We need to become a "Modern" club player wise.

[Prometheus]

Here’s a thought.
Let’s concentrate on the Rangers support.
(More so because I’m sure neither you nor I are aware of the Italian supporter’s thinking here.
Are the your words, the ones I’ve emboldened, true or not.
Have we become a patient support?
Will we accept second in the league?

What's the worst that can happen if we throw a promising young player into the lineup? He has a poor game? It's not as if "experienced" fringe/squad players are immune to having poor games. Far from it.

We've given a lot of minutes over the past few seasons to guys like Jordan Jones, Brandon Barker, etc who were never ever going to be the difference between winning and coming second in the league. We're never going to have a squad consisting entirely of ultra reliable difference-makers who deliver nothing but excellent performances. That being the case, we'd be as well using our most promising youngsters as, at least, occasional rotation options.

 

[tazzabear]

What's the worst that can happen if we throw a promising young player into the lineup? He has a poor game? It's not as if "experienced" fringe/squad players are immune to having poor games. Far from it.

We've given a lot of minutes over the past few seasons to guys like Jordan Jones, Brandon Barker, etc who were never ever going to be the difference between winning and coming second in the league. We're never going to have a squad consisting entirely of ultra reliable difference-makers who deliver nothing but excellent performances. That being the case, we'd be as well using our most promising youngsters as, at least, occasional rotation options.

Who were the youth players who were better options than Jones or Barker?
Let me ask another.
If a better option existed, why would Gerrard then and GvB now, not play them?
Why would they not want the respect that giving a youngster his big break brings?

 

[GourockBlue50]

GVB and Vos should be the guys to do that.

First part is stop wasting wages on squad fillers and have these guys as the back ups.

It annoys me the amount of squad and injury prone players we sign up for.

Spend all or most of that on a couple of genuine first team players and as you say we can use the youngsters as back up.

Would give the young players something to aim for.

 

[Sir Know it All]

Who were the youth players who were better options than Jones or Barker?
Let me ask another.
If a better option existed, why would Gerrard then and GvB now, not play them?
Why would they not want the respect that giving a youngster his big break brings?

Who knows TBH, an absolute raft of players who make it to the first team often openly admit there is a massive element of luck to being given a chance

Both Patterson last season, and Bassey this have found far more minutes than either had expected in part because of fortuitous circumstance.

Bassey likely doesn't have the season he has had without injury to Hellander and Balogun, Patterson the same with Tav last season. If neither Hellander or Balogun was injured, high chance Bassey is still, at best, fighting it out for minutes at LB. If Tav hadn't missed games last season, high chance we are 16 million worse off and Scotland aren't even close to a World Cup.

To extend further, in another world, at another team, albeit a really, really drama queen team, both Patterson and Bassey were released and are now kicking about at sides lower down than us struggling to be noticed.

Jones and Barker, were both really poor options which was clear at the time TBH. The club does need to be looking to remove that type of player as they are just blocking pathways for others.

I would extend that to Balogun this summer TBH, while he has performed admirably, another season for him is one too far with us and the pairing and squad role of Hellander and Balogun should now be taken by Souttar and King

 

[Crouchy]

It annoys me the amount of squad and injury prone players we sign up for.

Spend all or most of that on a couple of genuine first team players and as you say we can use the youngsters as back up.

Would give the young players something to aim for.

I think it’s how the likes of Ajax etc work.

I don’t like picking on players, but we’re now in a better position than ever before to harvest the youngsters.

For example, I would go signing a 4th choice plodder at centre back next season - King has to be trusted.

I’d be disappointed if we landed on another 4/5th choice midfielder - Lowry should own that spot.

I think if the young lads only see one player ahead of them, then the dream comes alive.

Lowry as back up to Hagi, for example. King back up to X for example.

It massively reduces the wages as well.

 

[Huck]

Not really.

Is Lowry a better player than Ramsey or King Helander?

Of course we won't know for sure unless they play - which is why I said I agree they need more game time but having a team full of youths, playing every week as a model thinking we can emulate Ajax or Porto isn't a great idea given the environment we play in and the demands the club have.

Folk as long as I remember have always had this romantic notion that the Rangers kids are on a par with the 1970's Brazil team and can conquer the world when the reality is most of them end up playing for Dumbarton, Falkirk, Airdrie or stacking shelfs - with the odd exception.

Lowry is definitely not at this stage better than King Helander.

