What is happening with the B Team?

[Chocolateleftfoot]

I watched Rangers Celtic & Hearts B teams against various lowland league teams and most weeks it was a very competitive game with not that much between them. I could not see what harm it done to any of these B teams.

The young players we have that have a chance of breaking into the first team are better served out on loan at the highest level they can compete at.

The rest of them are of no use to us anyway.

What does an Alex Lowry or a Leon King or Adam Devine gain from it? Nothing.

 

[Chris Traeger]

You've answered your own question. Academies do various things and after two years in the Lowland League, we've decided that there's so little to be gained from it, we'd rather not even bother.

The reason teams go up and don't come back down is simple and it's why EK will go up this year. Money. Investing heavily in players that are far better than the level around them. There's players getting a grand a game playing against University students.

I never had a question, I was answering your idea that the level was poor and that it might be worth the opinion of folk who watch that level.

 

[Davie Weir Loyal]

I think the people that watched them play at that level for 2 years might be a bit more qualified to judge that.

Or you can just look at both years league tables

 

[Chris Traeger]

The young players we have that have a chance of breaking into the first team are better served out on loan at the highest level they can compete at.

The rest of them are of no use to us anyway.

What does an Alex Lowry or a Leon King or Adam Devine gain from it? Nothing.

And yet we left Lowry, King and Devine there because we were trying our best to win it. And failed because they weren't good enough.

 

[andy17x]

When they played lowland league last year, everyone complained the level was too poor and it was a waste of time. Which, with no promotion, is probably true.

Yet they were never close to winning it

 

[andy17x]

That's fine and that's your opinion but we played in it for two years and opted not to continue. Obviously we felt we were getting very little from it.

We also have very little to the LL league so swings and roundabouts

 

[DonDraper]

Who allowed us to withdraw from a league without having a backup?

Me, square go?

 

[Brian_Fantana]

We should be making deals with a club at each level of the scottish leagues.

Pay them a yearly fee and send them 4 players to play in as many games as they are fit for. I can't see teams passing up the money.

Our absolutely top prospects should be getting loans to teams in the Premier before deciding if they can step into our first team, with us paying all the wages as the sweetener. 18/19 year olds should be at a championship team and making waves if they have a future. etc etc

If we don't have a reserve league then at least get the talented players a chance to play proper football

 

[Chocolateleftfoot]

I never had a question, I was answering your idea that the level was poor and that it might be worth the opinion of folk who watch that level.

I've watched enough of it to form my own opinion.

 

[Chocolateleftfoot]

Or you can just look at both years league tables

Why? What do you think it tells you?

 

[Chocolateleftfoot]

And yet we left Lowry, King and Devine there because we were trying our best to win it. And failed because they weren't good enough.

Did we leave them in it to try and win it? Or did we leave them there to get them ready for the Rangers first team?

Either way, it didn't work did it?

So what's the argument for continuing to play in it?

 

[Dunmurryted]

Playing against brickies and lawyers will not prepare young players for top level professional football. We need to join the English youth league.

Not a hope in hell of Scottish clubs being entertained

 

[Chocolateleftfoot]

Yet they were never close to winning it

If the point in having an academy team playing in the Lowland League was to win it, then the priorities were all wrong from the get go.

Development is more important than results.

 

[Chris Traeger]

If the point in having an academy team playing in the Lowland League was to win it, then the priorities were all wrong from the get go.

Development is more important than results.

It was pretty clear from watching us that winning was the goal. The priorities were wrong and when they club realised the SPFL 42 weren't going to let them in they took the huff and chucked it. It's telling that Celtic have gone from trying to win it as well and actually started treating it as development this year and tumbled down the table.

 

[Chocolateleftfoot]

It was pretty clear from watching us that winning was the goal. The priorities were wrong and when they club realised the SPFL 42 weren't going to let them in they took the huff and chucked it. It's telling that Celtic have gone from trying to win it as well and actually started treating it as development this year and tumbled down the table.

That was my whole point. If we don't see it as being beneficial for developing players, there's no point in being in it.

 

[blue genes]

The Lowland League would have been fine if we'd actually used it as intended, to develop players. Instead we tried win it to prove a point.

Hearts spent last season in mid table, playing 16/17 year olds. Regardless of the opposition/score they played the same way, developing the players. This season the same players started, but a few of them have now played for the first team including Tait who came on in the semi against us. They're second in the division with almost the exact same squad and the improvement in the players has been clear to see.

I don't like to see a Rangers team at any level lose matches, but that's an interesting approach by Hearts.

I suppose a question might be: have they brought more players than us through as a result of that approach? It may take a couple of years before we know.

 

[andy17x]

If the point in having an academy team playing in the Lowland League was to win it, then the priorities were all wrong from the get go.

Development is more important than results.

Am not saying it's not - but if the quality is that "poor" as suggested then you'd be expecting the B team to skoosh it - or at least be a level above.

Anyway, the LL is not a development league and has no place for B Teams of any club in my opinion. The quality is decent, to absolute dross but it is what it is - B Teams should not be featuring in it IMO.

