Big Egos = Big Trouble: Time To Get Back To Basics

THIRTY years ago I worked for an upmarket Sunday broadsheet. Like most Sunday titles it had a small core of staffers, who put-in the daily grind keeping the paper on-track. In the sports department this consisted of the Sports Editor (who doubled as the main writer), a couple of talented subs - one of whom who also wrote features and reports - and a general factotum, who did a bit of subbing, but administred the desk brilliantly and was the general trouble-shooter.

I was one of a team of freelances who worked more-or-less exclusively for the paper; they had first call on my services, they, not I, decided which match I would cover on a Saturday, but, if the paper didn't need me or didn't fancy one of my stories, I was free to punt it elsewhere.

On Saturday afternoon, a gang of sub-editors from the publishing group's other titles augmented the core production staff and put out a paper which is still held in high regard by all of us who worked on it.

That paper folded, for various reasons: the timing of its start-up wasn't right; there was a down-turn in advertising; our success actually harmed another far-more-august and much-longer established rival Sunday title owned by the same group, so, after a little over three years - we were history.

However, another facet in that great paper's demise had actually been sown during its start-up. The group which published had recruited some stellar names onto the team of journalists and, in the end, there were maybe too-many chiefs and not enough Indians and it all came crashing down to the sound of discordant egos.

I fear much the same might be said about Rangers at this time. Today as I write, we await the list of player redundancies from the Ibrox club, and there are sure to be some big names on that list.

These will, we expect, include full internationalists who have been paid a handsome weekly retainer, for not actually kicking a ball too-often. Ever since the SPL in their wisdom did away with reserve or Under-21 teams, I have struggled to understand why Rangers or Celtic or Hearts, indeed any of the "super" 12 clubs have needed quite so-many players.

In the cause of research I got out an old copy of Rothman's, for 1972-73. This covered season 1971-72, in which Rangers won their solitary European trophy, the old European Cup-Winner's Cup. The club played 55 games in total that season - 46 domestically in the League, League Cup and Scottish Cup, plus 9 in the Cup-Winners' Cup. They used 20 players: the 11 Barcelona Heroes - Peter McCloy, Sandy Jardine, Willie Mathieson, John Greig, Derek Johnstone, Dave Smith, Tommy McLean, Alfie Conn, Solin Stein, Alex MacDonald and Willie Johnston, plus Jim Denny, Colin Jackson, Ron McKinnon, Graeme Fyfe, Willie Henderson, Andy Penman, Ian McDonald, Alex Miller and Derek Parlane. Add back-up goalkeeper Gerry Neef and you have a 21-man squad.

Sandy Jardine was the only squad member to play for Scotland that season (partly because manager Tommy Docherty was no fan of Rangers) but 8 of the 21 had already been capped, while a further 5 would go on to become full internationalists.

It could be argued that that squad from 40 years ago had greater quality and depth than the bloated 27-man squad which Ally McCoist currently manages. Indeed, if asked to select a composite XI from the two squads, I would pick Allan McGregor ahead of big Peter McCloy in goal and that would be that - the outfield players would all come from the 1971-72 squad.

The point I am perhaps labouring over here is - big names are no guarantee of success. That has long been evident in football - think back to the "Bank of England" Sunderland team of the early 1950s. Sure they had the great Len Shackelton making the bullets for Welsh centre forward Trevor Ford and his Scottish co-striker Charlie "Legs" Fleming, they had George Aitken in midfield, like Fleming a proud Fifer, and a whole host of internationalists elsewhere - but, they finished third in the old English First Division in 1950 (before the buying spree began in earnest), fourth in 1955 and were relegated in 1958.

It is a lot easier, if arguably a longer-term project, to build rather than buy a team and maybe, had Sir David Murray demanded evolution rather than revolution of Messrs Souness and Smith, the spendthrift years of Advocaat might not have happened. Also, perhaps, had he backed Paul Le Guen rather than Barry Ferguson, things might have been better.

Of course, it was the activities (which most right-thinking people I feel deem as criminal) of Craig Whyte which finally tipped Rangers over the edge into administration - and could still lead to liquidation. But, the reckless and ill-judged mis-management of the Murray years took the club to the edge and into the hands of a man whom history will not treat kindly.

Can I offer further evidence of how mis-management has helped cripple Rangers. Since the SPL was formed, 27 young Scottish and 9 young Northern Irishmen playing for the club have won international Under-21 honours. Of these a mere five: Charlie Adam, Chris Burke, Alan Hutton, Allan McGregor and Alan Little have gone on to win full caps with Rangers. Four more: Stephen Hughes, Ross McCormack, Barry Nicholson and Danny Wilson have won intenational honours since leaving Rangers.

Grant Adam, Darren Cole, John Fleck, Scott Gallacher, Kyle Hutton, James Ness, Ross Perry and Greg Wylde - should they survive the administrator's cull, might add to that list.

Tom Brighton, Andy Dowie, David Graham, Steve Lennon, Rory Loy, Scott McLean, Bob Malcolm, Alan Shinnie, Graeme Smith, Steven Smith, Scott Wilson, Scott Carson, Wes Drummond, Ian Feeney, Darren Fitzgerald, Colm Hegarty, Ryan McCann, Paul McKnight and Bryan McLean - where are they now? Although I accept, injury did for Steven Smith.

These 36 players were seen, as they reached their majority as: "the future". That so-few should turn promise into the real deal with the club is an awful condemnation of the coaching and player-management and education of Rangers. And, incidentally, Celtic's record is equally poor.

The Lisbon LIons were all Scottish, only Ronnie Simpson  and Willie Wallace were not brought through the ranks at Celtic Park.

The Barcelona Bears were all Scottish, McCloy, Smith, McLean, Stein and MacDonald were bought-in - Jardine, Mathieson, Greig, Johnstone, Conn and Johnston came through the ranks.

Both of these squads were well-coached, they were native Scots and knew the ethos of the clubs they played for. Maybe, had Rangers stayed true to their Scottish roots they would not be in the state they now are - and don't think Celtic are all that safe from the potential hazards of running a big squad which is too-rich and too-needful of better surroundings than that in which they currently operate.

If Rangers are to survive and restore past glories, they have to get back to basics (but, that doesn't include sectarianism).