22 Jul 2025 03:31:09
Gonna be controversial here and say, if we do as expected sell both Dessers and Igamane
I hope we only sign one replacement centre forward and give the young lad Josh Gentles a chance this season as our 3rd option back up centre forward
If he's good enough, which many believe he is, then give the young lad a chance
Concentrating more on players who can contribute from wide areas with any additional funds we may be looking to spend.
22 Jul 2025 06:05:00
SydneyGer. I tend to agree with you, I think if you play one up do you really need 3 Senior forwards. If you have two then Josh Gentles can still get some game time. For arguments sake if we signed the two strikers we have been linked with and had Danilo, De Jong and Tourgman as awesome as that would be that's a lot in wages plus one of the three being left out a lot and not being happy, probably Danilo who is on what 20-25k. If you signed one more forward you would then be able to rotate two Senior forwards and still give Josh Gentles some game time through out the season. It's been interesting to note RM has mentioned Josh on a number of occasions so I think there is a chance we might do that. If you signed a winger or forward type who can in emergency play through the middle it will give us the opportunity to spend more on wide players.
22 Jul 2025 07:47:37
Sydney - I wouldn't fall out with that. I don't know much about the boy but he seems highly rated.
These boys need to see a pathway to the 1st team.
22 Jul 2025 08:02:42
They also need to be good enough, it's a fine line between development and success, not too many teams have delivered both in a short period.
The league is already going to be very tough to win this season, playing a 17 year old up top isn't going to help our cause.
22 Jul 2025 08:03:30
Sidney I agree 100% with that and would much rather have our own lad and give him a chance rather than a de Jong. if we want to develop the club and fans need to accept this is what will be done. re wide players I would have Curtis as one of those wide players we have at the club and get good regular minutes.
we must have young midfielders and defenders ready to make the next step as well. they need to play to develop. either loan them or play them.
22 Jul 2025 08:14:09
Angus do you not think having a de Jong would help the boy in his development with all de Jongs experience?
22 Jul 2025 08:23:45
For me luuk de jong would be an outstanding signing for us if we could get him ?We could easily give him a 2 year deal and he would cause defenders up here a lot of trouble ?We can't always look to and sign players at the beginning of their careers and absolutely ignore a more experienced, very good signing on occasion, a nice mix is perfect especially at the start of Russell Martin's rebuilding job at Rangers ???.
22 Jul 2025 08:35:55
Sydney my only fear is that Danilo has yet to prove himself durable enough and a player like De Jong at 34 would in my eyes need some rotation to keep him fresh for games. (Like idea of getting De Jong to work with younger players, maybe even some coaching), but I believe we would need some quality as insurance to go along with gentiles.
22 Jul 2025 08:56:38
Athole, highly rated sadly means zero. think Devine king Lowry ure hardie et al
For 17 gentles is a reasonable prospect, that's all.
22 Jul 2025 09:12:00
We shouldn't leave ourselves short in the striking department if igamane is sold ? Although young gentles is highly rated, someone like de jong being brought to the club would absolutely help young gentles development and wouldn't be putting too much pressure on the young striker straight away and could be given first team game time in some cup games and league games gradually ?.
22 Jul 2025 10:12:58
G4 no I don't think that. I think he would be a waste of a wage as there is no end product. if he had been sitting his coaching badges at PSV and helping the youth team then I might see that a little bit differently but we have coaches who are paid to develop. I think a 3rd striker will be bought in and that strangles any chance the lad has of getting meaningful minutes. the club need to find a way to get them to the next stage. I still think throwing them in for minutes at the right time is the way to do that. does sending them to lower league to play against players with less ability get them that experience to play for our top team. I am unsure and don't have enough knowledge to know that. what I do know is that signing a 34year old forward doesnt.
22 Jul 2025 10:45:24
I'll play Devils Dick Advocate and say that the only season we've done well recently (55) we had 4. Roofe, Alfie, Defoe and Itten. All contributed as well.
22 Jul 2025 10:53:49
John2561 mate, given the chance is sometimes all a reasonable prospect needs to blossom.
I understand what you're saying though.
22 Jul 2025 10:56:40
Think stop gap, quick fix then de jong, but would rather see us build, young lad bring him on when possible but rather see us get someone else in with some experience and ability to sell on.
22 Jul 2025 11:01:59
Grog I've watched them all, with exception of hardie when they move on, what have they done.
Our academy set up and coaching is exceptionally poor, we send multiple lads to lower league and they seriously struggle for game time, ones who go south clubs are stunned by lack of fitness and ability
Hopefully new owners address this.
22 Jul 2025 11:21:40
True John. You never know though, he might be the one.
Dado - age not important. What age was rooney, 16yrs old? There Will be countless others at 16/17 that broke into 1st team.
I take your point though, it would need managed and there would need to be 2 established strikers in front of him.
22 Jul 2025 11:38:00
Would be ridiculous to not sign de jong given the chance especially when we need experience.
22 Jul 2025 12:01:54
If the boy is good enough then a big yes, a young striker banging in the goals is a gold mine, provv bc ably see him get a run out on Saturday, hopefully he takes his chance.
22 Jul 2025 12:36:01
Cracking shout athole, good on you wanting our youth football to the level you can mention Gentles and Rooney's name in the same sentence ?.
22 Jul 2025 13:07:45
Athole I actually think Rooney is a good example to use of what the club needs to do; if people can ignore where his career took him.
prior to first team football he had only played in youth team at 19 age level. he went on pre-season training and was in first team squad. He made 33 appearances but 19 of those as sub with limited time on pitch (around 10-20 minutes in most games) . They didn't care what the score was they gave him time in every game.
it was only in second half of the season he got starts mainly. he scored 6 goals (3 each half of season) . so nursing his minutes but willing to play him.
he scored lots of youth goals but in 2 seasons at Everton scored only 17 in 77 starts. that isn't a huge goal scoring record but he learnt his trade probably.
Gentles age group international for Wales. On loan at Alloa and 5 goals in 20 games. so who is to say if we didn't take him into first teams quad and gave him limited minutes he wouldn't thrive.
so not comparing players but looking at a strategy because the one we have at the moment ain't working. I think if Rooney played for Rangers he wouldn't have made it here. just to provoke thought really more than anything.
22 Jul 2025 14:43:47
Agreed Angus, but only if Rooney was coming through now.
Sir Walter tried to include Rooney in his squad against Arsenal when he was 15 and was blocked by the FA.
Sir Walter also told Sir Alex Rooney was the best young player he had ever seen. Every chance Rooney comes through at Rangers under SWS.
22 Jul 2025 15:00:26
Marco I didn't know that so thanks for the info. You are correct it is the manager who makes the difference. If as a club we prioritise the long term benefits to the club perhaps Martin can start to blend a few into the squad.