ponsaelius

Tim Vickery who writes for the BBC has been saying Brazil's problem for a lot of years is a lack of talented central midfielders, that they're producing athletic midfielders for exporting to Europe rather than proper footballers. Like you say nearly every Brazilian domestic coach is a pragmatist who plays with two defensive midfielders. You think and tbh it's true, I literally can't think of a good ball playing central or deep lying midfielder that Brazil have. Their midfielders at this World Cup were Melo, Gilberto Silva, Kleberson, Ramires. There's a serious lack of creativity in that lot, just typical destroyers, although Ramires offers a bit more. Only Elano is anything that resembles a creative central midfielder. Sure there's Kaka and Diego for example but they play much further up the pitch and are second strikers more than anything, they're the kind of players who can hit teams on the break (Kaka in particular relies heavily on his athleticism) rather than actually pass and control a game.

Year left on his contract, so I guess they're cashing in. Not a done deal, but he's in Glasgow this morning apparently.

Chris Eagles to Rangers for £1 million. I'd take him here for that definitely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOnh2CNuLWU 7 I never see English players showboating like that. Is it frowned upon? There's a freestyler who always does adverts for Nike, English lad. English players probably just can't.

Pffft, only 1 kick. Zlatan did several tbf.

Yeah, I'd love to give Guthrie a real go in the Prem, but he needs a physical player alongside him to do the running and take the workload.

Aye, I forgot about the Carr appointment, I guess we'll see how that goes. I'm happy with the Gosling signing of course, but it seems that it's a signing more out of circumstance than any actual policy or direction. I'd like to be proved wrong though, depending on how the rest of the transfer window (and future windows depending on survival) goes. Also the youth player's being promoted thing is another positive, however again it seems more like a good-will idea to make it seem like we're trying to bring players through. Realistically only Vuckic and possibly Inman will ever make an impact at first team level?

Speaking of Ecuadorian wingers, what do you know (if anything) of Jefferson Montero, VI?

I'd take Tuncay in an instant tbh.

Yeah I guessed he'd 'done a Dos Santos' in that sense. Just thought on a free he might be worth a gamble in terms of reviving a career. Can't be demanding high wages surely. Wigan turned A. Valencia from a Villareal reject into an £18 million player, it's the kind of model we should be following.

Oh well. Scrap that one then

Gai Assulin, 19 year old attacking midfielder/winger released by Barcelona. A potential future investment in the Gosling mould? Thoughts on him VI?

Yep, agree with all of that unfortunately. I'd love us to be sufficient in producing and bringing through bought in players at a young age. It would be a really good sustainable policy of we could actually be successful with it. Seems like Ashley has scrapped this plan completely though. Based on what? Scrimping and saving on frees and loan players, not bringing any more young players through scouting, DoF thing disasterously collapsing. Just doesn't seem like it's in the priority anymore.

Yep, agree with all of that unfortunately. I'd love us to be sufficient in producing and bringing through bought in players at a young age. It would be a really good sustainable policy of we could actually be successful with it. Seems like Ashley has scrapped this plan completely though.

I'd love it if we went for him. £3-4 million is a bargain. This. He'd add SO much to our midfield it's unreal. His physicality and dynamism could literally be the difference between relegation and stating up.

Also, what are Rangers gonna do next season? They have no money and are selling/losing players. Alan Smith's a Rangers fan isn't he?

Andrew Halliday, Chris Killen.

I disagree. I think it was Ronaldo who pointed out that Loven was like a lost child in the Premier League, looked clueless. Fair enough based on last season he might deserve to be ahead on Xisco on merit, but I think over the course Xisco could be a better impact sub. I think he would have a better knack of getting on the end of things in the box. Xisco looked like a lost child for the reserves man.

Loven is streets ahead of Xisco. Agree about Best though.

Yeah, it's good to know these players are more likely to improve rather than go backwards

First I'm going to hope he f***s off before the summer transfer window closes.

I'd love it if we went for him. £3-4 million is a bargain.

Exactly, it's worth giving him away to just save the wages. To think the 60k a week saved would essentially pay for both Gosling and another player, ie De Guzman.

Poor show.