John Rankin

[Guest birdog]

To those who have been rubbishing Mr Rankin -

:finger03: :finger03: :finger03: :finger03: :finger03: :finger03: :finger03: :finger03: :finger03: :finger03: :finger03: :finger03: :finger03: :finger03:

Fair enough he can hit a free kick but he needs a lot more training to knock the pish out of his play, on Saturday he was nowhere until he hit the net and that was only because he was handed the ball. He admitted giving away posession for the first Falkirk goal then in the second half, I think it was before we scored, he picked up the ball on the halfway line ran through on goal and bottled it at the end. He has the makings of a decent player but at the moment he is still pish.

[Guest sophia]

"Utterly useless", "pish".......

Lets just say that it's difficult to respect your point of view if you can't express yourself without resorting to infantile abuse.

I know it's a digital technology we use but does it have to be full on or full off all the time?

John Rankin(e) was one of many in our team that was under performing until the most exiting finale to a game that reminded me of why I actually go to football.

I count myself so lucky to be following a team that has known nothing but progress since its inception, progress that has not been silver spooned but fought hard for.

Get real and support the team, every one of them.

The rub is that I was calling for JR to be hooked in favour of Zander Sutherland.

I'm an amateur and 10CC is a professional.

When our 1st goal went in, I got the same feeling (the games ours) that I got after Les Fridge pulled off that miraculous save low to his right v Ayr Utd.

So congratulations to all the players who contributed to a great afternoon, eventually.

[stomach]

How can people say he didn't deserve MotM???  He single handedly turned ICT from Howlers to Heroes by scoring 2 and contributing to the third.  Even if ha had sat cross legged on the centre spot for the remainder of the match it was these 3 instances that won us the game and IMO anyone who can turn a game from a 2 goal defeat into a win deserves a MotM award, regardless of what they have done for the rest of the game.

CaleyD, I know what you are saying about Rankin scoring 2 goals in the game, but if you were at the game I'm sure you would have agreed that Rankin was awful for most of the game and was to blame for us losing the 2nd goal.

[Scotty]

I count myself so lucky to be following a team that has known nothing but progress since its inception, progress that has not been silver spooned but fought hard for. Get real and support the team, every one of them.

:clapping04: :clapping04: :clapping04: :clapping04:

[metalgecko]

Too many replies to read so apologies if this was said elsewhere.

I just get the impression that Christie refuses to drop him because he is "his" player. The guy he chased for so long and paid a club record fee for. No matter what he does CC will stand by him to either prove a point or that he is afraid to concede that a player he raved about has not been up to standard, So Far!

What I have seen this season he has been rotten. Done little and his confidence seems to have lowered week by week. I thought he was bought as an attacking midfielder so I wonder why he hasn't really been played as one?

I was sure he would have been hooked instead of Roy on saturday and at the time was amazed he wasn't taken off. Then I thought he had 20 minutes to keep his place in the team. When he did score his first though I cheered louder than anyone and am glad he has the monkey off his back. So good luck to him for the rest of the season and hopefully we might see just what so many others in the game were raving about.

[L_G]

Was given MotM by BBC.

A complete joke.

He was utterly useless today and gave the ball away for Falkirks 2nd. That said, his 1st free kick was a cracker and the 2nd a pure fluke. However, you could see how much it meant to him and hopefully that will be a huge boost to the guy and here's hoping he can take that into next weeks game  :001:

Couldn't agree more...me and my mate were saying exactly this after the game. I actually felt that it was Rankine that should've gone off instead of Roy! But CC obviously knew something I didn't !!! :003:

Posted on: Today at 08:31:25 PMPosted by: sophia  

Insert Quote

"Utterly useless", "pish".......

Lets just say that it's difficult to respect your point of view if you can't express yourself without resorting to infantile abuse.

I know it's a digital technology we use but does it have to be full on or full off all the time?

John Rankin(e) was one of many in our team that was under performing until the most exiting finale to a game that reminded me of why I actually go to football.

I count myself so lucky to be following a team that has known nothing but progress since its inception, progress that has not been silver spooned but fought hard for.

Get real and support the team, every one of them.

The rub is that I was calling for JR to be hooked in favour of Zander Sutherland.

I'm an amateur and 10CC is a professional.

When our 1st goal went in, I got the same feeling (the games ours) that I got after Les Fridge pulled off that miraculous save low to his right v Ayr Utd.

So congratulations to all the players who contributed to a great afternoon, eventually.

