Gersnet Rangers All-time XI | Day 7: Attacking-midfield

[Tannochsidebear 2,405]

In his first spell at the club, Barry Ferguson was a fantastic attacking-midfielder, IMO certainly better than Durrant who was fairly inconsistent I felt and never really reached his potential. Ferguson scored 20+ goals a season plus as many assists under Advocaat. Does Ronald De Boer fit this position? if so one of the best i've ever seen, even though he was past his best and didnt stay too long. Gazza was a genius of course, and was a joy to watch on most occasions but had that ill-discipline and often failed to turn it on in Europe where he should have shone, and didnt even stay 3 seasons.

 

But overall, i just cannot see past him, so my vote goes to Gascoigne. 

 

(I was tempted to not participate anymore, Greig in midfield? WTF? Cmon guys, just because he couldnt win the RB vote you guys shoe-horn him in somewhere else? How many games did Greig play in midfield, a handful at most? I didnt see him play but he was a full back and a full back only. Lets not bastardise the process by picking guys in positions they were not the best at. Do you think this is just for fun?

[CammyF 8,079]

For me it's a straight choice between Gazza, Durrant and Barry Ferguson and I've gone for Gazza.

 

 

[Gribz 850]

7 minutes ago, Tannochsidebear said:

In his first spell at the club, Barry Ferguson was a fantastic attacking-midfielder, IMO certainly better than Durrant who was fairly inconsistent I felt and never really reached his potential. Ferguson scored 20+ goals a season plus as many assists under Advocaat. Does Ronald De Boer fit this position? if so one of the best i've ever seen, even though he was past his best and didnt stay too long. Gazza was a genius of course, and was a joy to watch on most occasions but had that ill-discipline and often failed to turn it on in Europe where he should have shone, and didnt even stay 3 seasons.

 

In the 4-1-3-2 I would have put De Boer in the middle of the 3 as I thought the two upfront will be real out and out strikers. De Boer could certainly play as a second striker but I always saw him more as that creative one behind the front two, but agree - siblime player. But just doesnt out do Gascoigne for sheer ability and the goals he scored. 

 

 

[Scott7 6,002]

20 minutes ago, Tannochsidebear said:

How many games did Greig play in midfield, a handful at most? I didnt see him play but he was a full back and a full back only

I refer the Honourable Member to Rangers: The Complete Record (Ferrier and McElroy) page 313:

 

”He (Greig) was originally an inside forward but Rangers moved him back and his great days were as a defensive wing-half, supporting Ronnie McKinnon ….. Indeed the Greig-McKinnon-Jim Baxter half back line …. could be compared with any other in the club’s history.”

 

JG played just about every position, sometimes in the same game but as the quoted authors say, he was primarily a wing-half. His position in the Gersnet side is perfect for him. Up alongside the CF, back heading the ball away from under the bar, deterring the opposition midfield - that’s JG.

[Bill 13,717]

7 minutes ago, Scott7 said:

I refer the Honourable Member to Rangers: The Complete Record (Ferrier and McElroy) page 313:

 

”He (Greig) was originally an inside forward but Rangers moved him back and his great days were as a defensive wing-half, supporting Ronnie McKinnon ….. Indeed the Greig-McKinnon-Jim Baxter half back line …. could be compared with any other in the club’s history.”

 

JG played just about every position, sometimes in the same game but as the quoted authors say, he was primarily a wing-half. His position in the Gersnet side is perfect for him. Up alongside the CF, back heading the ball away from under the bar, deterring the opposition midfield - that’s JG.

Yes, Greig was primarily a right half. He was also everything else apart from goalkeeper.

[26th of foot 6,082]

My Grandfather lionised Greetin Face Boab, he would continually play in a centre and if the ball was not hitting the net, he did it all himself. In 1928 Rangers had not secured the Scottish Cup for 25 years and reached the final to face Sellik. One player in the Light Blue's line up had a winners medal, Bob McPhail had won the cup with Airdrie four years previously. The hoodoo looked to be over, Rangers were leading 1-0 and dominating but could not get the second. Bob lost patience and sent a low raking shot past John Thomson. The cup was secure, Sandy Archibald added a double for a 4-0 victory. McPhail spent 13 years at the club, made 408 appearances, scoring 261 goals. Fantastic figures for an inside forward.

 

The old man worshipped another Airdrie player transferred to Rangers, 'the wee Prime Minister' aka Ian McMillan. A part time player because he was a Geologist involved with the mining industry. He was compared to McPhail and the conclusion was he failed to notch the same number of goals. My old man would counter that Brand, Millar and, Forrest scored McMillan's goals, he made three Rangers players.

