I still remember those player's name's from the 70's. I wish we could still sign player's in the mold of Big Derek & Wee Tommy. Does a player similar to McLean, even exist today ? Someone running & gently chipping the ball straight to a team mate ? Nowadays players kick the ball & hope for the best, (usually over hit to the corner flag)😀
Jock and my father Tom Craig knew how to build a team of winners ! History makers who later went on to play and manage other clubs ...what an era of football ...the beautiful game ..made beautiful by genius .
Derek Johnstone didn't play 1 second in the Argentina World Cup at the end of that season. McLeod couldn't even trust him against Iran, and yet he said at the time that Dalglish was knackered and needed a rest. Rangers won everything north of the border in 1978 (put out Juventus in the 1979 European Cup) but McLeod took only 3 players from their squad to the World Cup, which makes no sense. I think that is why Argentina in 1978 remains such a remarkable tournament for Scotland because with better management Scotland could easily have done really well. McLeod would have done a better job picking Gray in the squad and playing Johnstone and Gray up front in the second game. Jordan played for years and scored very few goals.
I was a long range Rangers fan in England at the time and I remember this season very well. A classic line-up with the experienced - Jardine/Forsyth/McLean/Johnstone and the new - Russell/ Smith/Cooper and a very well balanced team.
