Gersnet Rangers All-time XI | Day 5: Defensive-midfield / Half-back

[Bill 13,717]

22 minutes ago, 26th of foot said:

Harold Davis was tougher than bullets, literally. He served with the Black Watch in Korea and took three rounds, two to the foot and leg, the other was abdominal. Two years of operations and recovery before being signed by Scot Symon at East Fife. Symon moved to Rangers and Harold follow followed for eight seasons. No nonsense on and off the field, including hanging his fellow Black Watch comrade, Jim Baxter from a dressing room hook. Davis was the, 'Iron Man'.

 

Ian Ferguson and Stuart McCall were a central midfield pairing, they were both box to box bringing good energy by the truckload. Both had other excellent attributes but, an old Arthus Montford phrase best summed up the pairing, "tenacious tenacity".

 

Hemdani glided across the surface in European games and was a must in Walter's UEFA Cup final appearing side. I thought the Scottish game exasperated him although he never gave up, best illustrated by his last kick of the ball equaliser against ra Sellik at Ibrox. He read the game extremely well.

 

A player who read it better is current Bar'72 season ticket holder, the octogenarian Dave Smith. I included him as a possible centre back because he appeared as Sweeper in the ECWC winning side of 1972. Dave was a stroller, always had time. He was the definitive front sweeper when Matthias Sammer was being wheeled into kindergarten. At the end of season'72/73 he was deservedly awarded Scot's Player of the Year. A heads up, sweet left footed elegant baller, what's not to like?

 

755 appearances, 120 goals and, won three domestic Trebles are the statistics. Eighteen seasons as a Rangers player where Jock Stein's Celtic won nine in a row and both Hearts and Killie won the league too. John Greig achieved what he did because of force of personality. He imposed himself on both fellow and opposition players, the epitome of determination. He skippered the club and held it together through dark days on and off the pitch.

Often in bigger games against top range Euro' opposition or ra Sellik, he was tasked with a man marking role, always carried out selflessly. He was as tough in the tackle as he was on himself. He played through injuries particularly in Barca'72 and securing the league at Easter Road'75. His presence on the park was a necessity for Rangers.

Defensive midfielder, I vote for ham and egg.

I remember thinking at the time that Dave Smith was very special - the sort of player that doesn't grace every generation.

 

This is certainly an exercise that shakes the memory and reminds us how many really good players we've had.

Edited November 18, 2023 by Bill

[Rousseau 10,602]

I think I'm going to change our formation to a 4-3-3.

 

The front-two vote will be quite boring, so we'll add a bit of difficulty.

[Blue Moon 1,289]

JG for me.  He has to get into this ream.

[onevision 1,568]

John Greig break a leg.

 

If we are going with a sweeper then typoit would have to be Dave Smith.

Edited November 18, 2023 by onevision
Typo

[CammyF 8,079]

42 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

I think I'm going to change our formation to a 4-3-3.

 

The front-two vote will be quite boring, so we'll add a bit of difficulty.

NO - should have been a 4-4-2 from the start - this is now just sheer chaos 😀 

 

BOO @Rousseau BOO 👎 

 

😀

[Rousseau 10,602]

1 minute ago, CammyF said:

NO - should have been a 4-4-2 from the start - this is now just sheer chaos 😀 

 

BOO @Rousseau BOO 👎 

 

😀

4-4-2 is boring. You just get the same type of players. We need to open it up to include different roles. 

[CammyF 8,079]

4 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

4-4-2 is boring. You just get the same type of players. We need to open it up to include different roles. 

Maybe we should just pick the team using xG..... 😀

[Rousseau 10,602]

1 hour ago, Rousseau said:

I think I'm going to change our formation to a 4-3-3.

 

The front-two vote will be quite boring, so we'll add a bit of difficulty.

Nope - I'm sticking with what I had: 4-1-3-2.  

[CammyF 8,079]

41 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

Nope - I'm sticking with what I had: 4-1-3-2.  

Good, but I hope you can sleep tonight knowing either Ian Durrant of Gazza are not going to be in my picks 😀

[Rousseau 10,602]

2 minutes ago, CammyF said:

Good, but I hope you can sleep tonight knowing either Ian Durrant of Gazza are not going to be in my picks 😀