 

I was a huge fan of two attacking midfielders from our ECWC side, Alex MacDonald and Alfie Conn. Doddy was all bustle, well nippy and, delighted in blind side running. In over 500 games he scored 94 and split the Rangers support down the middle. Alfie was elegant, he passed the ball into the net. He headed a last second winner at Ibrox in the '73 ne'erday game, was sold to Spurs for £145,000 then, returned to another Glasgow club of no consequence. Alfie split the Rangers support even wider.

 

Bobby Russell is a player of mention, Ian and Barry Ferguson too, Ronald de Boer could play and the Geordie Genius was regularly sublime, his old firm debut goal at ra Piggery cannot be bettered. Gazza is deserving of constant eulogy but although more than capable he did not do it for us in Europe. We will just have to live with his league winning hat trick against Aberdeen to secure eight in a row.

 

Jasper was truly mercurial, the best I have witnessed coming through. A strong running waif with a sublime touch. Ian Durrant lived all our dreams, a Kinning Park lad played for the club all his family and friends loved. He was/is immersed in our club. The Pittodrie assault by Neil Simpson was worth of a straight red card and should have been subject to sine die investigation. A two and a half year come back battle ensued, punctuated by a couple of Ibrox appearances that attracted crowds of twenty and thirty thousand fellow Bears to wish one of their own well. He was such a good player he adapted his game, the Champions League semi-final run in '92-93 was testimony. The thing is, we know how good he could have been?

 

I vote Ian Durrant. 

[Rousseau 10,602]

This vote has been worth it alone to read @26th of foot's wonderful accounts of past players.

[Bill 13,717]

It's strange how we forget true Rangers heroes.

 

Gazza was a real talent but was only at Rangers for five minutes and did nothing in Europe. My pick instead for attacking midfielder is Alex MacDonald, who played over 500 games, scored almost 100 goals and won 12 major trophies, including being instrumental in our ECWC success. He was a tenacious forager but also supplied DJ with so many of his goals. If Greig was the leader of that great team, Doddie was the soul. A wonderful player in every respect.

[Tannochsidebear 2,405]

22 minutes ago, Scott7 said:

I refer the Honourable Member to Rangers: The Complete Record (Ferrier and McElroy) page 313:

 

”He (Greig) was originally an inside forward but Rangers moved him back and his great days were as a defensive wing-half, supporting Ronnie McKinnon ….. Indeed the Greig-McKinnon-Jim Baxter half back line …. could be compared with any other in the club’s history.”

 

JG played just about every position, sometimes in the same game but as the quoted authors say, he was primarily a wing-half. His position in the Gersnet side is perfect for him. Up alongside the CF, back heading the ball away from under the bar, deterring the opposition midfield - that’s JG.

Thank you sir.

I have been reading your contributions to this thread with some awe and also some sadness. To think it may be true that the best players to have played in each of the positions came from an era where there was not much by way of coaching, terrible playing conditions and equipment, and that we havent managed to better those players as a club within the last 50 years or so? Or is it (hopefully) just your personal preference, nostalgia and sentiment? I would be fairly heart-broken if I felt I would not see a player in the next 20 years or so that could be judged better than those from the NIAR or Advocaat era or indeed those names coming up in this exercise. Do you really believe you have not seen a better player in any of those positions to date than what you grew up with? 

[Bill 13,717]

31 minutes ago, Tannochsidebear said:

Thank you sir.

I have been reading your contributions to this thread with some awe and also some sadness. To think it may be true that the best players to have played in each of the positions came from an era where there was not much by way of coaching, terrible playing conditions and equipment, and that we havent managed to better those players as a club within the last 50 years or so? Or is it (hopefully) just your personal preference, nostalgia and sentiment? I would be fairly heart-broken if I felt I would not see a player in the next 20 years or so that could be judged better than those from the NIAR or Advocaat era or indeed those names coming up in this exercise. Do you really believe you have not seen a better player in any of those positions to date than what you grew up with? 

When comparing opinions from different eras, it's vitally important not to play the nostalgia card, intentionally of otherwise. The sobering truth is fans like @Scott7 witnessed the great players and teams of the 1960s and every Rangers team since. He is therefore in a privileged and valid position to have an opinion, one that offers comparison over time, whereas someone who only started watching Rangers in (say) 1990 has no basis to make an assessment of players he/she never saw. It's too tempting for the younger fan to simply assume that those players of an earlier generation had to be inherently inferior to those of his personal experience - while having little or no basis for that assumption. The upshot is always that polls like this will always be skewed towards more recent experience, even though that will inevitably mean choosing from a more limited sample and excluding many great/better players.

 

Looking at the teams chosen so far, Gersnet is either a home for geriatrics or some people are selecting on the basis of unseen reputation alone. Personally, it's obvious to me that all members under the age of 60 should be barred from voting. 😉

Edited November 20, 2023 by Bill