 

[OnTheWay]

They'll feature heavily over the next 2 games and be part of the squad next season with a view of blending them in and gaining experience. Lowry in particular has been excellent against Livi, Dundee and Dundee Orange now, he can more than cope with the shite in this league.

 

[GourockBlue50]

I think it’s how the likes of Ajax etc work.

I don’t like picking on players, but we’re now in a better position than ever before to harvest the youngsters.

For example, I would go signing a 4th choice plodder at centre back next season - King has to be trusted.

I’d be disappointed if we landed on another 4/5th choice midfielder - Lowry should own that spot.

I think if the young lads only see one player ahead of them, then the dream comes alive.

Lowry as back up to Hagi, for example. King back up to X for example.

It massively reduces the wages as well.

Agreed, we have to take the leap of faith at some point.

 

[Huck]

Here’s a thought.
Let’s concentrate on the Rangers support.
(More so because I’m sure neither you nor I are aware of the Italian supporter’s thinking here.
Are the your words, the ones I’ve emboldened, true or not.
Have we become a patient support?
Will we accept second in the league?

Happily in exchange for the Europa League.

 

[Mr. T.]

All well and good until we lose one game and people start losing their shit.

Agreed, but there needs to be a sort of unwritten contract here ie the best young prospects get game time like we want to see and, in return, the fans need to realise that there will be occasional setbacks for the boys and this will mean a need for encouragement, not derision.
Quite honestly, I trust the management to give the boys a chance more than I would trust some of our support not to give them a hard time when they had a dip in form (as more or less all youngsters do).

 

[Siberia1]

We need to get King and Lowry in the team properly contributing next season.

Leipzig, Benfica, Porto, Monaco, Lyon etc all have really young talented players and they blood them straight in regardless of age and that attracts more top youngsters.

We have become a force in Europe again and will probably sell a good few this summer. Its time to really give these guys responsibility and let them flourish

Totally agree!!

 

[ChernoSamba]

From what I seen today there’s absolutely no reason why King can’t be our third choice centre back for next season. Lowry should also be heavily involved.

 

[Cahoochie]

There’s nothing wrong with giving youngsters a chance and we do have a crop of good prospects coming through but there’s also a bit of luck involved as to who is coming through and where they fit in.
We’ve just sold a great prospect at right back because good as Patterson is he wasn’t ousting Tav.
We’re playing without a Centre forward because we don’t currently have a youngster who is ready to come through; we have a couple of boys who look like they might be getting there, but they need more time.
You need the stars to align so that there is space in the first team for your brightest prospects.

Add in contract uncertainty and you can see why we’re bringing in a recognised Centre back who, if Goldson stays, might push King down the pecking order. If Goldson leaves it might well open the door for the lad,

 

[Boabinho]

It's really nice and romantic but it's not practical given the demands we have and the fact we need to win in the league every single week.

We need to have top, established, experienced players in the team.

But we should be doing what we did today, more.

We should be blending it a little and giving these kids proper game time along with developing them.

Ooooh dear that's waaaay too sensible for on here!

Folk also seem to forget that the big teams in Europe spend countless millions to lure top talent to their clubs.

Diallo anyone? Look how he's turning out.

Players not only have to be good but they have to be ready both physically and psychologically. Some are ready and some aren't. Trying to force the issue isn't healthy.

 

[tazzabear]

Happily in exchange for the Europa League.

I agree but there is a lot of moaning to get of the chest before getting to the final of a competition becomes a possibility.

 

[Jabberwocky]

GVB and Vos should be the guys to do that.

First part is stop wasting wages on squad fillers and have these guys as the back ups.

Exactly, we should be buying first team starters in the summer. We will sell a few but the young team should be the ones to beef up the squad.

 

[EK1422]

It’s fine saying we should give youth a chance because all the top teams in Europe do but they also have the luxury of cherry picking the best talent going.

As I said on the Lowry thread: there is a tendency to overly praise young players who come in and don’t do much wrong but that also fail to impact the game in any meaningful way.

There’s been plenty players in the past where massive hype is built upon mediocre performances.

That being said, Lowry looks a star in the making. He’ll feature plenty going forward.

 

[Sir Know it All]

It’s fine saying we should give youth a chance because all the top teams in Europe do but they also have the luxury of cherry picking the best talent going.

We have the luxury of playing in Scotland TBF, we play Scottish sides, we should generally have the best Scottish talent.

Our academy has recently produced a player we were able to sell for 16 million and a player, who was cherry picked by a side who generally do that with the best talent.

We have recently seen two of our players in Lowry and King extend but also been linked to EPL sides.

We should be backing our youth to play minutes in the league.

 

[barrheadbear]

considering Vos background you would think next season there could be scope for it.

I don’t think lowry signs on for that length to just slunk about the B team and play a couple games now on

I was told when Vos was appointed that bringing on players from the Academy to the first team was a big part of his remit so not surprised that we are seeing more youngsters being introduced to first team squad.

From what I have seen of Lowry since his introduction last December v Sturling Albion we have a gem on our hands. He played two killer passes yesterday that were sublime, they totally opened up the Utd defence. It won't be long before a first team start each week is his, if not our coaching staff should be shot because he has the talent and is that forward thinking head up midfielder we have needed since SG first arrived..

 

[OnTheWay]

If we play our cards right with the young lads getting a preseason with the team and experience under their belt we could easily have King, Lowry, McCann and Bassey as major money assets and all under 25.

 

[OnTheWay]

Happily in exchange for the Europa League.

Every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

 

[TQ3]

I think we have become a modern club. Firstly the top scorer in the Europa cost us burtons, his back up was punted for over £10m and his replacement ( Sands?) is here on loan, so only wages paid out on him.
Aribo, Kamara, Morelos doesn’t amount to £1.5m paid out, and yet all three in my opinion are worth 10-15m each at a conservative guess.
We have reached a European final on a budget from 1988. Im not sure what more the club has to do?
I fully agree about bringing these kids through but Rangers fans are a fickle lot, and a bad day could ruin them, so let’s trust Gio and Dave Vos to look after them and the club properly.

 

[Grei9]

We need to get King and Lowry in the team properly contributing next season.

Leipzig, Benfica, Porto, Monaco, Lyon etc all have really young talented players and they blood them straight in regardless of age and that attracts more top youngsters.

We have become a force in Europe again and will probably sell a good few this summer. Its time to really give these guys responsibility and let them flourish

We smash all they teams so I’d rather do it our way haha, only joking it has to be our business model going forward.

 

[Cyberniv]

We need to get King and Lowry in the team properly contributing next season.

Leipzig, Benfica, Porto, Monaco, Lyon etc all have really young talented players and they blood them straight in regardless of age and that attracts more top youngsters.

We have become a force in Europe again and will probably sell a good few this summer. Its time to really give these guys responsibility and let them flourish

Tend to agree.
Going off on a tangent, to compare with snooker, I can remember when Reardon, Spencer and other dinosaurs ruled the roost. This is the way it’s done, these are the shots you play, this is how you do it.
Until the likes of Higgins, White, Davies, Hendry etc. came along, blew them out of the water and completely modernised the game.
I’ve never been one to go with the “senior player” stuff, expecting some sort of fawning respect because they’ve been there longer.
Ive seen some crap “senior players” over the years.
Other clubs give youth a chance, why not?

 

[CrunchBear]

I don't think it's a modern club thing. I was talking to a mate of mine who supports Man Utd and he was bemoaning the same. That all they hear are about great youths who never make the step up.

Looking at it I just think most of our youth players aren't good enough and in recent years even the best of them likely wouldn't make the cut. The difference is you look at Lowry or King or less so McCann and you can see that they are not only promising, but they look markedly better than their peers. So all eyes on whether King and Lowry get a meaningful opportunity next season, but I can't criticise the club in recent years if the youths aren't good enough.

 

[nasalsinatra]

We were virtually starting again when Gerrard was appointed. Now we have become established again at the top tier not only in Scotland but in Europe there will be scope to introduce younger players. I really look forward to the days of my youth when Henderson, Greig, Provan, McKinnon, Forrest, Johnston, Jackson, Jardine, Conn, Johnstone we’re given their chance. And when we bought we bought young quality like Baxter, MacDonald, Stein. That’s the way forward now.

 

[Fergie90]

What the teams we are beating

Yes, the teams that all play Champions league most years....

 

[NDC bear forever]

Who knows TBH, an absolute raft of players who make it to the first team often openly admit there is a massive element of luck to being given a chance

100%, Malcolm Ebiowei was released by us and is now playing for Derby week in week out (due to them not having any other plays mind, but as you say luck is needed to get your chance) with Crystal Palace and Spurs interested in him

 

[PaxBritannica]

We can't keep letting the youngsters rot whilst playing for teams like Alloa or Cowdenbeath