Players that are “winners”

  • Thread starter Deleted by own request member
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Deleted by own request member said:
There’s a lot of talk about our squad mentality and not having enough players that are “winners” in the team.

What is people’s interpretation of a winner. I can’t see us buying players from the top league champions, World Cup winners or anyone that’s lifted the champions league lately so what is it people are asking for? Is someone that has won a challenge cup or a second division title the “winner” that we need?

I reckon some people’s expectations are to high considering where we have just come from
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People that have pride in their work & don’t merely surrender when the going gets tough.
 
willie johnston said:
And they've got world beaters who couldn't get a game at a poor benfica and spurs team etc, and a left back from kilmarnock and a mid fielder from motherwell etc,etc
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Complemented by players with success in Scottish football, and greater success than most of our players.

Our captain, who has played for Rangers since 2015, has one league and one Scottish cup medal. Calum McGregor has 16.
 
If I had my way (and was in charge of recruitment for Rangers), I would look to fill the team with players who are technically and physically excellent, first and foremost. I believe that if a team is full of technically and physically excellent players, then they will inevitably become winners.

Secondly, I would look for a winning mentality. A lot is said about this. I believe in that to some extent, but I feel that mental toughness / mental strength is more important. A season is long, the games come thick and fast, and a player has to be ready for the challenge, every game.

So then, I propose that the ideal Rangers player is technically and physically excellent, with a strong mentality.

Meanwhile, I don't think a winning mentality should be promoted above the other attributes -- they are all important together. i.e., you can have a very strong "winning mentality", but simply lack the ability to succeed. Likewise, you can have lots of ability, but a weak mentality. The key is to find players who have the complete package -- technical, physical and mental.
 
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Footballers are the same as people in everyday life - some people are winners, many are losers

Winners take personal accountability, are relentless, don't give up, make the most of the cards they're dealt, remain disciplined and couldn't care less about how they feel - they sacrifice their own comfort to focus on the mission of winning

Losers blame everyone else for their misgivings, make excuses, claim bad luck, injustice etc, have poor emotional discipline, bottle it when it matters and give up when the going gets tough

It's a mentality and its irrespective of talent. I think it's obvious we have too many players in the latter category.
 
Teddy Tuema, captain of the Union Saint Gilloise team. Not saying we should buy him before anyone starts, but in the games against us he drove his team forward and looked like a leader.
 
A winner , looks to me players who play relentlessly and give 100%.

They don't need to world cup winners or champions League winner.
There are players in our price range like Jota, Abada, Kyogo. As we saw on Saturday

It's just a case of finding these talents
 
Steven Gerrard epitomises the phrase yet he never won the league as a player for instance.

For me its folk like Barry Ferguson, Kenny Miller, Richard Gough, Super Ally, Roy Keane, Thierry Henry etc
Folk that simply don't accept second, they drive themselves and their team on.
 
Davie Weir said:
Mentalist if you think McLaughlin is the sole reason we lost
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Players at fault before the ball got to him but should have saved the first, the second he made it easy and the 3rd went straight through him. The 4th was all on him despite Davis hiding.
Not the sole reason but a major part.
 
derbybear said:
Players at fault before the ball got to him but should have saved the first, the second he made it easy and the 3rd went straight through him. The 4th was all on him despite Davis hiding.
Not the sole reason but a major part.
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He absolutely arsed up for most if not all of the goals mate but we’d be beaten regardless of who was in goals
 
derbybear said:
Players at fault before the ball got to him but should have saved the first, the second he made it easy and the 3rd went straight through him. The 4th was all on him despite Davis hiding.
Not the sole reason but a major part.
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How did he make the 2nd goal easy?
 
ClockworkOrange said:
Complemented by players with success in Scottish football, and greater success than most of our players.

Our captain, who has played for Rangers since 2015, has one league and one Scottish cup medal. Calum McGregor has 16.
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Let's forget the absolute free run the Tims had while we where down the league and then during our premiership rebuilding years. Let's have a pop at tav for no reason.

Context matters kids.
 
Bradbo88 said:
Let's forget the absolute free run the Tims had while we where down the league and then during our premiership rebuilding years. Let's have a pop at tav for no reason.

Context matters kids.
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Two things:

1. Perhaps predictably, we were all keen to downplay their achievements in winning all those titles when we were in the lower leagues. What that has given Celtic, though, is an expectation of success and a winning mentality that still exists today.

2. This Rangers team aren't a team of winners. They've won the league, yes, and a Scottish Cup, but they're not a winning Rangers team. Gerrard's record of 1/9 was, again, downplayed, but it was a legitimate complaint, especially in a country where you have one serious rival to beat. Gio doesn't seem to have been able to instil that in the players, either.
 
Our players are too nice. The management are too nice. I'm not saying you need to be a complete lady's front bottom, but know when to be a bastard and when to stand up for yourself and not have the piss taken out of you.

We all know this team have ability, but they lack heart at times.
 
I see we're back to this nonsense argument where every new signing has to be given a brain scan to search for a specific amount of grey matter which tells you their a 'winner'. It comes down to things that really matter eg, ability, desire and having a manager with tactical wherewithal.
 
