Walter Smith

[Gazza_8 233]

For the same reason that you won't be sacked for merely being only half decent at your job.

 

Being "half decent" at Rangers isn't acceptable!

[Frankie 8,552]

Except we're top of the league instead of 10 points behind, and not �£70 in debt with a load of wages we can't afford.

 

Actually, it's nothing like it at all is it?

 

Yep, this time we're only �£30million in debt, struggling to beat anyone, have a squad of players who appear unable or unwilling to even try hard and little or no chance of signing new players - never mind moving on the players we do have.

 

But we're one point clear in the league after playing Celtic once at Ibrox already.

 

Hallelujah.

[calscot 0]

I think the ironic thing is that it's part of Rangers tradition to be poor in Europe, now and again punctuated by the odd good run. We're one of the worst clubs in Europe compared to our experience so perhaps Walter should be patted on the back for keeping up that tradition.

 

Traditionally, Rangers fans were far more interested in winning the league and beating Celtic than success in Europe which is just as well.

 

I think the ironic thing is that when we played to our strengths, we got to the final, but pressure was put on Walter to play 4-4-2 and keep the ball on the deck and attack more. We've done that and been thrashed so much of the criticism of Walter is pretty hollow.

 

The way I see it, all three CL games could, with the luck of a flip of the coin, gone either way or to break the metaphor, end in a draw.

 

Scoring that penalty and not deflecting three free kicks into the goal could have completely changed the last game - a lack of deflection could have meant we didn't go one up.

 

A disallowed goal given and a corner and a non-existent free kick not given would have changed the game before.

 

A bit of luck in the finishing for the first game would have had us a win, the lack of a wonder striker could have given us a loss.

 

It's all on a knife edge but what it does expose is that we don't have the quality to make our own luck or to deal with the adversity of bad luck.

 

But considering our financial restraints combined with the poor state of the game in Scotland, can that all be down to the manager - or is he making a decent fist of what we have in the face of unrealistic expectations. After all it's not as if non OF teams are beating their counterparts from minnowesque countries, so why should we be on the rampage in the rarified atmosphere of the CL? Celtic also are not showing us up so what gives us the right to think we deserve to be top dogs in Europe?

 

Things might not be great but we've all endured a lot worse under Greig, Wallace, Souness (third in the league, out in the EC first round to Osasuna, out in the EC second round to Cologne, out in the third round of UEFA to Munchengladbach), Advocaat, Eck, and Le Guen.

 

People say you can't defend Walter but if you look at things with a bit more perspective, you have to wonder how people can attack him.

 

He may not be the best manager in the World but I think he's shown he's reasonable. People forget that bringing another manager is has more chance of bringing us worse results than better.

 

It's like playing a game of hi-lo with cards (like in Play your cards right). Walter is a Jack and everyone is saying "higher, higher" and predicting the next card is a queen or a king. Maybe it's just better to stick for now.

 

Eck was more like a 9 and we then seem to have turned over an ace with Le Guen only to find out that aces are low.

 

Eck somehow get's sympathy for finishing the likes of 19 points behind, a third place and out to Victoria Zhizkov because for two of his season's he didn't get much to spend.

 

Walter get's nothing to spend yet get's lambasted while being top of the league.

 

Walter has another 3 games to finish a creditable third in the CL group, with us one point behind Stuttgart and the rest of the season to win at least the league and maybe a cup.

 

If he's miles behind Celtic or wins nothing then he's got to go. If it goes otherwise it will be at worst, an average season for our club.

 

I really don't think it's a Rangers tradition to hound a successful manage over a couple of bad results and bad games - especially when he's top of the league. There is no tradition for a knee jerk sacking of a manager at that kind of time which has resulted in us having very few managers in our history.

 

I've previously called for the head of Dick, Eck and Paul but not once have I done this while we are sitting high and dry.

 

It's a strange old world we live in today, and the traditions of the club are truly lost.

[maineflyer 0]

In 1998 Walter Smith walked out on this club after seven years as manager. The playing side was in utter disarray when he left. Despite spending incredible sums of money, he had built nothing for the future, half the team were past their sell-by date and left with him.

