Jon Daly blasts back at Dave King...

[ian1964 10,618]

...Don't brand me a waste of cash when you've NEVER even seen me play.

 

 

FORMER Rangers striker lets rip after Ibrox chairman savaged out of contract players over failing to get out of the Championship.

 

JON DALY has hit back at Dave King’s claim that he and his outgoing Rangers team-mates were a waste of money.

 

The Ibrox chairman slated the 11 out-of-contract players leaving, saying they had ‘failed miserably’ last season – but the big striker says he never got the chance to show he could be an asset.

 

Gers had been favourites to win the Championship but finished third and stumbled through the Premiership play-offs before losing 6-1 in the final to Motherwell.

 

While King’s opinion that the squad under-performed can’t be disputed, Daly objects to the slur on his character.

 

And although the Gers chairman feels none of those moving on deserve a new deal, the Irishman says that’s wrong as he never got a fair crack at earning one.

 

Daly was Rangers’ leading scorer as they won League One last year, scoring 25 goals in all competitions after his move from Dundee United.

 

But a minor knee operation last summer stalled his progress and it took him seven substitute appearances this term – in which he often made an impact – before he was given a start.

 

Two goals against Raith Rovers in the last of those gave him a place in the first XI against East Fife in the Petrofac Cup and he scored there in a 2-0 win.

 

But Daly’s reward was demotion and he made only five starts under Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall before playing just 21 minutes for Stuart McCall.

 

In total, the 32-year-old played the equivalent of less than eight full games.

 

While Daly accepts much of the criticism aimed at the out-of-contract stars, he doesn’t believe he was given the opportunities he should have had.

 

He said: “I knew I wasn’t getting a new deal because I wasn’t getting minutes, that’s football.

 

“But I left Rangers having played 660 minutes of football last season and feel I deserved more of a run than I got. I missed pre-season due to a knee injury and then didn’t get a run in the team.

 

“I had to respect the managers’ decisions. After my operation last summer, I had two experienced strikers in Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller to compete against for a place.

 

“I always knew it was going to be tough but I felt I did okay when I did get on around September and October. The trouble was I’d play one game then be out for four or five.

 

“If you have missed pre-season, you need a run of games to get your match fitness up and I don’t feel I’ve had that this year.

 

“When the new manager came in towards the end of the season and left me out of the squad, I know a lot of people thought I was injured but I wasn’t. I’d see it coming up on Sky Sports News saying I was crocked but that wasn’t the case.

 

“I feel I could have helped the club towards the end of the season when a lot of the same guys were playing a lot of games and were probably a bit jaded.

 

“I was chomping at the bit. I felt I could have made a difference but it’s the manager who makes the decisions.

 

“If Dave King believes we haven’t earned new deals, in my case he’s right but it’s because I haven’t had a chance to earn one so what he says is a bit unfair.”

 

Daly switched to Ibrox from Tannadice in 2013 and has nothing but good things to say about the club. However, he admits King’s comments this week have left a bad taste in his mouth.

 

He added: “I don’t have any regrets about my time at Rangers. I thoroughly enjoyed my two years there and I’m disappointed that we missed out on promotion.

 

“I met a lot of nice people there, including good staff who were really friendly towards my family. It has been a privilege to play there. But if Dave King is criticising each individual by generalising, that is disappointing. I’ve never met him, I don’t know him and he doesn’t know me.

 

“He can think what he likes but I’m as professional as they come and as serious as they come when you’re talking about working hard and trying to get fit.

 

“All I know is what I’ve read about him and he has done a fantastic job for the club.

 

“But going by what I’ve read about him staying in South Africa as he waited for the fit and proper person verdict, I don’t think he has seen me play very much, if at all.

 

“I’ve been nowhere near the team. I’d like to think if he’s saying that about people, he isn’t including me in that. Even if he is saying that about the rest of the boys, I find that a bit harsh as they have all tried their best.”

 

Daly has attracted interest from Asia and America – including MLS outfit Philadelphia Union.

 

But while he wants to try something new, he hasn’t ruled out staying in Scotland – and insists he can do himself justice if he gets a club here.

 

He said: “If an option comes up abroad, I think I’d probably take that, given my age. It would be a new challenge and it might be my last chance to sample something new. I’m waiting to hear back from a few teams because the transfer windows in the countries I’m talking to people in aren’t open yet.

 

“But I’d fancy myself to score goals for any club, especially in Scotland, where I’ve done well.

 

“To have done that consistently after I first came to Rangers, with the pressure we were under to deliver every week, was pleasing.

 

“People don’t understand the pressure on you to do well at the club until they experience it but I enjoyed that.

 

“I’m going to miss that and the chance to play in front of the massive crowds at Ibrox but I’d back myself to score goals anywhere else in Scotland any day of the week – just as long as I get the chance to play.”

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jon-daly-blasts-back-dave-5852720?_sm_au_=iVVjDjksH5rrLknV

[luke 0]

He has got a cheek has Daly, I will give him that. Dave King has done more in a week than Daly ever did.

[Rousseau 10,043]

I think he's got a point. I thought he was injured, but if he wasn't, then why leave him out when the other strikers were doing so poorly? He was a decent target-man--ironically we might have suited him with the long-balls we were playing.

 

There's no need to have a go at King though: he's not picking the team. King is entirely correct in stating they failed.

[johnnyk 158]

Daly along with the likes of Boyd need the service to score goals as they can't create them. We didn't have good enough players to give them pinpoint crosses to their feet and heads. Both have no pace and if they don't get good service they are useless!

[Frankie 8,371]

Daly is perhaps fair to complain he wasn't used enough but I don't think King was talking about anyone specifically and his comments were accurate.

[gisabeer 409]

I saw you olay mr daly and was unimpressed. I could have marked you out the game with a bag of cement with a football shirt on.

[der Berliner 3,562]

The thread's headline should actually be: "DR in another twisted-headline shocker!"

 

IMHO, King was rather liberal with his broadside against those players, not least as a) some had hardly played (for various reasons) and b) he hadn't seen them play (that often) either.

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

Deserved more of a run? He isn't even able to run. Get lost Jon.

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

I saw you olay mr daly and was unimpressed. I could have marked you out the game with a bag of cement with a football shirt on.

Perhaps Jon forgets that he came from the 4th division of English football, then played for an awful Scottish team. He had no right to be playing for us.

[Zappa 0]

His 18 league goals in the third tier in the 13/14 season weren't enough by a long shot given the number of games he played, especially when you consider that 7 of those goals came in just 2 games when he scored 4 against Stenny at Ibrox and a hat-trick against East Fife. In fact, despite not playing much at the beginning of the 13/14 season he actually scored 10 goals in 8 games (all competitions) over the first 3 months of the season, but then went on to play in another 30 games and only scored a paltry 11 goals. Not exactly what you'd call consistent.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Zappa