Has Rangers star won over his doubters?

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Has Rangers star won over his doubters?


It is safe to say Danny Wilson has never been a universally popular Rangers player. A friendly, smart and decent fellow off the pitch, fans have never really taken to Wilson on it, initially praising Rob Kiernan far more than his then-partner, before a level of ambiguity over the ex-Liverpool player. Progress, I suppose.

However, overall he has remained an intensely disliked player, few fans’ first choice at the back and accused of being slow, poor in the air, and unable to read the game.

Oh what difference a couple of games makes!

From a distinctly criticised player, Wilson not only produced a colossal and stellar display at Ibrox on Wednesday alongside Bruno Alves, but did it again next to David Bates yesterday while scoring one of the best headers we have seen in years.

Suddenly the detractors have gone very quiet, much like those who absolutely lampooned this site for backing Bates against Aberdeen yesterday, and we have seen some absolutely excellent defensive performances over two matches which saw just one brilliant free kick conceded, which, arguably, Wes Foderingham should have done better at.

Is Danny Wilson Rangers class? Many look at those words and instantly dismiss him as a ‘no’ and yet frankly what more can the guy do? He was one of Rangers’ best players during the famous Old Firm win of last year, and again in another two big matches has stepped up and been counted.

What is more Rangers class than that?

We do not claim he is the love child of Maldini and Baresi – the guy is not perfect. But he is a lot, lot, lot better than the criticism of him suggests, and the idea he is a dreadful defender is clearly, utterly and wildly wrong.

We would concede he can be a little inconsistent – and yet other more ‘illustrious’ players do not get lambasted for the same fault.

Right now Danny Wilson is one of the main factors of Rangers’ current form – Aberdeen were rendered impotent against us in part thanks to Wilson’s efforts, and that header was every inch as good as Gary McSwegan’s legendary looper against Marseille.

Frankly, injury aside, we see absolutely no reason to drop him.

We just wish some fans would get off his back and cut him more slack than they do.

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8 COMMENTS

  1. Just to be clear Bates playing at CDM was disliked , Bates playing at CB was disliked slighly less 🙂 . Wilson has upped his game recently , fair play to him hope it continues. Thought Cardoso did well when he came on. All of a sudden we look like a unit

  2. He has looked so much better ever since we got shot of that clown Kiernan. I took a disliking to him back in the day for jumping at the chance to warm liverpools bench, came back to Hearts done shit hot there, captained them and always came across a true blue. Hes still a young defender at 25 and an academy graduate. His distribution does my tits in at times but he finds his man more often than not these days. Big Bruno done superb bringing all the defenders on, with the exception of Hodson!

  3. Two games won and Wilson is a world class defender?! Nope!
    I'm most pleased we have won both games, but it does not cover the fact we have been rotten against our so called minnows games. Inconsistency is our enemy.
    It is now obvious the players we have are capable of beating anybody, bar shellic, on their day. So why o why are they not beating them then?!! Inconsistent!
    Wilson, Bates, Windass, Miller and co have played well the past couple of games, however, recent history shows they pat each other on the backs, take media plaudits, drop tools and then let the next team beat them, why??
    To play for Rangers, I demand at least 100% effort in every game, not just when they feel like it!
    So before we all get all euphoric and break out the champagne, lets have a reality check on how our players can produce the good one week and feck up the next.
    On a positive note, I did like the system played against aberdeen and would play the same way against the beggars. It wont work against the teams who park the bus against us.
    But well done Murty on both wins this week, crucial 6 points, but lets do it every single game!!

    • Bit OTT Jim?! We never called him world class or even close to it! I think they call that the slippery slope fallacy! We just think he deserves more credit.

    • I think we both may be exaggerating then? You use words like "colossal and stellar" when describing Wilsons display. He did let Considine have a free header which luckily hit the bar! He also let Steven May in for a close range shot at Ibrox which thankfully May missed!
      Looking back at the Dundee game, Wilson flapped and gifted the forward the first goal! In Hamiltons second goal, Wilson jogged back behind the eventual scorer, so slow. In the Hearts game, Hearts were unlucky not to be 3-0 up in 30 minutes if it wasn't for poor finishing, Wilson was in no mans land in all 3 attempts. This is the tip of Wilsons iceberg of poor play!
      You question in the article was "Has Rangers star won over his doubters?.
      In my opinion, not a chance, no where near Rangers class! But that goes for all our players who are constantly inconsistent.
      In January window, we need a top quality centre half, centre and left midfielder and striker.
      I sincerely hope a corner has been turned by winning against aberdeen, but we have been here many times before, only time will tell.

  4. The idea which was lampooned about Bates was playing him in a midfield holding role not as a defender. To be fair he played well in defence but his distribution is not good enough even there.

    As for Wilson there was every reason to slate him in the past. And he only played 45 mins yesterday – Cardoso did the second half equally well. Ok – he has had a couple of good games recently but let's see if it lasts before making out he's Franz Beckenbauer. You only have to look at the swings in popularity of Miller, Windass, Holt, Pena among others to realise that in the eyes of most fans two good games makes you a world beater and two bad games makes you a donkey. It's laughable really.

  5. Fans need to be less fickle and look at the bigger picture instead of getting carried away based on one or two games.

  6. He has improved thats for sure. He needs to continue getting better, he seems slow and second to the ball to often for me but thats about him switching himself on for 95 mins. If I was him I'd get in the gym and add some bulk to that frame because we need centre half who are physical nowadays and he's often pushed around.

    Its really down to him to push is way in the team full time. I think he tends to play better when he has the responsibility to manage the back line. I think he always gives way to Alves thinking he's the senior man and will know what he's doing…

    So keep it going Danny its down to you…

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