Great comments - we often think we know best, but if ever there was proof that the professionals are the ones in the know!!  :001:

I didn't think JR was having his best game either, but a couple of weeks ago, I thought he was really bad and I met John Doc on the Sunday and he thought he was excellent and played his best game for us.  I said to him then that he obviously seems the game from a different perspective.  If we could all see it as they do, we would all be football managers.

:015:Vacancy at Dundee Utd if anyone is interested.  :015: :015:

[L_G]

Saw him arriving for training this morning and he was still smiling.  I am pleased for him and now that the pressure will be off a bit, hopefully there will be many more goals from midfield.

It was obvious that it meant the world to him to score 1 far less 2. Well done that man.

[Guest Cotter]

Yes have to agree this is probably what he was needing. Hope this starts his season for him similar to dargo last season.

[Harry Chibber]

Just seen the goals on Shitesport and to be fair to Rankin he couldn't have placed that 2nd freekick in a better place... just crept in the corner... quality handling from Higgins though  :015: :015: :015: :015:

First one was a cracking freekick though :003:

[RiG]

"Utterly useless",

Lets just say that it's difficult to respect your point of view if you can't express yourself without resorting to infantile abuse.

That is infantile how exactly?

Just seen the goals on Shitesport and to be fair to Rankin he couldn't have placed that 2nd freekick in a better place... just crept in the corner... quality handling from Higgins though  :015: :015: :015: :015:

First one was a cracking freekick though :003:

The first one was brilliant. Well placed and powerful yet it had all the precision of one of those floated curling shots.

The 2nd one was a fluke but I never realised how bad Higgins was with his handling. Saw it on North Tonight - MotM for me!  :001:

[Guest sophia]

If you cannot work out what is wrong with using such epithets to descibe our players I'm not going to attempt to counsel you.

Perhaps you can seek out a life skills course at university.

JR was not significantly worse or better than anybody else in a blue shirt up to the point where he scored two goals to win us the game. Think about it, he scored two goals, we won the game and what does he get? He gets the MOTM award from various, mostly neutral, observers and called "utterly useless" from a "supporter".

[Guest birdog]

Sophia people are intitled to an opinion and to share it here with fellow supporters if that opinion is to describe one of our players as totally useless or pish then that is fair enough.

If you think the sun now shines out of the Rankone's arse just because he scored twice from deadballs then fair enough also. I personally think that so far he has not justified being our highest transfer fee yet but I also think he has a lot to come, I just wish he would start performing to his alleged abilities sooner rather than later. Maybe these two goals will spur him into action, I certainly hope so, but I think he needs to be more aware of where his team mates are around him. Admitedly I have not seen him in an away match yet but I have been in attendance at all but one home match and Rankin has not impressed me at all.

[RiG]

If you cannot work out what is wrong with using such epithets to descibe our players I'm not going to attempt to counsel you.

Perhaps you can seek out a life skills course at university.

Perhaps you might like to take some of your own advice and refrain from such 'infantile abuse'  :003:

JR was not significantly worse or better than anybody else in a blue shirt up to the point where he scored two goals to win us the game. Think about it, he scored two goals, we won the game and what does he get? He gets the MOTM award from various, mostly neutral, observers and called "utterly useless" from a "supporter".

At the end of the day it's my opinion and if you don't like it you don't have to read it  :003:

For 70 minutes John Rankin was annonymous and hugely underperforming. However he made both myself and a number of others eat humble pie in the end. That doesn't detract from the fact that his only contribution before those free kicks was losing the ball that resulted in Falkirk scoring their second. He was doing nothing. The reason the lad is under so much scrutiny is because he has underperformed in many games previously this season. Russell Duncan has been another under the 'supporters microscope' in the past.

However, as you will see from my other posts on this subject in other threads, I was more than happy to see him score those two goals. But I still feel he has a lot to prove and now is the time to do it. He will be boosted by finally scoring a goal or two and the importance of the goals will more than likely catalyse his performances from here on in. Here's hoping. And we know he can do more than this as well.

[Guest sophia]

birdog,

The money that ICT paid Ross County was what JR cost, it's not the same thing as what he is worth. Given the figures quoted there wasn't a country mile between that sum and what Dundee Utd paid for one of our squad players. This is not a stick to beat him with.

Cut the guy some slack, he is trying to make his way at the top level (we're playing at the top level, rejoice) of Scottish football. Our job is to support.

Read the post and consider the words whot I rote. All I was suggesting was that there may be shades of grey between black and white. Further, if one were able to intoduce some colour to the canvas it may enlighten.

RIG,

I appreciate your retraction but I would like you to be a little more explicit and perhaps use this forum apologise to John for your description of his contribution as "utterly useless".

