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The majority of people I talk to and from other sources seem to be in agreement that the best footballing side in the SPL at the moment is not an old firm side, it's Hibs. Hibs are playing some real good eye candy without getting the results but to be honest it's a breath of fresh air to the route one one firm style.
The quality of football has not been good to be honest and we can only take heart from the fact the the dark side are worse offenders than us. It's still no excuse though and I hope this is going to change. I hope with players like Mladenovic, Buffel and Djordjic we are going to start playing football again. If we got Bazza back then that would be the main part in that footballing jigsaw.
When I look at some of the teams we have played this season we have looked a bit outclassed in footballing terms. Power and brute force is OK against the dark side which is what I think McLeish has been concentrating on in the summer with the likes of Boumsong, Rae, Prso and Andrews but in Europe I really do think he may have learned a lesson so has now brought in the likes of Buffel and Djordjic who are not the most physical but can play football.
When we played CSKA Moscow we were not outclassed by a better footballing side but be better footballing individuals- especially Olic and Vagner Love. Maritimo were a better footballing side. If you were to take any of those players out of the side and put them into a Rangers team then you would see a very average player. Collectively though they played some very good football and much better than Rangers did. Grit and determination on our part won the day.
Grazer again were a better footballing side. Alkmaar were on a totally higher plain and only their own arrogance at that fact nearly undone them when Novo should have scored. Auxerre against these two sides were very average but against us they looked miles better. There is a lesson there and I hope that is a lesson McLeish has learned in his signing tartgets and the guys he has just brought in- to me it looks that way.
I think in the summer McLeish was influenced alot by the O'Neill philosophy of assembling a team of brutes that overpower teams on the park. The lessons McLeish will have learned in Europe added to what he has seen in Celtic's short spell should lead him to the path of getting footballers in. Shakhtar for example are not individually great players but collectively outplayed Celtic despite their lack of physique. Football, eventually, will always win the day.
If we can get Bazza then I really think we are sorted. As I said above he's a footballer and alongside Mladenovic, Buffel and Djordjic we would have the neucleus of a good footballing side. Out of the summer signings Boumsong would really have fitted into that but he's no longer an option. There is another player though and highly underated outside us Rangers fans- Prso. The big Croatian is a footballer and alongside other footballers would be a brilliant stiker for Rangers. How many times in Europe has that guy had to hold off multiple defenders waiting for support while ploughing a lone furrow- that guy is class.
The signs are there. If we get a strong, fast central defender to play alongside Andrews then we've all but closed the Celtic threat. If we can get footballers from midfield through to the front line then not only will it be better to watch but in Europe we will be a better force than we have been up to now under McLeish.
The quality of football has not been good to be honest and we can only take heart from the fact the the dark side are worse offenders than us. It's still no excuse though and I hope this is going to change. I hope with players like Mladenovic, Buffel and Djordjic we are going to start playing football again. If we got Bazza back then that would be the main part in that footballing jigsaw.
When I look at some of the teams we have played this season we have looked a bit outclassed in footballing terms. Power and brute force is OK against the dark side which is what I think McLeish has been concentrating on in the summer with the likes of Boumsong, Rae, Prso and Andrews but in Europe I really do think he may have learned a lesson so has now brought in the likes of Buffel and Djordjic who are not the most physical but can play football.
When we played CSKA Moscow we were not outclassed by a better footballing side but be better footballing individuals- especially Olic and Vagner Love. Maritimo were a better footballing side. If you were to take any of those players out of the side and put them into a Rangers team then you would see a very average player. Collectively though they played some very good football and much better than Rangers did. Grit and determination on our part won the day.
Grazer again were a better footballing side. Alkmaar were on a totally higher plain and only their own arrogance at that fact nearly undone them when Novo should have scored. Auxerre against these two sides were very average but against us they looked miles better. There is a lesson there and I hope that is a lesson McLeish has learned in his signing tartgets and the guys he has just brought in- to me it looks that way.
I think in the summer McLeish was influenced alot by the O'Neill philosophy of assembling a team of brutes that overpower teams on the park. The lessons McLeish will have learned in Europe added to what he has seen in Celtic's short spell should lead him to the path of getting footballers in. Shakhtar for example are not individually great players but collectively outplayed Celtic despite their lack of physique. Football, eventually, will always win the day.
If we can get Bazza then I really think we are sorted. As I said above he's a footballer and alongside Mladenovic, Buffel and Djordjic we would have the neucleus of a good footballing side. Out of the summer signings Boumsong would really have fitted into that but he's no longer an option. There is another player though and highly underated outside us Rangers fans- Prso. The big Croatian is a footballer and alongside other footballers would be a brilliant stiker for Rangers. How many times in Europe has that guy had to hold off multiple defenders waiting for support while ploughing a lone furrow- that guy is class.
The signs are there. If we get a strong, fast central defender to play alongside Andrews then we've all but closed the Celtic threat. If we can get footballers from midfield through to the front line then not only will it be better to watch but in Europe we will be a better force than we have been up to now under McLeish.
