The best rangers team I’ve watched.

Papasmurf said:
I get we’ve had world class players over the years. And we all know how they are. We’ve also made a euro final. But, for me, this is the best team we have had in my life time. (I’m 39).

a collection of really talented players, a fantastic team ethic and brought together by a great management team.

So enjoyable watching them
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I’d agree and I’m 46.

Cant say there’s anyone near touching Laudrup, Gazza or Cooper but as a unit they are unstoppable when on their game!
 
Johansen said:
Except those ot us that were around for the 1972 campaign that is
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1972 in Europe takes some beating, the Q.Final against Torino at home was a real nervy affair! We had a great mix talented, grafters,and some hard players with a real team spirit. I know S.G. team have not won anything yet but they remind me of that 72 team never say die and the way they are organised is something else. Being so far in front in the league takes a lot of pressure off the team and how they have thrived with this. You just have to look at 2008 and all the league games leading up to the final, all that extra pressure and we were a real gritty team. With all that's happened in the last decade this team will go down in the history of our Great Club as one of the FINEST.
55 is coming and at my age never ever thought I would see us play football of this calibre ever. W.A.T.P.
 
Carnwadric-bluenose said:
I'm 45 and I've never known two good euro campaigns in a row ive never felt this confidence before .
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Two ... this is our third good Europa campaign in a row! Or maybe it shows how far we've come if only getting as far as qualifying for the group stages doesn't quite make it as good.
I've never seen us play like this in Europe either. Stevie G has given us something that I always hoped for, but never believed i'd see. Rangers are a well oiled machine in Europe under him.
 
Papasmurf said:
I get we’ve had world class players over the years. And we all know how they are. We’ve also made a euro final. But, for me, this is the best team we have had in my life time. (I’m 39).

a collection of really talented players, a fantastic team ethic and brought together by a great management team.

So enjoyable watching them
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I think you’re right
 
Braesbear said:
63 yesterday and have to say I have seen some real great teams with individuals but this team is less so and more of a unit. Loving the way the play the game
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I am a wee bit older than you Braes but I know what you mean about a unit ,for looking back to the Advocaat years that team man for man was better than this team but whether they would beat this team ,well who knows
 
Johansen said:
Seriously, this team has done very well in Europe but to state what you have de-cries the 1992/93 team that brought us a domestic treble and the closest we've been to lifting the Champions League
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Bollocks. I've decried nothing of the sort. 92-93 side was very good. For one season. After that, they were rid rotten till Advocaat arrived. This side has done well over at least two seasons. We can only go by results. Gerrard's results eclipse any results Walter achieved in 92-93, bar, possibly, Leeds away.
 
Best coached Rangers team in my time of watching since around the mid 80s. We have had more quality in the squad before but this a proper team.

Coaching at this level of effectiveness is not the norm, and it’s easy to forget what it looks like when you’ve not seen it for a long period. Domestic success in Scotland can arrive under bad coaching because of the advantages of squad quality we can achieve.

However we can remind ourselves in the future what good coaching looks like by comparing with what’s happening now. Look at the players in the squad and ask yourself are they punching above their weight in Europe - or below it? ..... some of our successful domestic teams were badly coached. However Europe really shows the truth.
 
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When I look back at the quality we had in the late 90’s I can’t believe we never done better in Europe. Laudrup, Albertz and Gazza in the same team.
 
This team is getting better all the time. Each player seems to be individually improving as we go through the seasons. If we can just sort ourselves out at the back.
I know we’ve done amazingly there this season but there is a slight venerability there. Saying that the last couple of games have been great end to end battles

This team has a depth to it I have never seen before. Hardly any weaknesses. Fitness, speed, skill, strength and a will to win feeding off what runs through the managers veins. What a great job he has done from top to bottom. Certainly one of the best team in my lifetime if not the best. The sky is the limit if MR G stays.
 
There's an old video about Souness. He talks about Liverpool playing against Bayern Munich and Bob Paisley's team talk at dinner the night before. "They are a good team- they won their League, so are you" His only change was for Sammy Lee to mark Paul Brietner man-to-man.

Maybe this is the real secret to the Liverpool based blueprint. We play how we play. We don't play all out attack on a Saturday against Motherwell and then 4-5-1 in midweek against Benfica. We play our game. Sometimes, the better teams will score against us in Europe, but we keep going forward. So we score goals. Playing the same way might win 4-0 at the weekend and win 4-3 during the week.
 
Papasmurf said:
I get we’ve had world class players over the years. And we all know how they are. We’ve also made a euro final. But, for me, this is the best team we have had in my life time. (I’m 39).

a collection of really talented players, a fantastic team ethic and brought together by a great management team.

So enjoyable watching them
Click to expand...
On a day like today and when we perform like that, we are a fckn really good watch.
Ffsake, you would pay to watch that every single day of the week and never get tired of it.
 
mart22 said:
Two ... this is our third good Europa campaign in a row! Or maybe it shows how far we've come if only getting as far as qualifying for the group stages doesn't quite make it as good.
I've never seen us play like this in Europe either. Stevie G has given us something that I always hoped for, but never believed i'd see. Rangers are a well oiled machine in Europe under him.
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You're absolutely right I'm somehow being dismissive of Gerrards first campaign which was impressive just getting to the group stages at that point .
 
