Scottish Football Discussion Thread 2010/11

[Aidancorrigan]

Lets be honest here the better players are playing...

 

The guys that are playing ar playing at a high standard in england or in europe with rangers...

 

Well are out or europe, hibs are out and celtic are out as well so players from these team dont really deserve to be there not playing at the top...

[FUM]

Lets be honest here the better players are playing...

 

The guys that are playing ar playing at a high standard in england or in europe with rangers...

 

Well are out or europe, hibs are out and celtic are out as well so players from these team dont really deserve to be there not playing at the top...

 

There is many players by your logic that are "playing at the top" and some should be nowhere near their respective national teams. I agree with David, players shouldn't get overlooked because they don't play for a top 3 or 4 SPL side.

[The Cum Doctor]

A few things.

 

* We seemed to be able to beat the Lithuanian players a little bit easily in the first half. A little more adventure tactically and we might well have scored.

 

* Stevie Naismith taking an age to strike a shot might well have been costly. Twice he was in great positions and he just stood there with the ball as if he didn't want to do anything with it.

 

* I didn't think we looked bad defensively. They had chances, but nothing was screaming out to me as bad defending.

 

* Alan Hutton at least showed some ambition when he was bombing down the right. He seemed to link well with Robson at times and Robson got some good delivery in there. Wasn't happy when he got subbed.

 

* The substitutions didn't really change the game at all.

 

That's about all I have to add for now.

[TAFKAC]

It is only two matches into his spell in charge. What do you suggest, he calls up David Mitchell from Stranraer?

No, I suggest he should have called up Mark Reynolds, who has been one of the most consistent defenders in the Scottish game for the past four years.

 

Despite having played over 160 times for a Motherwell side that has finished in the top 6 regularly, and even finished 3rd a few years ago, and being only 23 years old he has yet to see any signs of a call-up to a squad that has boasted the likes of Gary Kenneth, Paul Dixon and Kevin McNaughton.

 

Even Kirk fucking Broadfoot has seen more international action than Reynolds and he played only 12 times for a poor Rangers side in the league last season.

 

Broadfoot has also been included in the squad for Lithuania as well.

 

It's a fucking joke.

 

Dixon is not a centre half. McNaughton is not a centre half. Kenneth is hardly any worse than Reynolds. But yeah fair enough, Reynolds could do with the experience of an international friendly but at the end of the day Levein has only been in charge for two of those. He has hardly had time to sift through the good and bad. Broadfoot might have been in the squad but again he is not a centre half. I think Reynolds can play on the left as well, but I'd take Dixon, Whittaker and Wallace over him.

 

Maybe I was a bit flippant in my last post, but I'm sure many Dundee United fans were crying out for Dixon, Kenneth, et al to be called up too. And like you say, he is only 23, it's not as if Levein, Vogts, etc have overlooked him until his chance has been and gone.

 

Of course players should not be overlooked just because they don't play for the Old Firm. I would have taken Gallagher instead of Alexander for a start but that's a problem that has gone on for my entire lifetime that the OF players get called up. I thought McCulloch did not bad tonight but I'm still not his biggest fan nor would I lose much sleep if he never received another call up.

[Daaaaaad!]

No, I suggest he should have called up Mark Reynolds, who has been one of the most consistent defenders in the Scottish game for the past four years.

 

Despite having played over 160 times for a Motherwell side that has finished in the top 6 regularly, and even finished 3rd a few years ago, and being only 23 years old he has yet to see any signs of a call-up to a squad that has boasted the likes of Gary Kenneth, Paul Dixon and Kevin McNaughton.

 

Even Kirk fucking Broadfoot has seen more international action than Reynolds and he played only 12 times for a poor Rangers side in the league last season.

 

Broadfoot has also been included in the squad for Lithuania as well.

 

It's a fucking joke.

Yes, that's it. Scotland are really missing Super Mark Reynolds. That's the real problem. By the way, Broadfoot was injured for a long time last season. Christ, centreback is a position we're more than covered in - Reynolds hasn't a hope of getting into the squad whilst Caldwell, Berra and co. are playing in the Premier League, regardless of how they may be playing.