A winner is someone with an appetite for success that doesn't diminish, ever. A few years ago I watched a documentary about the former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley, which said something rather interesting on this: apparently Paisley, if I recall this correctly, when Liverpool won a League championship, for instance, would observe the reactions not long after of individual players- those who looked hungry for more he was likely to keep, those who looked well satisfied and rather pleased with themselves would be, quite rightly, out the door. Heart and Hand was rather interesting last night in relation to this, I felt, and I was reminded of this after listening to it. Again there is a fallacy that winners are bad losers, followed on by the rhetorical cliche "show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser" or something ridiculous like that, which is rather disproved by someone like Jack Nicklaus, the most successful golfer ever. Reading and hearing about his attitude to defeat, which was always gracious, was very enlightening; for Nicklaus, competing, without fear of either losing or winning, was everything; combined with his appetite to win, it made him truly formidable. Perhaps you don't find out about about what makes a winner by how they take defeat, but by how they take success
 
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JMCK said:
A winner is someone with an appetite for success that doesn't diminish, ever. A few years ago I watched a documentary about the former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley, which said something rather interesting on this: apparently Paisley, if I recall this correctly, when Liverpool won a League championship, for instance, would observe the reactions not long after of individual players- those who looked hungry for more he was likely to keep, those who looked well satisfied and rather pleased with themselves would be, quite rightly, out the door. Heart and Hand was rather interesting last night in relation to this, I felt, and I was reminded of this after listening to it. Again there is a fallacy that winners are bad losers, followed on by the rhetorical cliche "show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser" or something ridiculous like that, which is rather disproved by someone like Jack Nicklaus, the most successful golfer ever. Reading and hearing about his attitude to defeat, which was always gracious, was very enlightening; for Nicklaus, competing, without fear of either losing or winning, was everything; combined with his appetite to win, it made him truly formidable. Perhaps you don't find out about about what makes a winner by how they take defeat, but by how they take success
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It does look like we have a few who thought winning 55 meant they could put their feet up and dine off it forever tbh. Kent and Goldson spring to mind.
 
Another player we've came across with "winning" attributes is Jude Bellingham. He's quite a young guy and I have no clue what he's won, but I see someone pushing himself and his team on, even in defeat. And you can see it guts him to be beaten.
 
Barryhopez said:
It looked like he stayed up for as long as he could and the 'lift' was, unfortunately accurate so you are being very harsh.
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If I was going to be harsh I would have said that he should have been out quicker! He's not the only keeper to go low. I suspect however that if it's McGregor coming out the wee twat would have maybe gone for power over finesse
 
Chat about the keeper making the 2nd goal easy, if he had stayed on his line or atleast covered the near post jota has to either turn back out towards the corner or hit it across the keeper, was a good finish but poor keeping.
 
Deleted by own request member said:
There’s a lot of talk about our squad mentality and not having enough players that are “winners” in the team.

What is people’s interpretation of a winner. I can’t see us buying players from the top league champions, World Cup winners or anyone that’s lifted the champions league lately so what is it people are asking for? Is someone that has won a challenge cup or a second division title the “winner” that we need?

I reckon some people’s expectations are to high considering where we have just come from
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Everyone that plays a sport want's to win. That's a given.
However, there is a huge difference in those that want to win, and those that will prepare for the chance of winning, thereby doing whatever it takes to win.
This means personal sacrifice on the field of play, not waiting for your teammate to do something, but doing it for them.
To win, you must put ego aside, and give your heart and soul to the battle ahead, and not hide when the going gets too tough for your liking.
Don't shirk from a challenge that might hurt you, that pain is temporary. The truth is, you only get hurt when you don't commit.
Stand up and be counted when it matters. That makes you a winner, and inspires your teammates.
Lead by example and never, ever give up.
 
For me you could be a "winner" without winning anything in your career. Take Richard Gough when he was at Dundee Utd, still only young I know, but a motivated, gutsy, defender with good attitude that had he stayed where he was would probably have won nothing in his career. It's about attitude not trophies. And vice versa you could be a talented forward with a selfish attitude and be lucky enough to be part of a very good and successful side but carried through and driven on by some selfless individuals. Take him out and put him in a side without the driving force, the "winners" and the team aren't successful.
 
Dabdog said:
If we had a decent goalkeeper none of this patter would be happening.
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Do you think the goalie was our biggest issue at the weekend? He had a stinker, but we could’ve had 2 goalies and still lost. The team got a chasing all over the park
 
kennymac said:
Everyone that plays a sport want's to win. That's a given.
However, there is a huge difference in those that want to win, and those that will prepare for the chance of winning, thereby doing whatever it takes to win.
This means personal sacrifice on the field of play, not waiting for your teammate to do something, but doing it for them.
To win, you must put ego aside, and give your heart and soul to the battle ahead, and not hide when the going gets too tough for your liking.
Don't shirk from a challenge that might hurt you, that pain is temporary. The truth is, you only get hurt when you don't commit.
Stand up and be counted when it matters. That makes you a winner, and inspires your teammates.
Lead by example and never, ever give up.
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Not necessarily. Some genuinely don’t care about their team winning as long as their own performance is good. A selfish striker who gets a goal for his tally and loses 3-1 can still be happy.

For some, winning is a nice to have, but they don’t mind. John Fashanu went mental at old Trafford because he scored a last minute consolation and got a goal bonus once, that meant more to him that winning.
 
McCoist’sTinHat said:
Not necessarily. Some genuinely don’t care about their team winning as long as their own performance is good. A selfish striker who gets a goal for his tally and loses 3-1 can still be happy.

For some, winning is a nice to have, but they don’t mind. John Fashanu went mental at old Trafford because he scored a last minute consolation and got a goal bonus once, that meant more to him that winning.
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Then the coaches should have sussed that selfish and poisonous attitude out.
 
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