Rangers 2 - 1 St Johnstone: Player Ratings and MoM Poll

[calscot 0]

The answer has been there for a long time, Smith is OK in Scotland, but there again given the resources that we have in relative terms applied to our little country and its two horse race, most indigenous managers with an elementary grasp, would be just as good as our manager.

 

I think you just have to look at the long list of unsuccessful Celtic managers to see that argument does not hold water.

 

You also have to wonder why the likes of Le Guen and Advocaat were so much poorer than Smith if it's so easy. Jock John Greg and Jock Wallace (2nd time) couldn't compete at all - and we're not just talking about with Ferguson and McLean.

 

Eck was the nearest but was still not as good as Walter either, especially after he had to cope with the financial reality and lost all the superstars from the DA era.

 

There haven't been that many OF managers thoughout history, but Walter is up there with the best when it comes to domestic results.

 

Nine titles out of 11 and being cheated out of one he lost and losing the other by two points is pretty much untouchable, never mind the amount of trophies won.

[Gazza_8 233]

I'd not give it to anyone. Average, the lot of them, even Weiss.

[Gazza_8 233]

The answer has been there for a long time, Smith is OK in Scotland, but there again given the resources that we have in relative terms applied to our little country and its two horse race, most indigenous managers with an elementary grasp, would be just as good as our manager.

 

Despite flirting with success in Europe, Walter has never been able to make the step up on a consistent basis, that despite Murray's spiel about budgeting without a reliance on a great deal of euro dosh is our problem.

 

We have been living or attempting to dine at the top table, when we didn't have the price of the meal.

 

I lay that squarely at the door of the management, others will disagree that is their prerogative.

 

Smith did very well while in charge of the Scottish national team.

[wabashcannonball 0]

Smith did very well while in charge of the Scottish national team.

 

The Kirn Cup is an extremely hotly contested tournament, apart from that famous trophy win, two 1-0 doins by France, but the victories were ours and knocked out of everything qucker than glass jawed Joe.

 

I do believe you could be fishing, no joy here, I am a Scot Symon man to the soles of my polished Oxfords.

[craig 5,199]

The Kirn Cup is an extremely hotly contested tournament, apart from that famous trophy win, two 1-0 doins by France, but the victories were ours and knocked out of everything qucker than glass jawed Joe.

 

I do believe you could be fishing, no joy here, I am a Scot Symon man to the soles of my polished Oxfords.

 

Anyone who thinks Smith didnt do well as national team coach with the resources at his disposal is, IMHO, deluded.

[wabashcannonball 0]

Anyone who thinks Smith didnt do well as national team coach with the resources at his disposal is, IMHO, deluded.

 

The only delusionals are those that think WS is infallible.

[johnnyk 158]

The only delusionals are those that think WS is infallible.

 

He's not infallible but he certainly deserves plenty of credit for being one of the best managers we've ever had.

[wabashcannonball 0]

He's not infallible but he certainly deserves plenty of credit for being one of the best managers we've ever had.

 

He gets credit for being a good manager in Scotland with a great team, ours. When it comes to playing with the big boys, that is a matter of opinion.

[Frankie 8,843]

Not sure why Rangers fans would be so keen to lessen the achievements of a living legend.

 

Of course Smith has his weaknesses and limitations but I think his career has been a successful one, perhaps only weakened by a lack of vision (and maybe even luck) at certain points.

 

We can only hope he's passed his experience (both the good and bad parts of it) onto McCoist for next season and beyond. In many ways, I think McCoist is already the manager anyway so it may be any debate on Smith is moot...

[calscot 0]

Walter definitely has his faults but history has shown that he is still one of the best managers we've had in Scotland over the last 30 years.

 

The only managers who can eclipse him are Alex Ferguson and Jim McLean. Apart from them there is not many who come close. O'Neil was Celtic's best manager in the modern era and his record is very good but still noticeably less than Walter.

 

We've had Eck, Advocaat and Souness but Walter stands above them all, with money or without.

 

I would say his domestic record is as infallible as any manager's in Scottish history. Even Ferguson, Jock Stein and Bill Struth would struggle to match his league consistency.

 

No, Walter is not perfect, but I'd like to know which managers people are unfavourably comparing him to, because I'm pretty sure they are nowhere near perfect either, and the vast majority are very much in his shadow.

 

I doubt there is a better manager on the planet that we could actually attract and who would compete as well as Walter from day one. If we could get anyone we wanted then I'm sure there are quite a few that could improve us - Ferguson and Morinho for a start - but there's no chance of that, with the best we could expect being someone like Levein who is hardly making us proud to be Scottish - whereas Walter did.

 

I have no desire to lick his arse but I really don't get why there is so much uncalled for criticism for one of the best Scottish guys in the business.