durrant would also have had better options than Blackburn if he had chose to leave.

I remember Durrant playing in Midfield with Barry’s brother Derek, what a midfield that was and IMO Derek could have went on to have a better career than his wee Brother if he hadn’t pissed it all away.

This is one of those things you hear from older bears (no offence meant) that I just don't believe.
 
Durrant by a country mile. World class at his peak. Ferguson was pretty average tbh. Most players can pass 6 yards to the side
Haha Durrant was better but by %^*& Fergie wasn’t average
He wouldn’t hold down a place and be captain in that Midfield that Advocat had being average.

that 6 yard sideways pass is a timmy myth that they wheel out when trying to claim Lego was better
 
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It was me who said it and I agree with that. I got his name on my top about a week before. Was utterly raging with him and it still annoys me now. First Rangers Captain to ask for a transfer.
However, read what I said. “If he had stayed and continued as he was” is the whole point of it.
Maybe but we'll never know he was not the same player the second time they never are I'm sure he regrets the decision to leave
 
Read a few young pups who never got to see young Durrant live.

My first football coach would just tell us to watch Durrant when we go to Ibrox, only when you get older you realise you were watching a football masterclass. The touch, the vision, being three steps ahead, the timing, the finishing (he's a a truly brilliant finisher btw). And this was a "wee boy" just like us.

A guy who after being nearly ended as a footballer, came back to be an absolute standout in 92/93 (as were many) and he and Hateley carrying us through the following season.

Even when he left us in 98, his mobility seriously restricted, he ended up back in international football and on the POTY shortlist.

The Durrant we got, even outwith the attack was magnificent. But for it, he could have been the greatest we'd had.
 
Maybe but we'll never know he was not the same player the second time they never are I'm sure he regrets the decision to leave
He regretted it almost straight away.
To understand his wanting a move you have to look at things as they were then. The previous summer had seen us, as treble winners, ship out the likes of Neil McCann, Lorenzo Amoruso and Arthur Numan...all top players and more importantly players who wanted to stay at the club. What kind of message does that send out to the squad? That summer saw the first repercussions of David Murray's recklessness, sadly there was worse, much worse to follow.
 
This is one of those things you hear from older bears (no offence meant) that I just don't believe.
That’s fair enough, it’s just my opinion.
Derek IMO had more natural Talent, Barry had the dedication and drive to be the best.
Given the choice I would pick Barry though as he did it consistently for us and was a great player.
His big bro pissed it away and ended up having an average career
 
That’s fair enough, it’s just my opinion.
Derek IMO had more natural Talent, Barry had the dedication and drive to be the best.
Given the choice I would pick Barry though as he did it consistently for us and was a great player.
His big bro pissed it away and ended up having an average career
Derek looked like he was he going to be a star at Rangers for many years but he blew it I think him and Barry had similar talent levels just Barry utilised his better and for longer
 
That’s fair enough, it’s just my opinion.
Derek IMO had more natural Talent, Barry had the dedication and drive to be the best.
Given the choice I would pick Barry though as he did it consistently for us and was a great player.
His big bro pissed it away and ended up having an average career

Not having a go mate but I just don't believe it.

Ferguson was the best player in the Rangers team that in included Arthur Numan, Ronald De Boer and Gio. There's not a chance Derek Ferguson was anywhere near that level.
 
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Durrant.

Not even close

He would have ended up in Seria A (which was the top league in the world at the time) if it wasn’t for the injury

Barry by a country mile unfortunately Durrant never had the opertunityb to reach his peak so it’s an unfair question and conjecture but based on their careers Barry wins hands down
 
Durrant for me and I actually thought Derek ferguson had more ability than Barry butnot the attitude

I feel like the Derek Ferguson had more ability than Barry is the 90's version of saying "there's definitely a player in there, he just lacks commitment" when talking about Barrie McKay and Josh Windass in the past few years.
 
It’s nothing to do with Barry’s media profile at all
It’s more a case of take them both at their peak and Durrant wins it. Not a slight on Barry either.
Barry did it for a more prolonged period of time but that wasn’t Durrants fault, if he hadn’t been assaulted by Simpson then he would have went on to the very top for a long time.
Durrant would also have had better options than Blackburn if he had chose to leave.

I remember Durrant playing in Midfield with Barry’s brother Derek, what a midfield that was and IMO Derek could have went on to have a better career than his wee Brother if he hadn’t pissed it all away.
Anyone saying Durrant was absolutely miles and levels above Ferguson is definitely allowing their views of the man to cloud their views of the player.
 
When Barry was breaking into the first team he showed all the hallmarks of another Durrant, but I felt that changed with the arrival of Advocaat who saw him as more of a linchpin than playmaker. It was at that point the similarity between them ended somewhat for me as the added responsibility changed Barrys game. In the end with Durrant we were robbed of a genuine super star, but gained a proper Rangers captain in Barry.
 
Durrant by a country mile. World class at his peak. Ferguson was pretty average tbh. Most players can pass 6 yards to the side

To say Ferguson was average is actually insulting.

Although I said Durrant by a mile, Ferguson was an outstanding footballer. A leader and a fan on the pitch. He would have moved to one of the top EPL clubs but for his injury at Blackburn and would have dominated their midfield.