Not microscope, that is too scientific, more like a mash hammer.

[Guest birdog]

Sophia at this moment in time we live in a free country and are entitled to think and say what we want so I will SAY I don't THINK Rankin is worth the money, so far, how would you like me to turm to you and say STFU take my opinion as it is gospel truth? No i did not think so.

I am happy every day that ICT are playing in the top level, I stood on cold winters days on the terracing at Telford street you do not have to remind me how far we have come I do my job supporting our team, I pay my season ticket, I bring my son and daughter the next generation of supporters and have turned them into staunch ICT fans. All this entitles me to my opinion, you are entitled to yours not once have I said yours is wrong I just dont believe Rankin is worth the money we payed YET. Now STFU and leave me alone you overbearing sod.

EDIT Are you sleeping with JR (as you call him) because you are taking these comments a bit too much to heart.

[Harry Chibber]

Someone please correct Rankin's name on this thread :015:

To be fair to sophia I can see his/her point... Rankin scored 2 goals, which won us the match thus MOTM.... simple!

Christie has obviously bought Rankin because he believes last season we didn't get enough goals from midfield and although he's had a difficult start to his career at the club everyone can see that there is plenty of potential there and it's down to Charlie & Parkie to get it out of him (also for the fans not to get on his back but encourage him so we can get the best out of him).  At Kilmarnock he was one of the best players on the park but he needs to be given more license to push forward and that can only happen if we have a player in midfield doing his defensive work, at the moment Black needs to have more discipline with his positioning.  If Duncan does play on Saturday we may see a confident & more attacking Rankin, which will hopefully lead to him bagging another goal... or 2 :003:

[Johnboy]

Very fair comment, Harry.... thanks for restoring a little sanity to this thread.....  :clapping04:

[Guest birdog]

Ok I hold my hands up and admit my comments to Sophia in my last post were harsh and bourne out of anger at being told what to think and for that, Sophia you have my apology, I could edit them and pretend they never happened but I believe in honesty.

Yes Rankin scored two sweet goals and for that he deserved MoM because at the end of the day he was the "man".

Anyone who has seen the film I.D will understand me when I say I had an I.D moment, I slagged the man solidly for the whole match then found myself singing "one John Rankin there's only one...."

However after the match I turned to my father and said "he might be ***** but he can hit a free-kick" I stand by my comments I do not think Rankin has justified his transfer fee as yet but I said the same of Dargo and many others over the years, critcism is a good thing it spurs people on to achieve more or it breaks them. If it spurs people on to achieve better performances then they are made of strong stuff and worthy of their position if someone crumbles under the pressure then they are not worthy of their position- simple.

If someone is not pushed to produce their best then they will churn out mediocre performances all the time.

[Harry Chibber]

Anyone who has seen the film I.D will understand me when I say I had an I.D moment, I slagged the man solidly for the whole match then found myself singing "one John Rankin there's only one...."

:015: :015: :015:

Great film

[RiG]

To be fair to sophia I can see his/her point... Rankin scored 2 goals, which won us the match thus MOTM.... simple!

I see what you are getting at but then that would mean most MotM awards are determined by who has scored a goal and not by actual performance on the pitch.

If you went by goals which turned the game of course Rankin would be it but if you were looking at a very good - truely outstanding performance then it would be Latapy.

Did Graham Bayne get MotM because he scored v rangers last week? I believe most of the credit ended up going to the defence and Grant Munro.

While I agree goals turn/win games I feel it is wrong to base MotM awards on just that otherwise performance is completely overlooked.

[tm4tj]

My tuppence worth.

Rankin was not Man of the Match, but he was certainly Man of the Moment on Saturday.

I also thought he was poor right up till he scored the two goals that won the game, very grateful for that, but otherwise he looks like someone playing with low confidence.  Therefore maybe this will be just what he needed.  First goal was a great strike, second goal was a deep cross under the crossbar......the rest is history.

And agreed, can someone take the e out of Rankin please, it is really not clever to spell his name wrong.

[Guest Sandy Cromarty]

He's a farty *** and cost us.

[L_G]

What a quality post Sandy.  Very mature and informative.  Keep taking the medication.  :015:

[Guest Sandy Cromarty]

What would you prefer LG? the boy as you can see by the majority of posts on here is out of his league, I don't want to do a Hislop believe me but we are well into the season and I think it's time for 'Taxi for Rankine' and that includes the J.Arthur Rank spelling, mingy gusset?? you call it.

[kencar]

Strange how some players no matter what they do get slated on here whilst others can seemingly do no wrong  :006: