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Leaving Ibrox was tough decision for Naismith
'I looked at all my options'
The 26 year-old left Glasgow a free agent over the summer when the old Rangers club was declared insolvent and wound up and was snapped up by David Moyes at Everton.
Naismith admits that even though he weighed up all his options and, with Rangers' future by no means certain, felt he had no choice but to take the chance being offered at Goodison, it was still the most difficult decision he has had to make.
"It was hard," he says." In hindsight, everyone involved could have done things differently. I've made the decision I have: in the future who knows whether I could [play there] again? Who would have ruled out Mo Johnston going from one side of the Old Firm to the other?
"I spoke to the management before I left and everything seemed to be fine. I've got a lot of good friends there.
"The situation we were in, I got all the information I could, looked at all my options, weighed them all up and made the decision I made.”
Many Rangers fans aren't that sympathetic to the players who chose to leave, though, and Naismith isn't sure he would be able to go back even to watch a game with feelings still so raw.
"To be honest at this moment I wouldn't go back for a game,” he admits. "A lot of fans aren't happy with what's happened and what went on but you never know in the future.
"I wouldn't say it hurts me, it's just part and parcel of the situation we are in at the moment. It's probably still raw.
“I'm proud of the fact I played for Rangers for five years, I won trophies and won leagues with them and played in Europe. It was probably the proudest I've been in my career.
“Will I be able to go back through the front door at Ibrox one day? Who knows? “You just never know. It's something I'm dealing with.”
In another newspaper article, the forward admits that he misses the intensity of life playing for an Old Firm side, where the pressure is incessant and every game is vital in what was a perennial two-horse race with bitter local rivals Celtic.
“I liked the intensity of being an Old Firm player. “The expectation was so high and there was no hiding place.
“Any game you don't win, it's a bad result. You needed to win every game.
“I liked that there was no hiding place — it made you a better player.
With Everton regarded as punching above their weight, Naismith is experiencing less pressure but insists there is plenty of expectation coming from Moyes.
“In a way at Everton there isn't as much intensity and scrutiny as Rangers," he says, "but the expectation is still there and that comes from the manager."
“We want to finish in the top four and there is an expectation when you play.
“But if we go away to play Manchester United or City and get a draw, it's a decent result. That's where it differs from Rangers.”
Quotes or other material sourced from The Telegraph
Reader Comments (28)
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2 Posted 13/12/2012 at 19:57:46
I don't mind driving him back to Glasgow.
3 Posted 13/12/2012 at 21:03:45
I think it was a stupid statement; to compare Everton with Rangers is really low, there is a big difference between SPL and EPL, though the way Naismith has been playing, I now understand why he has been so poor for us.
He needs to wake up to the fact that he is an average player and that he needs to do even more then he did at Rangers to make it here. If I were Naismith I would start taking his role here a bit more serious.
4 Posted 13/12/2012 at 21:17:57
That more or less go's for the rest of the home nations, but the standard of the opposition for Rangers and Celtic has been so poor in the SFA that they have normally won their league by double figure point totals.
I don't think that Naismith has come up to Premier League standard yet, I hope he does!
5 Posted 13/12/2012 at 21:38:01
6 Posted 13/12/2012 at 23:59:44
7 Posted 14/12/2012 at 00:27:00
“We want to finish in the top four and there is an expectation when you play.
“But if we go away to play Manchester United or City and get a draw, it's a decent result. That's where it differs from Rangers.”
This mentality has to change if Everton are going to achieve what they set out to do this season, there may not be pressure on the players from the media but there is certainly pressure on Evertonians to out perform our neighbours.
I understand what he means as the old firm are the 2 biggest clubs in Scotland, however Everton have to instill the winning mentality and not just settle for draws against the likes of the CL regulars especially away from home.
8 Posted 14/12/2012 at 08:17:33
Aye, ok!
9 Posted 14/12/2012 at 08:40:31
I’m all for giving people a chance, but I feel on the basis of abundant evidence, he should be a squad player till he gets his act in order. And if we are asked for £1.5M… thanks but no thanks.
I tip my hat to him for all his charity work, and yes you can mention his 3 goals, but most have been tap-ins, and anybody in that position would have likely done the same, moreover how often has the softly given away possession and how many sitters has he missed. Seems he may have found place to hide after all.
10 Posted 14/12/2012 at 08:52:20
11 Posted 14/12/2012 at 08:44:58
I hope that he begins to show that he has what it takes in this league - DM doesn't make many mistakes and I think he is more than fair to the players he brings in because he bends over backwards to give them a chance. Hopefully Naismith's attitude will give him the foundation to build a future here but to be honest he seems to have a way to go to raise his game consistently to Premier League standard.
12 Posted 14/12/2012 at 09:10:11
I don't think I'm re-writing history when I say it took Barmby a good 18-24 months to actually show some real form. Form which then saw him called up to the England squad, and subsequently demanding to join boyhood team Liverpool...
So what am I saying? Well Naismith might finally get up to speed in the Premier League. I think he needs to play in his preferred role, which is a stumbling block, but I have seen some snippets where he seems to be instinctively on the same wave length as Jelavic when it comes to passing (aberration against Norwich aside), so maybe he'll come good.
Then we can sell him to the RS for £20m as a replacement for Sewerez.
14 Posted 14/12/2012 at 09:31:50
15 Posted 14/12/2012 at 10:03:00
Most fans who post on here always have to have a scapegoat - whether it be Naismith, Osman, Howard, Coleman etc.
I remember posts during Fellaini's first games along the lines of "£15 million? Not worth 15 pence". I'm sure the people who posted that stuff a few years ago would deny all knowledge of it now.
16 Posted 14/12/2012 at 09:46:38
No Mr Naismith the expectation does not come from the manager - that's part of the problem.
As we speak he's doubtless getting a dressing down about letting the cat out the bag, don't sweat it lad for many it ain't news.
17 Posted 14/12/2012 at 10:07:03
I agree that a poacher’s instinct is important, but disagree that he has an “efficient one”. For a poacher he has missed some golden opportunities. As well, poachers need to be fed, and his losses of possession around the box are very frustrating – they represent dropped points. He can’t hold the ball at all, it’s seems a hot potato to him sometimes.
Indeed, maybe Moyes is playing him wrong, I don’t know, I just know that so far his performances have on average been well below par, and for what we are trying to achieve this season, every point is critical.
Despite what seem some ridicules comments about “less intensity and nowhere to hide”, I genuinely wish him good luck, and hope he improves, I just think that until he does he should not be in the starting 11.
Agreed, better than watching Anichebe.
18 Posted 14/12/2012 at 07:54:18
19 Posted 14/12/2012 at 10:48:40
We are sitting in 4th and playing some great football. I think some of you should look at our starting eleven in seasons past compared to now.
You would think we were 4th from bottom.
20 Posted 14/12/2012 at 10:48:25
21 Posted 14/12/2012 at 10:55:12
Let him have a full season or two with us and then judge him.
I'm not his biggest fan but so far he has done fine......... all things considered.
22 Posted 14/12/2012 at 11:08:19
If Mirallas was fit then he would be a bench warmer along with Anichebe, Gueye, Heitinga and co. Vellios may improve as he is still quite raw but I'm not over optimistic about him. Barkley is another who has not developed enough to be knocking at the managers door. God knows what has happened to Junior ???
We really have a dearth of genuine talent pushing for places in the squad. That's why its so important that Davey is given money to spend on strengthening the squad and replacing the older ones. Competition for places is so important.
23 Posted 14/12/2012 at 12:16:59
I expect someone who is prepared to give 100% and fight for the cause, in the hope that form and sharpness will come with fitness. I think he's given 100%, he hasn't set the premierleague on fire, but I don't think he's been as bad as some are making out.
It seems an ingrained thing with Evertonians that we need a whipping boy, for years it was Osman & Hibbert, now, with Neville out injured, it seems like Naismith has stepped in to that role.
His comments are ill-advised but not exactly derogatory, I mean, if we played Kilmarnock, St Johnstone, Motherwell, Hibs etc every week, then we would be expected to win every week. Sounds like the lad is a bit homesick and a bit gutted that he's had to leave his boyhood club.
Obviously, the more people get on his case, the easier it will be for him to capture his best form. Give the lad a chance.
24 Posted 14/12/2012 at 12:29:36
Its entirely feasible that Naismith will become a real asset to us. Players often change and improve throughout their careers, and although he's no Pienaar or Mirallas at the moment, hes done ok. It was definitely worth a punt given his record and his links with Jelavic.
On the point about him being a poacher, again I agree 100%. His runs into the box and timing indicate this. He sees a chance and knows where he wants to be in advance of the final ball. He may not score a hatful but he always seems to be amongst it when the ball is in the oppo penalty area. He just needs to get sharper generally, and improve his close control.
25 Posted 14/12/2012 at 13:02:29
With regard to his comments that feelings are still raw at Ibrox then what does he expect after walking out on the club that treated him exceptionally following two horrendous injuries that kept him from playing for almost 2 years?
The least the Rangers support would have expected was to stay loyal to the club in the interim, thus providing them with some form of transfer fee that would have assisted the club init`s worst ever period in history, after all he was being chased by Everton prior to Administration and Liquidation so he wouldn't've had long to wait before finding another club.
As for him as a player then I can only ask you give the lad a chance as he will prove to be a great signing for you. If he plays alongside Jelavic you`ll see Jely score a "barraload" as they say in Glasgow. No malice intended but similar to Lafferty, Whittaker, McGreggor and others he wont be welcome back at Ibrox.
Finally, good luck this season as I`ve always had a soft spot for the Toffees (particularly when Big Dunc was marauding all over Manky United).
26 Posted 14/12/2012 at 15:11:24
All you calling for him to be shipped back in a box must have read the article and seen that no-one at the Record were willing to have their names associated with the article. The Scottish press is notorious for digging/skewing and working it's hardest to sensationalize anything Football. Read between the lines folks.
Give him time he'll come good on the pitch.
27 Posted 14/12/2012 at 17:43:00
28 Posted 14/12/2012 at 18:52:16
(I understand that this is, for now, a ‘former’ statement for Scotland) but Spanish football suffers terribly from this, Barca, Real, Real, Barca … zzZZZzzzzZZZzz for all but 2 or 3 games... Fine, but it was so much better when the likes of Valencia where in with a chance. And Scottish football was a two horse race for so long that it starved itself of genuine footballing intensity, and seemed instead to pile on extra lashing of sectarian bullshit. The result, ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzZZZZZ and now even more ZZZZzzzzZZZZzzz.
I hate the way $$$$ determines so much in football, but one of the great things about the EPL is that the 4-7 top league places are there for taking by a healthy fight from a healthy number of teams.
In that sense – in a true footballing sense – the EPL is FAR more intense than the SPL, and if Naismith fails to recognize that, well that’s more than unfortunate.
Nobody said never give him a chance, the Scottish have traditionally made a GREAT contribution south of the boarder (for which I offer my full respect), and long may it continue.
I hope Naismith takes his chance and makes it for (at) Everton, but the clock has been ticking for some time now, and it’s less than encouraged to discover that he seem not to have much of an idea of what constitutes real sporting intensity.
29 Posted 16/12/2012 at 01:27:24
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1 Posted 13/12/2012 at 19:50:30
Free back to Rangers in 2 seasons.
The circle is complete.