Scottish players in action 21/22

[Caledonian Craig]

In any case I still feel Doak could be adapted to play a strikers' role too. We have seen, in the past, the likes of Gordon Durie and Kenny Dalglish play attacking midfield or striker. I read too that Doak  has been taken under his wing by Mo Salah passing on tips so he will pick up lots on playing as striker if need be.

Edited July 17, 2023 by Caledonian Craig

[csinclair]

an 11 min hat-trick for Tommy Conway for Bristol City in a friendly against Swindon. Will be interesting to see how he gets on this season. If he keeps scoring like he did last year then he'll be vying with Shankland, Nisbet, Stewart & Brown for that last striker spot in the squad

[mccaughey85]

Four goals for conway. 

[syecosse]

Harrison Ashby scored the winner v Rangers for Newcastle.

[Bristol Killie]

21 hours ago, csinclair said:

an 11 min hat-trick for Tommy Conway for Bristol City in a friendly against Swindon. Will be interesting to see how he gets on this season. If he keeps scoring like he did last year then he'll be vying with Shankland, Nisbet, Stewart & Brown for that last striker spot in the squad

I've got a season ticket down there and he's come on a lot in the last 6 months. A lot stronger now, holds the ball up well and is a top class finisher. Reminds me a bit of Mo Johnston. I think he's the real deal. 

[breeks_mctavish]

Ben Doak got 45 mins of Liverpool’s friendly v Karlsruhe. Sounds like he impressed. Could be a good season ahead. Should get a few opportunities in the Europa League (and maybe more)

[mccaughey85]

Sone nice bits of skills from doak. He seems to have that confidence and drive to take players on. Definitely something we have lacked in recent years. 

His speed is impressive as well.

Could this lad end up being scotlands youngest ever debutant?

[Diamond Scot]

37 minutes ago, mccaughey85 said:

Sone nice bits of skills from doak. He seems to have that confidence and drive to take players on. Definitely something we have lacked in recent years. 

His speed is impressive as well.

Could this lad end up being scotlands youngest ever debutant?

Had just watched this myself and came on to say the same thing. Low centre of gravity, quick feet. 

I just wonder how much game time he will get this year. Would be good if he was the backup for Salah. 

[mccaughey85]

12 minutes ago, Diamond Scot said:

Had just watched this myself and came on to say the same thing. Low centre of gravity, quick feet. 

I just wonder how much game time he will get this year. Would be good if he was the backup for Salah. 

I think theres a good chance he gets gametime off the bench this season. Even in epl matches. 

If he isnt going to get much gametime then a loan move to another epl club would be great. 

Either way he looks the real deal. Just needs keep his head down and not get caught up in the hype. Even if he turns into a decent epl winger/forward i will be happy.

[Orraloon]

3 hours ago, Diamond Scot said:

Had just watched this myself and came on to say the same thing. Low centre of gravity, quick feet. 

I just wonder how much game time he will get this year. Would be good if he was the backup for Salah. 

His final ball looks about as good as James Forrest's. 

[scotlad]

6 hours ago, Orraloon said:

His final ball looks about as good as James Forrest's. 

Difference is, Forrest's final ball was still like that when he was 27! 

If Doak can improve that aspect of his game he could be a tremendous player.

[Burj_Alba]

2 hours ago, scotlad said:

Difference is, Forrest's final ball was still like that when he was 27! 

If Doak can improve that aspect of his game he could be a tremendous player.

And there's the difference. Forrest could have 20 or more time per match to get one final ball right in the SPL for Celtic but Doak will have two or three per match at Liverpool. Big learning outcome but hoping he can do it. 

[immcinto]

He successfully delivers crosses into the six yard box at least twice. 

Edited July 21, 2023 by immcinto

[breeks_mctavish]

41 minutes ago, immcinto said:

He successfully delivers crosses into the six yard box at least twice. 

I agree. Was quite a dour takeaway from that short video I thought!!

[syecosse]

By the looks of things like Doak at Liverpool impressing pre season, it looks like 16 year old Bailey Rice is impressing at Rangers has been involved in the last couple of friendlies. 

[Diamond Scot]

3 hours ago, syecosse said:

By the looks of things like Doak at Liverpool impressing pre season, it looks like 16 year old Bailey Rice is impressing at Rangers has been involved in the last couple of friendlies. 