Papasmurf said:
I get we’ve had world class players over the years. And we all know how they are. We’ve also made a euro final. But, for me, this is the best team we have had in my life time. (I’m 39).

a collection of really talented players, a fantastic team ethic and brought together by a great management team.

So enjoyable watching them
Click to expand...
Europe, yes.
Domestically, this season, immense & very special.

Walter's treble 92/93 where excellent, tims also finished 4th...
 
It is impossible to compare the quality of teams across generations IMO. But I am in my mid-40s and I am certain that I haven't seen a harder working Rangers team. From front to back, the work rate is phenomenal.
 
It is a good team built with very limited finances and I am enjoying every minute of it. They have achieved more than I expected, given the limited funds available. SG has performed miracles. However, I’m not yet completely convinced that we could hold our own against top opposition. B. Leverkusen was a reality check. I noticed Young Boys put them out last night, yet I’d expect we would beat the latter in the next round. I want to measure us against Man U or Roma, then we’ll see how far we have progressed.
 
wd1872 said:
Best since 92/93 for me
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was just scrolling through
to say the same thing...

the resilience of the 2008
team was something but
I don’t recall that team
playing the tic tac toe
exquisite passing from
the back and into the net
 
Barcelona Bandit said:
1972 in Europe takes some beating, the Q.Final against Torino at home was a real nervy affair! We had a great mix talented, grafters,and some hard players with a real team spirit. I know S.G. team have not won anything yet but they remind me of that 72 team never say die and the way they are organised is something else. Being so far in front in the league takes a lot of pressure off the team and how they have thrived with this. You just have to look at 2008 and all the league games leading up to the final, all that extra pressure and we were a real gritty team. With all that's happened in the last decade this team will go down in the history of our Great Club as one of the FINEST.
55 is coming and at my age never ever thought I would see us play football of this calibre ever. W.A.T.P.
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France,Potugal,Italy,Germany and Russias representatives beaten to win our trophy in Europe is an achievement that we have only been grudgingly praised for through the years .I was quite young at the time but i would imagine we were underdogs in most if not all rounds.
 
92/93 team were cheated out of a shot at the Champions League final and are the best I have seen. Followed by the Numan, van Bronckhorst era team. The current crop are nudging at these, but not at that level yet for me.
 
Aged 44 fast approaching 45, but for bang for the buck against and entertainment wise this is probably the best squad to date. I have loved watching this team develop, and there have been many good squads over the years.
 
Papasmurf said:
I get we’ve had world class players over the years. And we all know how they are. We’ve also made a euro final. But, for me, this is the best team we have had in my life time. (I’m 39).

a collection of really talented players, a fantastic team ethic and brought together by a great management team.

So enjoyable watching them
Click to expand...
Probably the best “team” that I can recall in terms of the whole is better than the individual parts

Certainly considering the last 40 years or so, not many of these players would individually get in the best 11, but they work together better than some previous teams with better individuals
 
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In my lifetime I've experienced the great Caldow Greig etc team of the 60's, the ECWC team, Jock Wallace's treble champions and the 9IAR squad of Souness, Gascoigne and Laudrup. This team is as good and better if you take into account the fitness and skills required to compete at a high level these days. Enjoy.
 
Alkie Brooks said:
Bollocks. I've decried nothing of the sort. 92-93 side was very good. For one season. After that, they were rid rotten till Advocaat arrived. This side has done well over at least two seasons. We can only go by results. Gerrard's results eclipse any results Walter achieved in 92-93, bar, possibly, Leeds away.
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Away you go. That Marseille team had world class and top European class players throughout it and we drew with them twice. The teams we’ve played so far are easily a level down from that. We’ve done very well but let’s not overdo it. Leverkusen shat all over us and Benfica we just about held on twice. We’re a work in progress and the level of progress has been excellent. Let’s take that for now and see where we get to.
 
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This squad has a bit to go yet in terms of achieving the domestic success that both Walter and Advocaat's sides enjoyed.

However I do believe this squad have looked far more assured in Europe, far more consistent and the progress that's been made since .... well, Progres ! has been nothing short of remarkable.
 
TPP said:
None of us have seen this leave of consistency in Europe. None of us. It’s surreal.
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This is the thing that really impresses me.

Smith and Advocaat had enormous budgets and never managed to deliver consistently in Europe. In fact, under Sir Walter, our efforts in Europe were sometimes pretty poor, if truth be told.

Stevie G inherited a shitshow, and inside 3 seasons has turned us into a team that is breezing the title and a real force in Europe. Its astonishing.

My biggest hope is that Gerrard stays around long enough to rack up the trophy haul his work so patenty deserves.
 
Dave Angell said:
This squad has a bit to go yet in terms of achieving the domestic success that both Walter and Advocaat's sides enjoyed.

