der Berliner 3,240 Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Halliday,Holt,Wilson & Wallace are all candidates for Scotland There is this strange mentality - in Scotland - that people from the lower leagues are "not up to scratch" in Europe. It might be true that they do not play quality opposition week in and week out (then again, who in Scotland does?), but I would at least pick in-form players when I have the chance too. Take Warburton as an example. He comes in and gives everyone a clean sheet. "Go on and prove your value to me!" And so they have. We may be up in orbit about our performances and our players just now. But even the neutral onlooker will see the quality and enthusiasm. Given that, I would actually expect Barrie McKay being in the list given by ian as well. It will be downright farcical if all of them will go straight into the Scotland team once we are back in the top league. All that said, I'm all too happy if our players are not on international duty and eating up their reserves for someone else than Rangers. The soggy and snowy season is still ahead of us and IMHO the only concern that our current standard of football may drop somewhat, while the chances of injuries start to rise. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gribz 743 Posted September 7, 2015 Author Share Posted September 7, 2015 A play off is still possible with 2 wins against Poland and Gibraltar. The latter is a win (although not by much) but I wouldn't bet us winning against Poland. It will be our own fault as Ireland need a win in their last 2 against Germany and Poland and I cant see them getting one. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
barca72 440 Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 A play off is still possible with 2 wins against Poland and Gibraltar. The latter is a win (although not by much) but I wouldn't bet us winning against Poland. It will be our own fault as Ireland need a win in their last 2 against Germany and Poland and I cant see them getting one. Do you really think that it is worthwhile rooting for this team? If they managed to get a playoff game they would lose that as well. They went out today not to win but to NOT lose. From the kickoff they were in defensive mode. This was well put by Dave Provan commentating on SKY sports when he said that Fletcher was a good target man, in that he can collect the ball and lay it off to his wingers, the only problem was that our wingers, Forrest and Maloney, were playing as full backs because they were tracking the German full backs back in our defensive zone. Further the midfield is bereft of constructive playmaking. A captain should set the example for his team but we're stuck with this spent rhino in midfield who too often charges at people and is by-passed by passes at almost every opportunity. All this does is put the rest of his team under pressure and creativity being built from midfield is stiffled. We were lucky to get the goals that we did get in just about the only two attacking forays we had in the first half. The German goalie had a stinker of a game. The last two games in especial, Strachan's tactics absolutely were terrible as was his team selection and use of subs. I guess I would describe this Scottish team as dross. You, being a Rangers' supporter and having suffered through the last three years should know what that means. A new board, new management and a cull of the present players. Nothing less will be sufficient for any future success. How can that be done, you ask - ask Mark Warburton. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza_8 233 Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Halliday,Holt,Wilson & Wallace are all candidates for Scotland McKay too. He's playing out his skin. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gribz 743 Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 Just working things out. If teams are level on the same points does it come down to head to head? If so then so long as Ireland don't beat Germany we will finish 3rd if we beat Poland (and Gibraltar) as the final match is Poland v Ireland and both cant win. If we are level on 17 pts with either then we would have taken 4 points off both Poland and Ireland. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANGERRAB 3,255 Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Scotland badly needs a striker who can score goals consistently. No one has replaced Kenny Miller and it's beginning to show now. I mean even Kyle Lafferty has scored seven goals in these Euro qualifiers... 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza_8 233 Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Just working things out. If teams are level on the same points does it come down to head to head? If so then so long as Ireland don't beat Germany we will finish 3rd if we beat Poland (and Gibraltar) as the final match is Poland v Ireland and both cant win. If we are level on 17 pts with either then we would have taken 4 points off both Poland and Ireland. If we finish level on points with Ireland after the 10 games then we go into the playoffs and Ireland miss out. We have a better head to head against them. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rousseau 9,361 Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 It was like watching Rangers last night: possession, work-rate, enthusiasm, passing, and a slightly shaky defense. Shame it was Germany. Scotland games annoy me. We hear the same comments from the commentators, regarding work-rate and atmosphere which are usually quite good. Then we hear things like, "Scotland are unlucky to go behind there," and "Scotland don't have an out-ball." No wonder! If you are defending on your own six-yard box, then of course you are going to loose 'unlucky' goals, but they're not unlucky because you can avoid it by pushing up when the ball goes back; and of course there isn't going to be an out-ball: everyone's in their own box! For me, the commentators epitomise a complete lack of understanding in the Scottish game; the views are out-of-date. Wotte was a step in the right direction, but many in authority don't have the understanding or foresight to appreciate what he was doing. Of course, that was only one step; much more has to be done. Alas! Nothing will change as long as the same idiots are in charge. In all honesty, I think the Scotland squad would be better if it was a mix of Rangers and Hearts players. However, they'll continue to be overlooked until they move to the English Championship or Celtic. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oleg_Mcnoleg 50 Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Halliday,Holt,Wilson & Wallace are all candidates for Scotland The Scotland midfield is, or should be, pretty strong so Halliday and Holt will have to wait. Should be strong enough for Brown, who's been pretty fuqing ordinary throughout his Celtic career to be punted. They'll all get there soon enough though: with the precedent set by the Celtic players, it's clear that a good run in Europe is not a prerequisite for selection. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
barca72 440 Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 (edited) Just working things out. If teams are level on the same points does it come down to head to head? If so then so long as Ireland don't beat Germany we will finish 3rd if we beat Poland (and Gibraltar) as the final match is Poland v Ireland and both cant win. If we are level on 17 pts with either then we would have taken 4 points off both Poland and Ireland. Just in case you think I was the only one who wants this lot culled ... http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gordon-parks-gordon-strachan-compounded-6434716 Gordon Parks: Gordon Strachan compounded Celtic's error in confusing workmanlike with class 12:36, 13 September 2015 by GordonParks GORDON wants Strachan to cut the dishonesty and highlights the rarity of a forthcoming manager in football's shop floor. THE story of Scotland’s Euro 2016 campaign reads like a script straight from The Emperor’s New Clothes. Anyone who doesn’t appreciate the finely woven splendour of our international side is either unfit, too stupid or incompetent to see. In dressing-up defeats to Georgia and Germany, Gordon Strachan spun out the lines. Having taken counsel with his nearest and dearest, he concluded we didn’t do enough to win the match in Tbilisi but did enough not to lose. It was a tall tale and plainly untrue having failed to have a single pop at goal. He’s old enough to know honesty is rarely forthcoming in football’s shop floor, especially when asking the equivalent of “Does my bum look fat in these?” Nobody in the wee man’s court would dare tell him the truth and if they genuinely agreed with that risible assessment then they were talking out of their backsides. The rest of Group D were already laughing behind their fingers as we floundered against the world champions days later. But a post-match assessment of being “Just a fraction away from the perfect performance” was a stretch of the decimal point too far. And as for being “Three or four passes from being a right good side”? Hans Christian Andersen eat your heart out. He’s selling a fairytale of our chances of being in France. Scotland’s strengths are being suited and booted with character, hard work and camaraderie. But it isn’t the clobber for major finals. The reality is we aren’t wearing anything at all. The high-end garments of the international game are made from steel, inspirational on-field leadership, guile and goalscorers, sparkled with that magical touch of individualism. Look at the fabric Strachan’s being asked to work with ... We don’t have a dominant central-defender to our name. He’s handed the keys of our dressing room to Scott Brown and compounded Celtic’s error in confusing workmanlike with class. One of the wisest phrases in football came to mind this week: ‘Don’t worry about what position you play – your position will find you.’ Alan Hutton, again not able to hold down a place at his club, is still marauding down the right and may be the exception to that rule. Charlie Mulgrew?What is he, a centre-half? Left-back? Holding midfielder? He’s played the lot for Scotland. Steven Fletcher used to be our best player but when Kyle Lafferty is scorching ahead inthe goal stakes then it’s time to start asking some searching questions. A striker who doesn’t score goals surely is a positional identity crisis. There’s another age-old adage which fits the bill: “In football, you always find your level.” James Forrest found his on Monday and it isn’t going toe to toe with the likes of Germany – it’s against Hamilton and Partick Thistle I’m afraid. The Celtic kid looked like a little boy lost and is another who has been exposed during the Euro 2016 quest. Years ago, a teenage Forrest terrorised Belgium for Scotland U21s, fully justifying Campbell Money’s assertion he was the best young player he’s seen and all in attendance bought into it. Against Holland a short time later he did it again and led the U21s to a 2-1 win. It seems a long, four years ago now. He has pace to burn but no longer enough to go with it and his peers have eclipsed him in progressing to a finished article. It happens. Strachan claimed fortune didn’t go our way against Germany. No luck? Both of our goals had jammy written all over them and James Morrison should have been sent off. Patronising pap. A generation of sports reporters have never sampled the working environment of a European Championship Finals or, for that matter, a World Cup. Our children have no conception of what it’s like to see Scotland head for distant shores. We speak about qualifying for finals as though it was some kind of bygone age. The real weavers are to be found at the SFA and after a failure to reach France we’ll be told we’re perfectly suited for Russia 2018. They’ll tell us our game’s in rude health so surely it’s time for our Scotland side to have the decency to go and put some clothes on. They are already talking about giving Strachan a new contract. God help us. Edited September 14, 2015 by barca72 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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