If Thomson could have played more than 3 games in a row without getting injured then he may well have done better but I take your point, although your last couple of managers have found it an appealing trait when buying forwards. Rangers (and Celtic) will create more chances than Burnley do during the course of most of their games which is why, from the little I've seen of him, I think he'll do well in Scotland. Rangers already have a goal-a-game forward in Boyd, in Miller and Lafferty they seem to be trying to find his foil.

Hi Amms

As I said earlier on this thread I can't understand the reluctance to use Boyd. Is it because he doesn't run after full backs all day trying to win throw ins?

Seems like Ally McCoist has forgotten the type of player he used to be

AMMS wrote:

QUOTE:
your last couple of managers have found it an appealing trait when buying forwards.

Scott McDonald's a dwarf, and JVOH is anything but a target man -- he doesn't have the broadness of physique for it. He likes the ball played in to his feet.

You're not seriously comparing the likes of Sutton and Hartson to Kyle Lafferty, just because they were both big?

AMMS wrote:

QUOTE:
Rangers already have a goal-a-game forward in Boyd, in Miller and Lafferty they seem to be trying to find his foil.

But Smith doesn't like selecting Boyd and is trying to sell him, and has just bought three new strikers in a week.

Mr Beast wrote:

QUOTE:
Hi Amms

As I said earlier on this thread I can't understand the reluctance to use Boyd. Is it because he doesn't run after full backs all day trying to win throw ins?

Seems like Ally McCoist has forgotten the type of player he used to be

I think you do McCoist a disservice however he undoubtedly benefited from having strike partner particularly Hately. Boyds not had one of them since Prso retired. Last season's one-up system didn't suit Boyd who does his best work in the penalty box. By the looks of our buys I'd guess Smith wants to utilise Boyd more next season.

[But Smith doesn't like selecting Boyd and is trying to sell him, and has just bought three new strikers in a week.[/quote]
Why is it Celtic fans always know what's going on behind the scenes at Ibrox? It seems certain that Cousin and Darcheville will leave, but Boyd I doubt. But who knows, although not you I'm pretty sure.
Add Samaras and Killen to your list of Celtic giants and maybe you can see where I'm coming from.

Wasn't trying to put McCoist down as his scoring record was something else. saw him score a hat trick at Hampden once to win league cup final. I was standing at the other end!

I just meant that workrate wouldn't be the strongest part of his game

Well, I'm basing my assessment of it on the fact that Smith was very reluctant to pick Boyd last season at a time when the team was struggling for goals. Darcheville was lumbering around up front like a human SUV and Cousin's goals had dried up, but Boyd still struggled to get a game despite having a good goalscoring record.

In almost all of Rangers' important games at the tail-end of the season -- the UEFA Cup final, Motherwell away, Hibs away, Aberdeen away -- he only got a couple of minutes as sub at the end. In the two big games at Celtic Park, he was an unused substitute. In the UEFA Cup campaign, he spent the entirety of the ties against Werder Bremen, Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina on the bench, and then got a couple of minutes at the end of the final. If Smith does rate him, he's got a pretty funny way of showing it.

Samaras, like JVOH, has height but could hardly be described as a target-man. He lacks the aggression and heading ability for it. He probably won't be staying because Lawwell reckons £3 million is too much to pay for him when he would probably only be the third-choice striker. And I'm not unhappy about that, to be honest -- he's a very average player.

Killen's pretty bad, you won't get any argument from me there.

Mr Beast wrote:

QUOTE:
Wasn't trying to put McCoist down as his scoring record was something else. saw him score a hat trick at Hampden once to win league cup final. I was standing at the other end!

I just meant that workrate wouldn't be the strongest part of his game

I'm sure the view was just as good though!
I understand, however my recollections of Ally were of a hard working, mobile player who needed 4 chances for every goal, Boyds style is different and he's much more ruthless however he needs someone else to create the opening for him.

Mmm, so you don't know Smith's selling Boyd then, I thought not. Your logic is flawed, anyone who has watched Boyd knows he can't play the lone striker role, both Darcheville (who is far from a lumbering SUV btw) and Cousin could. In my opinion they are both better players than Boyd and deserved to start before him.

As for height fair enough, i guess it's just coincidence Celtic keep buying giants then, clearly it's because they are good on the ground.

Of course I don't "know" for a fact. I'm not David Murray. But let's look at the evidence, shall we? Smith sees his team running out of goals big-time in the final few months of the season but still refuses to pick Boyd. The season ends with Rangers losing out on the title as their goals dry up big-time and they hardly manage a single shot in the UEFA Cup final, but still Boyd rots on the substitutes' bench. The close season begins. Smith then spends most of his transfer budget on three new strikers in the space of a week. Do you honestly believe that this all points to Kris Boyd enjoying a fruitful future at Rangers?

Darcheville isn't any better at playing football than Boyd is, and he scored 15 goals to Boyd's 25 last season despite getting far more of a run in the team. I hope Smith keeps picking him till the end of days.

Absolutely HoH, just wait and see.