 

Besides, this season should already be teaching you that the SPL is more of a joke than the Championship. Look at the facts: SPL sides dumped out of Europe (Rangers are soon to follow), lack of transfer activity again; even Middlesborough struggling in the Championship is an argument against picking SPL players ahead of those playing in England. It's embarrassing but true, sadly.

 

Anyway - tonight's performance was almost worse in a way than a bad game would've been. It was clear that we lacked finishing ability - we really dominated the game and to be honest I'd have preferred to see us take a risk and put Boyd on instead of Morrison; say what you like about him, but he and Miller link up well and he scores goals. It'd be a risk, but I'm usually in favour of taking that risk. It's a shame Whittaker was injured or I truly think he'd have been on at the end when Berra came on.

 

That said, if we don't win on Tuesday, we may as well kiss this goodbye and start trying out young 'uns to prepare them for the World Cup qualifiers.

[TAFKAC]

It doesn't really prove anything though. Ross McCormack could not get in the Rangers team and scored loads when he joined Cardiff. Similarly, Ledley (admittedly a recent signing) has not exactly set the heather alight up here.

 

I like your comparisons on the SPL and Championship. Can you tell me what Championship teams got further in Europe than ANY of the SPL teams? There was a lack of transfer activity at Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, I would not say they were poor. Scottish football is hardly the strongest but I never understand people constantly putting it down either. We should always be challenging for that second place spot in a group because we will never be able to really match a 'big' country (unless they cock up). I'm realistic about that. And to be honest, four points from the first two games was a 'realistic' but also minimum we should take. Like you say, if we don't win on Tuesday we are goosed.

[David]

Yes, that's it. Scotland are really missing Super Mark Reynolds. That's the real problem.

Nah, we don't need him when we have the likes of Davie Weir.

 

Why draft younger players, especially ones who have been playing consistently for their club in the higher end of the SPL for a good few years, into the squad when we can simply recall the likes of Lee McCulloch and Davie Weir?

 

What we'll do is continue to snub players like Reynolds entirely (unless he makes a move to the lower leagues of England, of course) until we desperately need new blood then we can throw him straight in at the deep end.

 

Bringing him into the squad, playing him in some friendlies and bringing him through gradually would be all too easy for Scotland.

 

As for last nights game, i'm sure everyone was impressed by us getting a 0-0 draw with the footballing powerhouse that is Lithuania.

 

We played a formation that I thought would have been used in away games to both Spain and the Czechs, not fucking Lithuania.

 

We use one striker against a team of that calibre? One striker?

 

It may be a new manager, but it's the same old fucking story.

[Daaaaaad!]

Who exactly do you think we are?! We have no divine right to beat the likes of Lithuania any more. Our league is pish and our international options are too. I think it's safe to say that, were Caldwell (either one) or Webster fit, Weir wouldn't be back in the squad. Hell, if Kenneth had played more games, he'd be in ahead of Reynolds.

 

Your suggestions are really lovely, but completely impractical for a nation just desperate to qualify.

[TAFKAC]

As I've said. Levein has been in charge for three games, hardly enough time to ease Reynolds into the squad. Also, the reason Davie Weir keeps getting called up is less to do with Weir and more to do with how piss the other players in that position are.

 

Agree on the one striker though. Not saying we have a divine right to win but one striker away to Spain fair enough, but one striker away to Lithuania, no thanks.

[David]

Who exactly do you think we are?! We have no divine right to beat the likes of Lithuania any more.

No, but we at least still have the right to try and beat them, surely?

[Daaaaaad!]

Of course we should. I think putting McFadden on half an hour towards the end was part of that - Levein expected Lithuania to actually throw themselves at us and when it didn't happen he had to change tactics. Now there is a serious argument for saying that he should've sought the win with an attacking formation to begin with, but that's the benefit of hindsight - if we'd done that and gone 1-0 down within 10mins, people would've been calling Craig naive for not playing defensively in an away game. The result is not a disaster but when the game itself was taken into context, it's a disappointment not to have won one that we dominated.

[David]

The result is not a disaster but when the game itself was taken into context, it's a disappointment not to have won one that we dominated.

When you're in a group consisting of Liechtenstein, Lithuania, the Czech Republic & Spain you have to assume that our two main competitors for qualification will be Spain & the Czechs.

 

Spain will likely win the group, so we have to compete with the Czechs for 2nd place.

 

I reckon there's a better than average chance that they'll get more than a point in Lithuania, which puts us on the back foot already.

 

Not to mention that only the best 2nd place team will qualify automatically. We won't come into the equation by playing with one striker against Lithuania.

 

In short, were maybe under the guidance of a new manager, but it's still the same old shit.

 

We'll play Kenny Miller up front on his own whilst keeping the top scorer in the SPL for the past four years running on the bench, despite both him & Miller having played together regularly for their club last season.

 

Only Scotland would be capable of such baffling nonsense.

[Bettencourt]

I would have sent on Dorrans for Naismith at around the 65 minute mark. That was the mistake I personally thought Levein made.

[Daaaaaad!]

Semi-interesting point - last Friday was the first time Scotland have kept a clean sheet in an away game in the last three years. The last time was in Paris in 2007.

[David]

Craig Levein is sure to select an attacking formation for tomorrow night's game against Liechtenstein, according to Scotland assistant manager Peter Houston. Just how positive remains to be seen.

 

Scotland assistant manager Peter Houston is unsure if Craig Levein will commence tomorrow's must-win match with one striker or two on the pitch, but claims a solitary front man would not equate to a lack of attacking intent.

 

Kris Boyd is the most probable change from the line-up which began Friday's goalless draw in Lithuania, with James McFadden and Graham Dorrans also coming into contention for a start. But Houston, speaking before the team had been chosen, refused to say how many strikers would be included, and insisted that it was perfectly possible to play positively and score prolifically with only one player up front.

 

Boyd quit the national team before when George Burley was in charge, apparently out of frustration at not being given a start. But, asked if the Middlesbrough player might be tempted to do something similar again if not selected for tomorrow's European Championship qualifier, Houston insisted Boyd remained an enthusiastic and committed member of the squad.

 

"I wouldn't be wary of a similar reaction from Kris if he wasn't to start against Leichtenstein," Houston said at the Scotland team hotel. "It also might not be a question I need to answer though.

 

"Kris Boyd's attitude here has been fantastic. He wants to play, naturally, but we have 23 players in the squad who are in that same position.

 

"One thing is for sure - the manager will put an attacking formation out. The team hasn't been picked yet, and the manager has one or two decisions in forward-thinking areas to think about. We expect a couple of changes here or there.

 

"It is up to the manager to decide if he wants to start with him on Tuesday night. That is not for me to decide. Regardless, I wouldn't expect anything other than a positive Kris Boyd. Since he has come back in he has been brilliant in training and about the place.

 

"Kenny Miller has also been in hot form, and so if you are only going to play one striker then it would be difficult to take him out just now. Kris has to be patient and I am sure he will be. I don't expect anything else from him."

 

Reminded that Boyd made a particular habit at his former club Rangers of scoring a lot of goals against weaker opposition, Houston agreed that "gives him a good chance to be in the team". But the assistant manager went on to suggest that pairing Boyd with former Ibrox teammate Kenny Miller was only one possible option which Levein was considering.

 

"It hasn't been decided by the manager yet, but we have to make sure we don't lose any goals."

 

This shit really irks me. Seriously.

 

Someone tell me another national team who would even consider starting a game like this without the player who has finished as top goalscorer in their domestic league for four years running?

 

Scoring a shitload of goals at club level gives him "a good chance"?

 

If Kris Boyd doesn't get picked tomorrow, and he were to come out and say "fuck Scotland. I'm offski" i'd support him 100%.