HERO ALLAN IS A PLAYER POSSESSED
Thomson’s never known a keeper so possessed as Greegsy
Possessed. That’s how Kevin Thomson describes Allan McGregor as a goalkeeper.
From their days together as kids in Edinburgh to being Rangers team-mates – he’s never seen anyone so desperate to keep a ball out of a net.
McGregor’s heroics against Slavia Prague in the Europa League the other night came as no surprise to the Ibrox coach.
The save to deny Czech substitute Lukas Masopust was ridiculously good.
If you watch it again, you’ll see Gers players actually drop their shoulders and almost turn away, believing the header to be past their keeper.
But they should all have known better.
McGregor’s miraculous stop kept the first-leg at 1-1, giving Steven Gerrard’s side a huge chance of seeing off Slavia on Thursday night and reaching the quarter-finals.
All sorts of comparisons are being made on social media – some even thrown at Thomson himself. Who’s the best Rangers keeper ever, McGregor or Andy Goram? Is the save in Prague better than the one he pul led off against Werder Bremen in 2008 on the road to the UEFA Cup Final?
But Thomson sees little point in trying to rate moments of brilliance. He says Rangers supporters should just enjoy McGregor while he’s still there.
At 39, he looks as good as ever and Gerrard has put a new contract offer on the table ready to be signed.
Thomson, currently Rangers B team coach at Auchenhowie, admits he’s never played alongside a better No.1.
He said: “As well as his ability, Greegsy’s a character, a personality – someone who likes a laugh. He’s a great lad.
“The people who get close to him will also know that he keeps himself to himself. He’s happy in his own company at times, a bit of a loner.
“But as a goalkeeper, how good do you need to be to make those types of saves in a top European competition?
“Greegsy is easily the best I’ve ever played with.
“We’re talking about multiple unbelievable saves in his career so far.
“Look at the one from Leigh Griffiths at Ibrox in the Old Firm game at the New Year.
“He has to sit right at the top of the tree, when it comes to keepers.
“It’s no disrespect to any other goalie
at Rangers because when I was there we had top keepers like Stefan Klos.
“But if we ever played small- sided games in training, when Greegsy was in your team it was like having an extra player.
“I’ve never seen a keeper so possessed and so desperate to keep the ball out of the net as him.”
When McGregor was leaving Hull City in 2018, there were question marks over whether he was sti l l agi le enough to operate at the top level after a back injury.
He was linked with a move to boyhood club Hearts before Rangers offered him a return to Ibrox.
Thomson believes that Gerrard will now reflect on that as one of his best bits of business.
He said: “Allan’s professionalism to keep himself fit and in shape at the age of 39 is something he probably doesn’t get a lot of credit for.
“To be so agile and be able to shift around the goal is incredible.
“At Hull he had a back operation and he was struggling. There were even rumours that he might be finished.
“But when he signed at Rangers, I believed it was a no-brainer.
“Rangers were rebuilding and he knew what it was going to take to get them back to the top.
“Maybe people forget how good a player you are when you’ve been out of sight, out of mind. I remember Walter Smith talking up Davie Weir as one of his main signings for Rangers.
“And I think that the manager now, when he looks at what he’s had off Greegsy, pound for pound, then he must be absolutely delighted.
“He deserves all the plaudits he’s getting. Goalkeepers never seem to get the same recognition as outfield players.
“They’re never really touted as Player of the Year contenders.
“But hopeful ly Greegsy gets al l the credit he deserves at the end of this season.”
Thomson believes Gerrard and his staff will now fancy their chances of progressing to the last- eight of the Europa League after the 1-1 draw with Slavia.
He was part of Smith’s side who went all the way to the final of the competition in 2008 in Manchester.
They’re different teams, with different styles and players but the former midfielder recognises the spi r it of both sides. He said:
“The lads will be quietly confident going into the second leg against Slavia.
“When they produce their best performances at Ibrox, as they have done so far already this season in Europe, they score goals and are hard to beat.
“The biggest similarity between this team and ours back in 2008 is the togetherness.
“They’re working for each other, fighting for each other.
“That’s what we had as well in 2008. I watched the game against St Mirren last weekend and you had Ryan Kent helping out in the full-back area.
“That’s the type of thing Walter demanded from his team and it’s what we did as a group of players.
“When I left Rangers as a player in 2010, we had just won the double. “And it now feels like that again – that’s the biggest compliment I can pay the manager, staff and players.
“The feeling in and around the club is back to what I’d expect Ranger s to feel like.”