Not a chance in hell of Rice getting any even insignificant gametime at Rangers this season. 

Will go back to the B team and train with the 1st team.

Regardless of talent, he wont break through at Rangers because neither the fans nor culture of the club allow it. 

Had this argument about Lowry this time last year and was assured by several that last season would be different. Ok he had a bad injury and his mum died but even still was so far out the picture. He came on for last 10 mins in their 1st friendly even though Motundo got about 45 and Scott Wright got half an hour even though a bid to sell him had already been accepted. Not even in the squad for todays friendly. Back playing for B team.

Also, fans opinion on Leon King is now that he is nowhere near Rangers class due to some uncomfortable champions league appearences and a mistake against St Mirren.

[Tartan blood]

8 hours ago, Diamond Scot said:

Not a chance in hell of Rice getting any even insignificant gametime at Rangers this season. 

Will go back to the B team and train with the 1st team.

Regardless of talent, he wont break through at Rangers because neither the fans nor culture of the club allow it. 

Had this argument about Lowry this time last year and was assured by several that last season would be different. Ok he had a bad injury and his mum died but even still was so far out the picture. He came on for last 10 mins in their 1st friendly even though Motundo got about 45 and Scott Wright got half an hour even though a bid to sell him had already been accepted. Not even in the squad for todays friendly. Back playing for B team.

Also, fans opinion on Leon King is now that he is nowhere near Rangers class due to some uncomfortable champions league appearences and a mistake against St Mirren.

You're absolutely right. It's shocking that we are more hopeful of a young Scot making the breakthrough at Liverpool than at either of our 2 biggest Scottish teams. Patterson has undoubtedly got more chances at Everton than he would have at Rangers.

Ross McRorie seems to have finally had enough of all the empty promises. Lowry, King and Bailey should all jump ship at the first opportunity. 

Celtic are going to have an embarrassing quota of homegrown players for their Champions League squad this year.

[ProudScot]

4 minutes ago, Tartan blood said:

You're absolutely right. It's shocking that we are more hopeful of a young Scot making the breakthrough at Liverpool than at either of our 2 biggest Scottish teams. Patterson has undoubtedly got more chances at Everton than he would have at Rangers.

Ross McRorie seems to have finally had enough of all the empty promises. Lowry, King and Bailey should all jump ship at the first opportunity. 

Celtic are going to have an embarrassing quota of homegrown players for their Champions League squad this year.

Yep totally accurate.

This is why the old firm cling on to 2/3rd choice scottish goalies who will never get a game.

Unsure how either of them can make their home grown quota. Celtic are signing more South Koreans and Rangers are in the process of selling every Scottish player in their squad. 

Edited July 23, 2023 by ProudScot

[Diamond Scot]

The thing I hear most from Rangers fans is that they havent produced any 1st team players for 20 years because the players havent been good enough. What they consistently totally fail to recognise is that players dont just become the finished article at 17/18. They need to be allowed to make and learn from mistakes.

They almost always respond by saying "yes but the pressure at the OF is that we cant afford to make mistakes". As if teams like Man City, Liverpool etc can but even putting that aside. The OF can probably afford to make mistakes more than any team on the planet for 2 reasons.

1) The opposition are of a standard that the likeliehood of them capitalising on the mistake is low.

2) The gulf in standard should mean that even if they did it shouldnt affect the result.

Ive said a million times before, if you think bringing on a young player at half time when you are 2 nil up at home to Ross County or at the start of a cup game against Hamilton is going to cost you the game then they shouldnt be anywhere near the club in the 1st place.

[scotlad]

17 hours ago, Diamond Scot said:

Not a chance in hell of Rice getting any even insignificant gametime at Rangers this season. 

Will go back to the B team and train with the 1st team.

Regardless of talent, he wont break through at Rangers because neither the fans nor culture of the club allow it. 

Had this argument about Lowry this time last year and was assured by several that last season would be different. Ok he had a bad injury and his mum died but even still was so far out the picture. He came on for last 10 mins in their 1st friendly even though Motundo got about 45 and Scott Wright got half an hour even though a bid to sell him had already been accepted. Not even in the squad for todays friendly. Back playing for B team.

Also, fans opinion on Leon King is now that he is nowhere near Rangers class due to some uncomfortable champions league appearences and a mistake against St Mirren.

