Fortune Favours the Brave?

[Frankie 8,552]

Super_Ally examines the case for the defence...

 

http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=137:fortune-favours-the-brave&catid=35:analysis&Itemid=67

 

To be brutally honest, our Champions League campaign is hanging on a knife-edge. 3 games played, just a point earned and bottom of the group. Sevilla are romping into the knock-out stages whilst the group minnows from Romania are in pole position for second place.

 

Whilst everyone expected it to be a fight between ourselves and Stuttgart for the second qualification position, Unirea have stolen a march on their more illustrious opponents. The margin of victory in match day 3 was as shocking as was the fact that it was the Romanians who left Ibrox with the 3 points.

 

It was yet another frustrating and bizarre performance for Rangers and our fans. Steve Davis missed a penalty to restore our one goal lead before the interval and in the second half Unirea profited from 3 wicked deflections or own goals. Surely we cannot be so unlucky again when we travel to Bucharest and if luck evens itself out we will take the victory and propel ourselves back into the fight for second place.

 

It will not be an easy task. Like most continental sides, Dan Petrescu’s side are technically proficient. His side was constructed for a fraction of the cost of Walter Smith's, but in spite of a lack of household names they are a good quality outfit.

 

With Madjid Bougherra still unavailable through injury there will be difficult questions for Smith Who will partner David Weir in the Algerian’s absence? Moving the dependable Sasa Papac inside might be Smith’s preferred option with his namesake Steven coming in at Left Back. If Lee McCulloch recovers from his own injury Walter may also decide to deploy the utility player beside Weir.

 

There is another option open to the manager. It requires a certain amount of bravery and confidence in a burgeoning Ibrox talent. We often bemoan the lack of quality coming through Murray Park, but from the brief glimpses we have had of Danny Wilson it appears he may justify the hype. Wilson, though, is just 17 and the manager may feel that central defence is too important a position to throw in an inexperienced kid.

 

However, Wilson is not unused to being thrown into difficult situations. On the official site Smith stated that he has been playing in the under-19s since he was 13. Being thrown in at the deep end is something Wilson appears to relish.

 

He was given his first team debut last midweek in the cup victory over Dundee and by all accounts it was an impressive bow, though this bear was not fortunate enough to see this performance. Then, this weekend in Rangers second visit of the week to the City of Discovery, the majority of the Rangers family got their first glimpses of the next big thing. It may have only been 45 minutes, but in a first half in which Dundee United were on top Wilson was one of the stand out performers.

 

Two incidents in particular caught my eye. The first was an impressive show of pace and strength as Dundee United played a forward in in the channel between the left back and centre back. Wilson tracked the attackers run, muscled him off the ball and came away cleanly with possession firing a clearance up the line.

 

The second was just as impressive. With the rest of the defence napping from another good delivery from United, Wilson tracked two attackers and got up well in an aerial joust, doing just enough to put the Arab’s Argentine forward off as he headed wide.

 

The fact that the co-commentator continually referred to Wilson’s “one mistake” was testament to what an impressive league debut it was. Many seasoned professionals would be happy with just one error in 45 minutes of football. It was an accomplished performance and one which gives hope for the future.

 

So the question is, will Walter throw caution to the wind and give a young defender his first taste of Champions League action or will he play it safe? Wilson appears to have more talent and ability to play beside his captain than does McCulloch. Playing the Murray Park starlet from the beginning would allow Papac to continue to impress from left back and keep changes to a minimum. I urge Walter to have belief in this young star and reap the rewards.

[Gazza_8 233]

Good read stripey!!

 

Wilson should definately be given a chance on the big stage. The excuses about him not having any experience is tosh. It's like going for a job interview only for the interviewers to tell you at the end "you had a great interview but you lack experience". How are you meant to get experience if you're never given a chance?

 

I think we're out of the CL, our last match was terrible and that was against the groups so called weakest team so I don't see any problem bringing in a guy who played well against Dundee and Dundee United. Can he do any worse than the performances of the defence against Sevilla and Unirea in previous matches? Pick and and let us see what he has to offer. If he fails then we know he isn't ready for it yet, stick him in the reserves but pick him for the smaller 1st team games ie cup games. Like I said, he can't do any worse than the defence against Seville and Unirea.

 

He may surprise people and WS and play fantastic of course.

 

Play him and let him show what he's got to offer.

[ian1964 10,720]

I would play him, if we can go to Stuttgart and get a decent result with McCulloch at CH then I'm sure Wilson will not let us down in Romania, he is young but he has strength & pace

[gisabeer 409]

I would go for papac as centre half with smith at left back. Stevie Smith has champions league experience under his belt and papac has look very decent in the CB role in recent weeks.

 

If smith goes with McCulloch at CB then he really should walk right out of the doors of ibrox for being a tactical nonitey. It would be beggars belief should he opt for McCulloch when he has far better options staring him in the face.

 

That though has been smiths problem all along. Wrong team wrong players in different positions and wrong tactics.

 

So prepare for the worst.

[craig 5,199]

I said yes even though in the other thread I felt that WS will play Papac and Smith. I agree with the reasoning that gisa gave which is that Smith already has CL experience and Papac, for me, has been our most consistent player this season and has actually looked very assured at CB too.

 

Our CL campaign is not over yet, a win against Unirea would get us right back in it so, perhaps, the time isnt right to play Wilson (but only because Papac has played so well at CB and that Smith has the experience - had either been playing poorly then I would have no hesitation in going for Wilson).

 

If we fail to get a result on Wednesday then we are out - at that time we can give Wilson the remaining two CL games for invaluable experience.

 

EDIT: I should have typed the above before voting "yes" - been a long morning already....

[maineflyer 0]

Perhaps the most telling reason is .... why not? Everything to gain and nothing to lose.

[Tannochsidebear 2,405]

I can see both sides or playing either Wilson or Papac at centre half beside Weir on wednesday, as I like Stevie Smith and feel he would do fine at left back if Papac was to move inside.

 

The only way I will be really pissed off is if we play McCulloch beside Weir. There is no need for him, he is not good enough to play there at CL level (or SPL level IMO), and we have better alternatives.

 

I voted to give the youngster the game, he looks to have a mature and cool outlook about him from the very little I have seen of him, and if we put him in and he has a good game, it will prove he is good enough to push for a regular place, and we will have brought through another good young player from the youth set-up that "doesnt work".

 

Of course if he plays and has a mare, it could set him back a good bit in his development and knock his confidence, and Walter will know what kind of character he is and be able to judge if it is worth the risk, with Papac filling in well and Smith dependable at LB.

 

Will be an interesting selection.

[Frankie 8,552]

I'd say an away match versus Dundee Utd is just as much a test as an away match to Unirea...

 

I don't think we'd be any better off with Papac at centre-half and Smith at left back (unless we dropped Weir actually)... Wilson has done well in the last two games while CL game experience and the pressure of important matches would be most beneficial to his (and our) future.

[Zappa 0]

I voted yes because with Bougherra off on international duty as much this season I want to see Wilson getting as much experience as possible. There's also nothing to say that Weir won't get suspended or pick up an injury & if that had to come along while Bougherra is out then we'll definitely be playing Wilson.

[maineflyer 0]

Of course if he plays and has a mare, it could set him back a good bit in his development and knock his confidence,

If he can't cope with having an occasional bad game then he's probably not the man for us anyway. The over-protection of young players is a relatively new phenomenon and needs to be stopped. It's more about how you prepare them and we've consistently failed to focus on this under Walter Smith.