Coza
Well-Known Member
Someone with a far better grasp of the nuances of ex footballers is going to have to explain Marco Negri to me.
Signs from Perugia in the summer of 1997 for £4m or so. One of the Italian connection bought to fire us to 10 in a row.
Plays half a season scoring goals a plenty including 5 in one game versus Dundee United. All the time celebrating his goals like he has just buried a family member.
Then a freak squash injury* at Parklands gives him an eye injury that means he doesn’t play again for us that season. (*Amoruso punches him for shagging Porinnis wife allegedly).
Then the next summer the Advocaat revolution begins and Negri is nowhere to be seen in match day squads. This leads to a loan deal to Vecenza in 1999 and many rumblings in the Italian press that Negri hates Scotland and doesn’t want to come back to Rangers.
The loan deal with Vecenza ends and he comes back to Rangers but all the noises from the training staff suggest he has no future at the club as he isn’t showing enough in training. Out of the blue Advocaat, in his third season as manager, mentions his attitude has improved and he starts to get the odd sub appearance including a CL away game versus Strum Graz where he ironically comes on for Sergio Porinni. Again he drops completely out of contention after some lack lustre sub appearances.
In 2001 he signs for Bologna and returns to Italy with a grand total of 33 games or something for Rangers in 4 years. The entire 4 years looking like a man that would rather be anywhere else in the world. Being honest I had personally consigned him to the what could have been bucket and someone who clearly had no affinity with our club.
Fast forward 5-10 years and suddenly Negri is a regular for rangers in all the legends tournaments etc. He writes a book with a lot about his time at rangers (I think although I might have made that up). His social media profile almost out of nowhere also becomes very pro Rangers and he starts to become a regular(ish) face at rangers supporters events.
While I always like to see ex players with an affinity to the club stay involved and continue to be ambassadors for the club, I have always found the Negri situation utterly bizarre. Then I go on twitter tonight and see he is in Zante with Novo and Docherty having a party......all very odd.
So that rant over. What’s the script with the bold Negri?
The cynic in me wonders if he’s a skint man tapping into the blue pound from our very loyal fan base? The purist in me hopes that with time and maturity he realises what a club he once played for and because he never rung that experience dry at the time he is making up for lost time.
Anyone in the know?
Signs from Perugia in the summer of 1997 for £4m or so. One of the Italian connection bought to fire us to 10 in a row.
Plays half a season scoring goals a plenty including 5 in one game versus Dundee United. All the time celebrating his goals like he has just buried a family member.
Then a freak squash injury* at Parklands gives him an eye injury that means he doesn’t play again for us that season. (*Amoruso punches him for shagging Porinnis wife allegedly).
Then the next summer the Advocaat revolution begins and Negri is nowhere to be seen in match day squads. This leads to a loan deal to Vecenza in 1999 and many rumblings in the Italian press that Negri hates Scotland and doesn’t want to come back to Rangers.
The loan deal with Vecenza ends and he comes back to Rangers but all the noises from the training staff suggest he has no future at the club as he isn’t showing enough in training. Out of the blue Advocaat, in his third season as manager, mentions his attitude has improved and he starts to get the odd sub appearance including a CL away game versus Strum Graz where he ironically comes on for Sergio Porinni. Again he drops completely out of contention after some lack lustre sub appearances.
In 2001 he signs for Bologna and returns to Italy with a grand total of 33 games or something for Rangers in 4 years. The entire 4 years looking like a man that would rather be anywhere else in the world. Being honest I had personally consigned him to the what could have been bucket and someone who clearly had no affinity with our club.
Fast forward 5-10 years and suddenly Negri is a regular for rangers in all the legends tournaments etc. He writes a book with a lot about his time at rangers (I think although I might have made that up). His social media profile almost out of nowhere also becomes very pro Rangers and he starts to become a regular(ish) face at rangers supporters events.
While I always like to see ex players with an affinity to the club stay involved and continue to be ambassadors for the club, I have always found the Negri situation utterly bizarre. Then I go on twitter tonight and see he is in Zante with Novo and Docherty having a party......all very odd.
So that rant over. What’s the script with the bold Negri?
The cynic in me wonders if he’s a skint man tapping into the blue pound from our very loyal fan base? The purist in me hopes that with time and maturity he realises what a club he once played for and because he never rung that experience dry at the time he is making up for lost time.
Anyone in the know?