Your final sentence sums up the mindset of many Rangers fans. A young player, particularly a young Scottish player, has a couple of mediocre games or makes a mistake and suddenly he's nOt RaNgErs cLASs!!!1!

On the other hand, big name foreign signings (albeit the "big" names are growing smaller year on year) are afforded every opportunity under the sun.

[theabsentee]

1 hour ago, scotlad said:

Your final sentence sums up the mindset of many Rangers fans. A young player, particularly a young Scottish player, has a couple of mediocre games or makes a mistake and suddenly he's nOt RaNgErs cLASs!!!1!

On the other hand, big name foreign signings (albeit the "big" names are growing smaller year on year) are afforded every opportunity under the sun.

I respect all the opinions on lack of Scottish youngsters making it at the old firm but I still don't buy it totally. Fans only have opinion they have no influence on who starts or gets minutes when the old firm are 2 or 3 up in cup / league games. Reality is that Old firm especially Rangers in recent years spent too much money on mediocrity but arguably they are still better than most of the Scottish kids coming thru .

   We lose most of our best youngsters to the EPL in main due to money , coaching standards & the huge gap in quality of youth football from England to Scotland. Why would any youngster want to stay in Scotland to play lowland league football.

   As for the young Rangers players of last season, Lowry for very sad &  unfortunate reasons hasn't kicked on. Leon King had chances & didn't do particularly well, Adam Devine also got a handful of games. Only time will tell if any of 3 will make the level necessary, my gut feeling is probably 1 maximum will & if the others don't it's much more likely down due to lack of ability or even application as first team opportunities.

   On a much more positive note, I've just read some comments on Bailey Rice & they are very excited about him & want him starting or getting minutes of the bench even though he is only 16. One fan compared him to Busquets, Barry Ferguson & more surprising there is also a Callum McGregor comparison😆

   This Kid & Ben Doak especially could be very special players for us in the future.

[Tartan blood]

10 hours ago, ProudScot said:

Yep totally accurate.

This is why the old firm cling on to 2/3rd choice scottish goalies who will never get a game.

Unsure how either of them can make their home grown quota. Celtic are signing more South Koreans and Rangers are in the process of selling every Scottish player in their squad. 

It's pure idiocy. They are stockpiling foreigners, despite the fact they can only register 17 of them for a CL squad. And it's really only Europe that necessitates having a larger squad anyway. So they are spending lots of money on players that won't even be able to play in Europe, and ultimately not be needed for the SPFL.

Having 8 senior homegrown players is almost a full extra out-field team. Why on earth would you not capitalise on that? It boggles my mind. The old firm have no chance of progressing in Europe without it.

Scotland is the strongest it's been this century, so it's not like the talent isn't out there.

[Diamond Scot]

23 minutes ago, theabsentee said:

I respect all the opinions on lack of Scottish youngsters making it at the old firm but I still don't buy it totally. Fans only have opinion they have no influence on who starts or gets minutes when the old firm are 2 or 3 up in cup / league games. Reality is that Old firm especially Rangers in recent years spent too much money on mediocrity but arguably they are still better than most of the Scottish kids coming thru .

   We lose most of our best youngsters to the EPL in main due to money , coaching standards & the huge gap in quality of youth football from England to Scotland. Why would any youngster want to stay in Scotland to play lowland league football.

   As for the young Rangers players of last season, Lowry for very sad &  unfortunate reasons hasn't kicked on. Leon King had chances & didn't do particularly well, Adam Devine also got a handful of games. Only time will tell if any of 3 will make the level necessary, my gut feeling is probably 1 maximum will & if the others don't it's much more likely down due to lack of ability or even application as first team opportunities.

   On a much more positive note, I've just read some comments on Bailey Rice & they are very excited about him & want him starting or getting minutes of the bench even though he is only 16. One fan compared him to Busquets, Barry Ferguson & more surprising there is also a Callum McGregor comparison😆

   This Kid & Ben Doak especially could be very special players for us in the future.

Devine played a handful of games at LB when both LBs were injured. During this time he got at least 1 motm and never put a foot wrong. When Barasic returned he wasnt seen again. Now I wouldnt expect him to continue playing out of position when the 1st choice returns however with the league and cup already gone, why wasnt he given any gametime at RB?