Durrant though was a level above that. The comparisons with Gascoigne are spot on. Two once in a generation footballers playing at the same time on both sides of the border.
 
Not having a go mate but I just don't believe it.

Ferguson was the best player in the Rangers team that in included Arthur Numan, Ronald De Boer and Gio. There's not a chance Derek Ferguson was anywhere near that level.
He wasn’t but he could and should have been. He had everything and wasted it.
 
This regularly said on here. I believe Wilkins said something about Durrant maybe being better as well?
Anyway, I know Durrant got injured 18 months before Italia ‘90, but Gascoigne was one of the players of the tournament and took his team to a World Cup semi.
Durrant struggled to get in a team that had Paul McStay as its lynchpin.
There’s no doubt Durrant had incredible potential, and we were robbed of a magnificent talent, but Gascoigne also suffered horrendous injuries.
When both were at Ibrox, Gascoigne was absolutely miles ahead of him and produced performances at a level that even peak Durrant couldn’t reach.
I’m sorry, but outside OF a KP/Ibrox/FF mythology bubble, if you tried to tell anyone that Durrant was better than Gascoigne you’d be laughed out of town.
I think there’s always a very wistful, blue tinted specs view of Durrant’s abilities on here if I’m being honest.

He was a superb talent, no doubt about it, and would surely only have gotten better, possibly even world class had it not been for that injury at Pittodrie, but Ferguson was bossing CL games against some of the world’s top midfielders when he was 21, the same age Durrant’s career was savagely halted by Simpson.

Which isn’t to say he was better - in terms of natural ability I’d probably have Durrant ahead - but not by the ‘miles’ mentioned already on this thread.

They were different types of player for a start. Durrant was an attacking midfielder in the mould of Frank Lampard, always looking to get forward to augment the attack, playing one twos in and around the box and getting on the end of passes and crosses while Ferguson was more of a classic playmaker orchestrating from deeper as Davis does for us now, but with a greater ability to control a game’s tempo.

I’d give both nuts to have the two of them in our midfield today.
 
Gazza or Durrant now that's a debate Barry was a great player No doubt but Durrant was on a different level as years went on after his injury return he was sparringly used by Walter cause of the sheer pressure put on his knee when training and playing he was fantastic for Kilmarnock
 
He's not in the debate. I heard he had a good cross on him though.
Nice:D
I saw them both, although as a 10 yo maybe never quite appreciated durrant the way I would now.He was magnificent, watching him, Cooper and super are excellent childhood memories.3 born and bred bears ripping teams apart. Brilliant.
That said, Barry Ferguson was outstanding for us , and for a number of seasons.
Durrant is more what could have been, for me anyway. Obvs not his fault.
Barry did it though.

Barry for me.
 
I just don't believe it
Interesting old thread on the subject. For me Barry is the best we’ve produced in my life time (50) years!

 
2 wonderful midfield players who came through the ranks and who gave us iconic Tim slaying moments.
The 2 best players to come through our youth system in the last 40 years.

The Ian Durrant pre injury 1986 to 1988.
The Barry Ferguson 1999 to 2003 before he went to Blackburn.

I genuinely don't think there has been another Scottish born midfield player since Souness who comes close to either.

If you had to pick one of them from those peak years to come back in a time machine and play tomorrow, which one would you want?


Barry - could drag his team through a mile of broken glass just to beat these b@stards.
A born whinger, a born winner.
 
It depends whether you wanted someone who could entirely control the pace and flow of the game through the midfield with an unerring range of passes and a magnificent football brain or a mercurial genius who could split defences or run beyond the strikers and score goals such as the one seen in the video.

much as I loved Ian Durrant I suspect Barry would be more of an asset for this particular game. As others has have said Durrant was a superstar in the making and would have achieved world class status. Barry on the other hand reached his full potential as one of the most complete central midfielders in Rangers history.
 
I loved both off them and thought Durrant was going to be world class,Liverpool were sniffing around before he was assaulted.
Derek i think what a waste of talent.
 
Look at thread about Walter’s best 11 against the filth.He mentioned Gazza just shades it over Durrant.No mention of Ferguson whatsoever.
 
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Remember 2 interviews about Gazza when he was still at Newcastle on Football Focus (Saturday Grandstands football show for you young pups). One was with Ray Wilkins (pre his spell with us) and the other was Jackie Milburn. They both waxed lyrical about how good Gazza was and could become and yet both finished by saying that the young lad Durrant with Rangers could well be the most exciting talent to emerge from the UK in decades. That’s good enough for me and I loved Fergie as a player and captain. Sad thing is that the Mutton Molestors still sing about Durrant without realising that he would in all likelihood have left Rangers (rumours of Serie A clubs hovering) and in fact Simpson’s assault robbed their beloved (as long as your not a Rangers man) national team of the best they would have ever seen
 
Durrant by a country mile. World class at his peak. Ferguson was pretty average tbh. Most players can pass 6 yards to the side
Given that there is a game today so there will be a match thread with the mad, ridiculous and mental comments that are in that thread, that has to be the maddest, most ridiculous and most mental post there will be today.
The definition of braindead stupidity.
 
But, they’ll leave for more money and it’ll be accepted?
I struggle to see the difference.
He was the Captain a Rangers fan and a homegrown player and our best player he asked to leave of course he's going to be judged differently to a foreign player unfairly or not
 
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