Mulholland’s drive to evolve

Rangers head of academy explains the move to pit youth side against the likes of Bayern Munich to Scott Mullen

CRAIG Mulholland believes Scottish football can benefit as a whole from Rangers’ pioneering move for their Under-20s to withdraw from the development league to play some of Europe’s top clubs next season.

The Rangers head of academy was part of the working group behind the SFA’s Project Brave initiative that hopes to overhaul the nation’s academy set-up to improve the standard of players from grassroots level for the next generation of internationalists.

While some clubs have stated their fears and unhappiness at the proposed plan to have an Elite academy top tier of just eight clubs – meetings have been held over the last week between a host of apprehensive academy chiefs – the Ibrox club has taken the unexpected step to look at international opposition such as Manchester United, Southampton and Bayern Munich in an attempt to help the development of their own future stars.

However, Mulholland insists the year-long trial, which has had the blessing of SFA performance director Malky Mackay, could see a positive impact from the ground-breaking scheme spread further than the Murray Park pitches.

“When we met the SPFL board, a few clubs were represented and they all said they were delighted a Scottish club was leading the way with this initiative,” he said. “We think it will be a success, but in a year’s time we might think differently. If it works then we have to look at Scotland as a nation in terms of the domestic programme, then how can we build it in for every club?

“If this best v best cross-border challenge is working well, how can we build it in for every club and make it better for every club in Scotland? We need to improve what we’re doing.

“Malky was delighted with it, probably because if you look at the group we have something like 10 or 12 internationals at 16s, 17s, 18s level. If it’s as successful as we hope, Malky has the players at Scotland level playing best v best every week and it has to help not just Rangers, but also the national game.

“I think it would have been hard for him to back something that was longer than a one-year pilot because it’s important Rangers are part of Scottish football. After the one year, we can look at the outcome and look at our game’s model after that.”

The scheme is a radical change for all at Ibrox. This season, their side finished sixth in the SPFL Development League that was eventually won by Ross County, though Rangers for the large part filled their team with U18 and U17 players to try to boost their progression.

Mulholland is committed to rediscovering a lost generation. Studies have shown that Scotland as a whole is producing talented youngsters up to the age of 17, only for many of them to drop out by the time they are ready for a first team. He hopes this plan will feed off Project Brave’s ethos and set about solving this conundrum.

After the one year we can look at the outcome and look at our game’s model

“The two outcomes to come out of Project Brave we have to address as a club are, do we have to be more innovative as a club because the outcomes aren’t where we want them to be? The other part is the transition between 17 and 21,” said Mulholland.

“At Under-17 level Scotland have qualified for the last three or four European Championships, but 37 per cent of the players, who are mainly from Rangers and Celtic, have dropped off. What we have to see is what is happening to 37 per cent of the best young talent, how can we challenge them to make sure they get better and better until the Under-21s?

“What other sport would let the best young talent drop off from the 17s to the 21s? So this is where we have to be innovative to make sure the teams who are successful at Under-17s are successful still at the 21s. If you tell them some of the teams they are facing then you are going to be excited as a young player. We as staff are excited by it never mind the

players.”