PETER MARTIN: Time for Walt to walk out for his own sake

[ian1964 10,781]

WALTER, get out of Rangers, if not in January, then in the summer while you still have your sanity and the possibility of a dignified exit for the second time.

 

That's the best piece of advice I could offer the Rangers manager before he even contemplates a sit-down with new chairman, Alastair Johnston to talk about a new contract.

 

There is nothing more the Rangers manager can bring to the table that could change the club's fortunes in the current climate.

 

The defeat by Sevilla in the Champions League on Tuesday was expected, maybe not as emphatically as a 4-1 scoreline, but to be fair a totally inadequate referee didn't help matters.

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I still maintain Rangers' battle is for third place in the group, as I have stated all along, and with that comes the added pressure for the Ibrox boss of a disgruntled support that grows less tolerant of his team selection and the constraints he deals with day in-day out.

 

The support is dwindling, but the groans of discontent grow louder week by week and the manager has to ask himself a question.

 

Can he repeat last year's feat of a league title with no investment and the hope that Celtic maintain their capacity to ship as many points as they did in the second half of last season?

 

Smith should have left Rangers at the end of last season with a Double in the bag and the memory of the road to Manchester still unspoiled in his mind.

 

Instead, he's fighting it out for another campaign, with his plea for financial help to sign more players becoming more desperate, as Johnston frantically looks for a businessman to invest in a loss-making venture in a depressed Scottish market.

 

This weekend the cry for him to give up his position could be deafening if he were to lose the Old Firm encounter at home to Celtic.

 

How many supporters would tolerate losing the derby and chasing a potential seven-point gap that could open up after only seven games played?

 

Yes, a lead at the top of the table can be pegged back, but Walter knows he has a preferred starting XI and the rest of his squad are bit-part players; the majority he doesn't trust to win him a game when the chips are down.

 

It's all ifs, buts and maybes, but it's not beyond the realms of reality at the end of Sunday afternoon.

 

The first derby of the season has the makings of an absolute cracker, two rank rotten teams slugging it out with the eyes of a Sky Sports audience down south looking on and laughing at what we describe as the finest our league has to offer.

 

It has draw written all over it with a Rangers frontline that can't score and a Celtic midfield that can't pass.

 

A win for Rangers on Sunday will ease the pain of a Champions League defeat until the next one comes along, but the other aforementioned possibility of a win for Tony Mowbray's side doesn't bear thinking about for Walter.

 

Take my advice Mr Smith, walk at the end of the season whatever happens.

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2531412.0.0.php

[26th of foot 6,126]

Bitter Martin aka Peter McGuire aka Official Host of ra Sellik View Roadshow for several years, aka Pedro Martinez(on the year of ra Sellik's run to Suvul), aka the self styled 'Biggest Tim in Newarthill', aka ................................ Radio Snyde's Objective Host of the Show, aka ......................................... etc.

 

Bitter is a rancid, hate-filled bigot.

[Gribz 972]

This guy hasnt a clue, he goes on about WS needing more players. IMO the only position we needed cover for was centre half, and once we have everyone fit we will have decent cover all over the pitch. I didnt think id ever hear myself say this but i am looking forward to Broadfoot being fit again.

 

Its not so much our squad size, its the way we set out our stall. Lee McCulloch still gets a game for some bizarre reason when kevin Thomson should be the sole player sitting in the defensive role in midfield which would allow mendes and Davis to do the creating.

 

Once Lafferty is back he will offer us something different upfront.

 

The last 5 games have been terrible but we are notorious for having a poor early season run - i remember the Laudrup video and when he signed we lost to AEK Athens (Europe), Falkirk (League cup) and Celtic (league) in the space of a week and his words were peopl coming up to come and saying it will get better, its just a spell.

 

TBH I see a weaker Celtic team this season than last. Therefore Im very confident about a home victory on Sunday. But WS MUST MUST MUST start playing a more attacking line up and play to OUR strengths.

[gisabeer 409]

september was always a bad month for smith as long as i remember.

 

Im actually not too bothered about our form domestically. Once we start notching up a couple of goals things will look a lot brighter.

 

They will come.

[calscot 0]

Thomson has been injured, suspended and not match fit. He is still first choice before McCulloch otherwise.

 

But in any case, I think McCulloch has been not bad this season so far and he was one of our best players on Tuesday night and took three of our best chances.

 

On form he's a decent enough squad player at a time when we can't afford much better.

[Super_Ally 0]

A Celtic view for Celtic fans by a Celtic minded journalist.

 

He still maintains our battle is for third place?

 

Yes we currently sit in a poor position. But we took a point in Germany. Assuming as most would that Sevilla will romp the group that gives us the advantage over our challengers for 2nd place.

 

Then yes we got pumped this midweek. But again assuming Sevilla will take near or maximum points off the rest, with the Germans drawing in Romania it is again advantage us assuming we can in fact take advantage in our fixture in Romania.

 

If we can take 4 or 6 points off a double header with the bottom seeds and Sevilla do the same with the Germans then suddenly we are favourites for the 2nd last 16 spot with a home game against Stuttgart to potentially decide it.

 

He goes on to say that victory over Celtic will merely quell the grumbling of the fans til the next champions league defeat. Overly negative again. What about his team. Not looking too impressive in Europe so far are they? Sure they hold a good advantage in the league, but should we take the win we are capable of the gaps down to one point and their piss poor start in Europe will come under more scrutiny.

 

Mowbray has slightly more rope to play with atm due to a better start in the league. But as soon as we peg them back any good will will be forgotten and his European performances will come under greater scrutiny.

 

They are struggling every bit as much as us.

[Norris Cole 0]

They are struggling every bit as much as us.

 

I sat and watched their game tonight. They are murder.

 

Close down McGeady (why can't we just batter into him early doors like we did in the old days?) - he'll tire after an hour anyway - and just wait for them to lose the ball. They must have had about a hundred misplaced passes tonight, the vast majority of the pressure their "defence" had to deal with came about precisely because they kept giving the ball away so easily.

 

Walter keeps saying we're better at keeping possession these days. Do that on Sunday and I reckon these bheasts will lose the head.

 

They're shite.