(fron Sporting Life.com) Rangers director of football Gordon Smith can't agree with players who would choose the npower Championship over the opportunity to play in the Champions League. Crystal Palace midfielder Neil Danns agreed a move to Leicester despite interest from the Scottish champions, while another target, Craig Conway, opted for Cardiff. Reports suggest Conway's former Dundee United team-mate David Goodwillie could also make the move to the Bluebirds, with Rangers yet to make a formal bid for the Tannadice striker. However, former agent Smith insists players who choose finances over football are no great loss to Rangers. He said: "I believe it shouldn't always be about money. My own opinion is that players should be making decisions which are football decisions, rather than financial. "I tried to do that myself when I was an agent, I tried to say to the player to make the right football decision. "If I was a player coming through, would I go to a club playing in the Champions League or go to a club that's playing in the Championship? I know where I would want to go. "It's a shame because you lose players who don't quite see it that way. But we move on. "If a player decides not to come to us, we have to take the attitude that maybe it's not such a bad thing. "He's maybe not got the right attitude that we want because what we really want is people who see us as the place to come to." Smith added: "It is a different world these days. "We have budgets here, we have a certain amount of income and we have to be sensible spending the money. I think the fans realise that nowadays. "I'm very aware of salary levels at Premiership level, but the Championship level salaries have also rocketed. "There are clubs coming down from the Premiership into the Championship and they are keeping the wage scales going. "Clubs are getting new owners and deciding to compete to try to get into the Premiership because they know there is big money. So that's the market." New Rangers boss Ally McCoist has yet to make his first signing but Smith urged fans to be patient. He said: "I would tell them not to be frustrated. It is early on. "I've got a lot of experience of the transfer business and it's usually midnight on August 31 when a lot of the deals get done. "We're trying to do it in June now and we're trying to get up and running because there are games coming up. "We have a good set of players just now, it's not as though we are short of a team. But we are looking to strengthen the squad and that's what we are working on just now. "I would say to the fans not to be too worried or frustrated. We are working on it, we've got targets and ultimately we will be bringing players in." He added: "The squad definitely does need to be strengthened. Not in terms of right away because we've got a good team. "But we are going to try to strengthen the squad in terms of bringing in quality. Ally and I agree that we need competition for places. The other aspect is injuries and suspensions. "It's important that we get some players in. We are probably looking at at least three or four players to come in."
They're not money driven, and it's not about choosing Champions League football over the Championship. If you play for Rangers/Celtic: - 33 League Games, 3 of which are competitive. - The Scottish Cup and The Scottish League Cup (CIS or something) of which again, it's only competetive if Rangers and Celtic are drawn together, or if either of the two play their youngsters against a lower reputation opposition - Just 2 qualifying Champions League Qualifying against teams that you can hardly consider 'Big', just big for their country. Yes there's a possibility of a further 6 group stage games but it's hardly experiencing the magic of the Champions League if you finish bottom of the group with 2 points. If you opt to play for a Championship club ie. Leicester, Hull: - 46 League Games, where pretty much anything could happen in any given match. - The FA Cup and Carling Cup, where again, anything could happen, with the prospect of drawing a big team and the excitement of causing an upset. I know which one I would choose every single time.
Former agent Smith says that players should take the better opportunity of playing in the chumps league for a game or two rather than more money! Oh my god if you look up hypocrite in the encyclopedia then I'm sure Smithies face will be there! He says it should'nt be about money, oh my god my sides are hurting from laughing.
Heh 100% agree with this. I had the misfortune to live in Scotland for 2 years in my youth, and what seems to happen there is, any semi decent player that pops up in any non Glasgow team is bought by one of those 2 teams, with all their (supposed) wealth, then benched if not really required. This ensures the total dominance of these 2 clubs. Shocking really.
If he'd signed as a marquee player for, say, Coventry, I'd agree. But Leicester are a club who are really taking things seriously this season, making numerous signings and spending money. They also have a decent manager who is very well-known and well-connected. If I were Danns, I'd take another year in the Championship if it meant Premier League football was likely the year after.
It's 38 games they play (5 are after the split based on where teams are after 33 games), and 4 of them are competitive. That extra 1 in 5 makes all the difference.
How the mighty have fallen. It wasn't that long ago that Butcher, Gasgoine and stevens amongst others couldn't get to Glasgow quick enough. They are now reduced to trying to sign run of the mill championship players. Good luck with that Rangers. Perhaps they may fancy a McShane? He has a scottish sounding name and is definately, run of the mill (or thereabouts). Wages may be a problem however for those giants of world football.