Then you have McCrorie. Think he has played something like 6 games and conceeded 1 goal. 2 x clean sheets against Celtic. Yet Rangers go out and buy a new number 1. 

Fans dont pick the team but they certainly set the tone. Rangers fans demand their squad is full of "top" players. Just look at their midfield again this year. Its rammed. In cup games the likes of Hagi, Lundstrum, Jack, Dowell etc will all be starting long before Rice and Lowry.

Sterling will play before Devine and Balagoun before King.

Thats the reality at Rangers and has been for as long as I can remember.

Do you not think Man City have the money to have 26 international class finished articles? They do but they choose not too.

[theabsentee]

2 hours ago, Diamond Scot said:

Devine played a handful of games at LB when both LBs were injured. During this time he got at least 1 motm and never put a foot wrong. When Barasic returned he wasnt seen again. Now I wouldnt expect him to continue playing out of position when the 1st choice returns however with the league and cup already gone, why wasnt he given any gametime at RB?

Then you have McCrorie. Think he has played something like 6 games and conceeded 1 goal. 2 x clean sheets against Celtic. Yet Rangers go out and buy a new number 1. 

Fans dont pick the team but they certainly set the tone. Rangers fans demand their squad is full of "top" players. Just look at their midfield again this year. Its rammed. In cup games the likes of Hagi, Lundstrum, Jack, Dowell etc will all be starting long before Rice and Lowry.

Sterling will play before Devine and Balagoun before King.

Thats the reality at Rangers and has been for as long as I can remember.

Do you not think Man City have the money to have 26 international class finished articles? They do but they choose not too.

You say that's been the reality for as long as you can remember so tell me the players over this period that have left Rangers & had top class careers? Don't mention Gilmour or Patterson as we know why they both left. Ok Patterson probably should have got more chances but Rangers still sold him for major money.

   Comparing Man City to Rangers is ridiculous, City have a world class heavily funded academy, that's why Foden, Rico Lewis & the like will come thru & endless others will have successful careers even if not at City.

  I'm sorry in my opinion there's a reason why McCrorie has only had 1 loan period at even SPL level of which he spent half the time on the bench, there's probably something in his game that coaches feel isn't at the level required.. Once again if Rangers feel any of either King , Devine & Lowry have the potential to be good enough they will get the chance or be sent out on loan at a decent level to prove it. None of them have done so yet.

[Diamond Scot]

1 hour ago, theabsentee said:

You say that's been the reality for as long as you can remember so tell me the players over this period that have left Rangers & had top class careers? Don't mention Gilmour or Patterson as we know why they both left. Ok Patterson probably should have got more chances but Rangers still sold him for major money.

   Comparing Man City to Rangers is ridiculous, City have a world class heavily funded academy, that's why Foden, Rico Lewis & the like will come thru & endless others will have successful careers even if not at City.

  I'm sorry in my opinion there's a reason why McCrorie has only had 1 loan period at even SPL level of which he spent half the time on the bench, there's probably something in his game that coaches feel isn't at the level required.. Once again if Rangers feel any of either King , Devine & Lowry have the potential to be good enough they will get the chance or be sent out on loan at a decent level to prove it. None of them have done so yet.

There are several players that left Rangers and went onto have careers at a higher level than Rangers 1st team. Charlie Adam and Ross McCormack are just two however this is missing the point. 

The point is that players development is halted because they dont get their chance in the 1st team. By the time they leave they have lost multiple years of crucial development time so they are effectively playing catchup.

Comparing Man City and Rangers is relative. Nobody is saying Rangers should be producing players the standard of Phil Foden but to play 1st team football for Rangers you dont need to be of that standard. Rangers spend significantly more than anybody else in Scotland on their academy bar Celtic. They have the pick of any player in Scotland because of the draw and money they can offer. 

Your final point would be good if it was just this batch of players but we are talking a significant number of years. Are you saying that in 15 odd years Rangers havent had any players who had the talent to make it into their 1st team? When you look at some of the absoulte dross that Rangers have bought, even to make the bench, guys like Scott Wright, Ohalleran, Jones etc etc, nobody who had the potential to be better than these guys.

Lets face it, even when Rangers went to 3rd div they splashed out on guys like Kevin Kyle when they could have filled their side with promising youth and a few senior pros.