However I do believe this squad have looked far more assured in Europe, far more consistent and the progress that's been made since .... well, Progres ! has been nothing short of remarkable.
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Whilst you mention Smith's domestic record, I think people judge him very harshly on Europe. It should be remembered that was up against the best of the best every year in the Champions League. Had he managed that same set of players in the UEFA Cup, would he have won it? He almost did in 2008 with a squad nowhere near as good as his charges in the 90s. Marvellous how Gerrard has the team performing in Europe, but he isnt up against the level of teams that Walter was.
 
I'm 66 - I've seen Rangers teams with individuals who have incredible skills & ability
I've seen us field teams without quite so much skill - but they've had an incredible fighting spirit who never know when they're beaten
I've seen teams who should have achieved much more than they did - often because of tactical naivety

What impresses me about today's team - is that they seem to have a really good blend of skill, ability, team spirit & tactics - most of the time

Over and above that - they can be very entertaining - & appear to know they're own limitations- & play to their strengths

They're a joy to watch right now - imo
 
We've had better players but we've never been this consistent and confident in Europe. We had a good 92/93 but SG is building a record season on season that's not been seen in my lifetime, if ever. It's brilliant!
 
Sasquatch said:
Advocaats team prior to the likes of konterman would beat our current side. They went toe to toe with the best. That Parma team had star players all over the park, and Bayern got lucky at Ibrox and and a jammy win at home. This teams not near that level yet.

Numan, Ferguson, Reyna, Gio, Albertz, pre injury mols.... All would be starters in this current team. Only Morelos(on tonight's form) and shagger would get a sniff. Davis if he was a few years younger maybe.
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Vidmar over Tav? Cmon
 
Ability wise, it's not the best team we have had. Not even close.

This is by far the best coached Rangers team in the last 30 years or so though. It just shows you the difference top coaches and managers can make.
 
andrewmont1 said:
Whilst you mention Smith's domestic record, I think people judge him very harshly on Europe. It should be remembered that was up against the best of the best every year in the Champions League. Had he managed that same set of players in the UEFA Cup, would he have won it? He almost did in 2008 with a squad nowhere near as good as his charges in the 90s. Marvellous how Gerrard has the team performing in Europe, but he isnt up against the level of teams that Walter was.
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I’m 41 in 6 and remember it all. Was at them all. Some great nights at Ibrox Marseille, Leeds, Parma under Advocatt and PSV to name but a few.

I was going to post the same SWS played the champions of each league not the 2nd, 3rd or 4th.

Even for Advocaat the CL had champions and at best 2nd from the top leagues so still enormously tough teams to play and tough groups to get out of.

Now Gerrard is playing in the 2nd tier competition, playing teams that wouldn’t have qualified for a European competition in the 90s. The teams that would be playing in the uefa cup of yore are now playing in the champions league.

This is no discredit to Gerrard as he can only play who is facing him and those teams in the EL from the top leagues have budgets to spend and recruit to not only compete for EL success but to win their national league, at least finish higher and get entry to the CL. I’m in awe of the man for what he has been able to achieve with the budget he has and the level of consistency is nothing short of remarkable.
 
Major Winters said:
Agreed, 40 years old and this season is the best I've seen. Shame there's no fan's.
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I’m in the 40 club this year as well. Loving the way we are playing in Europe especially this year. I think we played some wonderful stuff during the advocaat years but for consistency in Europe and how confident we are I don’t think we have been better in my lifetime. In saying that most of the European games under Dick were in the champs league. That comes next year. 55
 
17/18 - Knocked out in the 1st round of qualifying

18/19 - 3rd in the group

19/20 - 2nd in the group and last 16

20/21 - 1st in the group and last 16 with a good chance of the quarter finals

This team will just get better!
 
I've never seen a Rangers team play so well away from home in Europe,except when we made it to the final in '05. How many times did we go abroad with our backs to the wall,but with this Rangers team there seems to be no fear factor. Long may that continue.
 
Vince said:
Best coached Rangers team in my time of watching since around the mid 80s. We have had more quality in the squad before but this a proper team.

Coaching at this level of effectiveness is not the norm, and it’s easy to forget what it looks like when you’ve not seen it for a long period. Domestic success in Scotland can arrive under bad coaching because of the advantages of squad quality we can achieve.

However we can remind ourselves in the future what good coaching looks like by comparing with what’s happening now. Look at the players in the squad and ask yourself are they punching above their weight in Europe - or below it? ..... some of our successful domestic teams were badly coached. However Europe really shows the truth.
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This.
 
kenikinif said:
All i know is that younger bears will be reminiscing about this team in 40 years time
Im still nostalgic for the 77/78 treble winners
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Was enjoying and agreeing with the thread in general but i think this hit the nail on the head for me.

Walter and Advocaat had excellent teams, that *might* have beat the current one, but when you then consider the relative budgets, context, consistency, etc, etc this team is in the middle of something special.

The best compliment we can give is that the players and the team will go down in history and be rightly remembered. There is even a chance we can go undefeated and/or reach another European final (looong way yet for that) on top of returning us to the top of Scottish Football.
 
I’ve been thinking that for a while but the only thing stopping me from really believing it was the lack of trophies. I’m sure we’ll look back very fondly on this group.
 
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