 

This time around, he has achieved the same result in half the time and spent only about �£20m, so he must have learned something along the way after all.

 

Did anyone seriously think the outcome of Walter Smith returning to Rangers would be any different? Does no one remember the mess he left us in last time? Without Advocaat buying virtually a whole new team and building enormous debt in the process, we would have less difficulty recalling the true legacy of Walter Smith.

 

Hopefully, Smith will have less appetite for criticism that some think. He's certainly going to get plenty of it from now on and I just hope to hell he decides to walk again.

[Gribz 846]

I agree with Gav but dont go to the extent of Mainflyer. WS came back and did wel to steady a ship but thats as best as he can do, he is a 'safety first' manager which takes away any creative ability. he gets a bit or morale going but with football a different game from 9IAR days you cant rely on that now.

 

The past 6 - 8 weeks have been awful and being top of the league papers of the cracks. The team is all over the place and changes every game.

 

Its a catch 22 with who could replace him as we arent in a position to give a manager cash but when you see Derek McInnes playing good stuff at St Johnstone you wonder what he could do with a group of better players. As long as we stayed away from McGhee, Levein and the usual SPL names though.

[Gazza_8 233]

Calscot, you mention how all 3 CL games so far could've gone either way - they never though. We were well and truly pumped in 2 of those 3 games and played well in the other.

 

There's no point talking in ifs and buts.

 

I think the ironic thing is that it's part of Rangers tradition to be poor in Europe, now and again punctuated by the odd good run. We're one of the worst clubs in Europe compared to our experience so perhaps Walter should be patted on the back for keeping up that tradition.

 

What a daft comment to make.

[maineflyer 0]

Further to my previous post above, we were in a similar state in 1983 when John Grieg resigned. Greig was hugely respected by everyone but had the dignity and pride to realise it wasn't happening for him and made the decision to step down.

 

I always felt that was an amazing thing for someone as committed as Greig to do. At the time, many fans were glad he went but very few thought less of him for his few years as a manager.

 

Will Walter Smith show the same dignity and earn the same respect? I hope so.

[calscot 0]

Calscot, you mention how all 3 CL games so far could've gone either way - they never though. We were well and truly pumped in 2 of those 3 games and played well in the other.

 

There's no point talking in ifs and buts.

 

 

 

What a daft comment to make.

 

I agree is as daft as many in this thread.

 

Anyway aren't you playing the game of ifs and buts?

 

but If we had a different manager the results and performances would have been better...

 

but if we'd played youngsters, so and so in his natural position...

 

but if we played more attacking football...

 

but if we played 4-4-2...

 

but if we'd bought that player instead of that one...

Edited October 21, 2009 by calscot

[calscot 0]

Further to my previous post above, we were in a similar state in 1983 when John Grieg resigned. Greig was hugely respected by everyone but had the dignity and pride to realise it wasn't happening for him and made the decision to step down.

 

I always felt that was an amazing thing for someone as committed as Greig to do. At the time, many fans were glad he went but very few thought less of him for his few years as a manager.

 

Will Walter Smith show the same dignity and earn the same respect? I hope so.

 

How can you compare never winning the league, averaging less than a trophy a year and finishing fifth with now?

 

You really need to learn more about Rangers FC before you make such ludicrous statements.

[Gazza_8 233]

I agree is as daft as many in this thread.

 

Anyway aren't you playing the game of ifs and buts?

 

but If we had a different manager the results and performances would have been better...

 

but if we'd played youngsters, so and so in his natural position...

 

but if we played more attacking football...

 

but if we played 4-4-2...

 

but if we'd bought that player instead of that one...

 

 

 

Nope. What I have said is I would like to see us playing to a higher standard of football. Nothing fancy, nothing Arsenal-esque, just a better standrd of football.

 

I think we should go 4-4-2 but I've never said "if we went 4-4-2 we could've won".

 

I think that by playing players in their best position we may have been playing better football or getting better results. I think that point is valid.

 

I'm not saying if we had a new manager results would be better. There's a possibility they could or it could backfire but it's a risk I think we need to take.