 

[Hiram.Abiff]

I’d scrap everything below U18. Utterly pointless.

 

[Davie Weir Loyal]

That was my whole point. If we don't see it as being beneficial for developing players, there's no point in being in it.

Oh wait. Do you trust our youth coaches?

 

[Chocolateleftfoot]

Oh wait. Do you trust our youth coaches?

I'm fairly certain they will be more than qualified to coach kids.

 

[Chris Traeger]

I don't like to see a Rangers team at any level lose matches, but that's an interesting approach by Hearts.

I suppose a question might be: have they brought more players than us through as a result of that approach? It may take a couple of years before we know.

I think it's five players that have graduated from their B to the first team this season. They aren't starting every game, but their contributing at a first team level. Tait who came on against us in the semi started this season in the B team.

 

[Chocolateleftfoot]

I think it's five players that have graduated from their B to the first team this season. They aren't starting every game, but their contributing at a first team level. Tait who came on against us in the semi started this season in the B team.

That's great but to make it at Hearts and make it at Rangers is two totally different levels.

Craig Halkett has played nearly 100 games for Hearts, is one of their best players and a decent spfl pro. We let him go because he'll never be the level required to play for Rangers.

 

[Mview83]

Some of our better youth players are out on loan.

The others haven’t played a competitive league game for two seasons now and it’s not a good situation at all and the reason some players won’t renew their contracts.

 

[Vinted]

Put them into the English league system and let them try and work up. Once they are in the 1st division we make them our first team and work up to the EPL. easy peasy.

 

[The Blue Lamp]

Wouldn't surprise me if our next option was to enter our players into the local five aside league just so that they can get a game. The setup in this country is laughable.

 

[RoboProd]

Some of our better youth players are out on loan.

The others haven’t played a competitive league game for two seasons now and it’s not a good situation at all and the reason some players won’t renew their contracts.

Out of interest who would you say that was (ie better players)?

 

[Big Negri]

Out of interest who would you say that was (ie better players)?

I was just going to ask the same question. I can’t think of any.

 

[WarnbroTavernier]

Haha, I've never noticed you until today mate.

Shows what sort of impact you have made

I’m not on here to “make an impact”. I’m just a Rangers supporter

 

[Chris Traeger]

Also worth remembering that until June 2023 we were pushing the conference for this season, a division made up of B teams, Lowland League Teams and Highland League teams. We then took a U-turn when that wasn't going ahead. Hard to see it as anything other than taking a huff when that didn't go our way. A league of B Team, LL and HL was good enough, but one of B teams and LL wasn't?

 

[Bazza1985]

I went to a good few Rangers B games whilst they were in Lowland League. Seen a few easy games but overall the majority of games were competitive. I was one of the few who was disappointed to see us leave it.

My stats (albeit, they'll include a few Challenge Cup games) hardly give the picture of a team strolling matches!

 

[Cathcart Bear]

We definitely took the huff because we didn’t get what we wanted. It was a daft decision then IMO but even more so now with hindsight. For a lot of the players at that age it’s been a wasted season

 

[Phil'ieve]

Bit harsh there, the OP was only asking a simple question. Jesus

OP asking a simple question and a guy messages randomly aggressively moaning while refering to everyone else as moany

 

[EIAFF]

I'm not sure promotion to the other leagues helps.

You have a core of boys at 17/18 who win the league and get promoted and they move on to 1st team duties or are sold.

You're now in higher league with another set of players who night not be good enough for that level and they gain little by being hammered every week.

I'm not sure what the solution is but we've never had it right as far as youth development goes.

 

[Phil'ieve]

Haha, I've never noticed you until today mate.

Shows what sort of impact you have made

Mate in fairness almost everything you write on FF includes calling people clueless or mental for their opinions or saying this place is mental etc etc. All while you call the OP on this thread moany for asking a simple question. You've got your back up on just about every post you write comes across like your running around your living room raging holding a baseball bat every time somebody posts something you dont agree with

 

[Gameboy]

I'm not sure promotion to the other leagues helps.

You have a core of boys at 17/18 who win the league and get promoted and they move on to 1st team duties or are sold.

You're now in higher league with another set of players who night not be good enough for that level and they gain little by being hammered every week.

I'm not sure what the solution is but we've never had it right as far as youth development goes.

It works well in other countries for big clubs, you can only find out players levels when we test them at the highest levels.

If their not good enough for us, they most likely will go to lower levels of the game and face relegation and promotion elsewhere and the other countries who have B teams believe younger players will grow more mentally stronger being faced with it at a youth level.

 

[BigBadJohn]

Depends what they're doing instead I suppose.

Truth is we seem to have inconsistent ideas on what to do with youngsters and because of the constant change at the top it feels like there's not enough resolve to see one plan through.

 

[BigBadJohn]

I suspect we had hoped for a better turn out of support for the games as well but playing in Dumbarton put an end to that.

I went once with a mate and the journey was just too far.

Wouldn't be surprised if a lot of folk were put off by that.