Scotland squad

[tlg1903]

Hughes sounds like an idiot I grant you but I don't think he's a fool.  My pal met him a few a times through work when he was up here and said he was far more switched on than he comes across in the press. 

[donsdaft]

So The Cardigan has apparently said no to the Scotland job.

Must have missed something along the way here. Thought it was only the Weggie Media that had actually offered it to him in the first place. Their wankfest will no doubt move on to McLeish now 

 

 

 

Wankfest is an understatement.

 

I tried to listen to Sportsound last night but it was cringeworthy.

[rocket_scientist]

It's not possible for him to be as thick as he comes across in the media. I've no doubt his management skills are not below average, or at least not much below average but remember that the benchmark is pretty low already, "football men" not being a particularly intelligent nor innovative lot.

 

As for the national job, no fucking way.

[Lencarl]

Stewart Regan "took the rap" for problems at the Scottish FA which is in need of "restructuring" to be fit for purpose, says Celtic's Peter Lawwell.

 

Start with dealing with all the clubs in the Scottish game not just two.

[tlg1903]

Lawell isn't wrong though I don't think I would like how he would want to restructure things.  The man doesn't give a shit about Scottish Football as a whole.

[Lencarl]

The SFA is now in danger of alienating Alex McLeish, who is growing impatient with the recruitment process.

 

Is this the same man who has been putting himself up for every managers job that comes up. The only person who is becoming impatient is his bank manager.

[tlg1903]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43063542

 

Have to say his case his actually not too bad, I don't think he's the best manager in the world but I have often thought Hughes gets judged as a manager purely on the way he speaks.  I mean that in the literal sense, his accent and working class vernacular.  Don't get me wrong I'm far from convinced he should, let alone will, get the job but i have to say I would have him over McLeish any day of the week 2bh.  At least he tries to play football.   

 

 

[RicoS321]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43063542

 

Have to say his case his actually not too bad, I don't think he's the best manager in the world but I have often thought Hughes gets judged as a manager purely on the way he speaks.  I mean that in the literal sense, his accent and working class vernacular.  Don't get me wrong I'm far from convinced he should, let alone will, get the job but i have to say I would have him over McLeish any day of the week 2bh.  At least he tries to play football. 

 

Seriously? McLeish is a far superior manager.

 

Although, it would be fucking hilarious if we employed John Hughes. He's a fucking idiot. He actually said "that's what John Hughes can bring to the job". And then forgot that he signed Stokes for Hibs for £500K. He's like a nicer Jimmy Calderwood.

[donsdaft]

Ach go on.

 

It'll be a laugh.

 

That in itself is an improvement.

 

 

We'll expect to be laughing at him but we might just end up laughing with him.

 

Either way...........

[Slim]

I like how we can appoint someone as Performance Director to oversee the development of an entire generation of the nation’s football players but we can’t let him be trusted to coach a selection of existing professionals a dozen times a year because he’s a toxic, racist cunt.

 

McLeish would be fine in a caretaker role, but we should be appointing someone now with a target and plan of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

[donsdaft]

A racist is exactly what we need. International football IS racist, it can't be anything else.

 

Where else could you hear the view expressed openly on TV and radio that an applicant for a certain job should be Scottish.

Anyone else applying should be rejected because of the country that they were born in, for that reason and that reason only.

 

 

As it happens, I agree, but then I'm a racist cunt.

[wee toon red]

I like how we can appoint someone as Performance Director to oversee the development of an entire generation of the nation’s football players but we can’t let him be trusted to coach a selection of existing professionals a dozen times a year because he’s a toxic, racist cunt.

 

McLeish would be fine in a caretaker role, but we should be appointing someone now with a target and plan of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

 

I may have read you wrong but it seems like you're writing off 2020 qualification?

 

I think we should be appointing someone now with a view to qualifying for the 2020 Euros. Qualifying for the World Cup is a nightmare but if we make it to the Euros through the usual qualification (doubt it, other than a VERY kind draw) or the Nations League (much more achievable) then the experience, confidence and belief we'll get from that will push us on tremendously.

 

If we don't make 2020 then I don't think we'll get anywhere near the World Cup in 2022 so you'd be looking at 2024 before we have a realistic chance, barring an amazing qualifying draw for 2022.

[Ten Caat]

I'm only surprised that McGoo hasn't been mentioned for the job. That would make McLeish and Hughes far more credible options at a stroke.

[BigAl]

Said it before and I'll say it again

 

SPREAD THE FUCKING NET A LITTLE BIT WIDER THAN THESE SHORES

 

C'mon tae fuck, grow a set and pick up the phone to Klinsmann and see if he fancies it. What have we realisticlally got to lose by making the call.

 

 

[Slim]

I may have read you wrong but it seems like you're writing off 2020 qualification?

 

I think we should be appointing someone now with a view to qualifying for the 2020 Euros. Qualifying for the World Cup is a nightmare but if we make it to the Euros through the usual qualification (doubt it, other than a VERY kind draw) or the Nations League (much more achievable) then the experience, confidence and belief we'll get from that will push us on tremendously.

 

If we don't make 2020 then I don't think we'll get anywhere near the World Cup in 2022 so you'd be looking at 2024 before we have a realistic chance, barring an amazing qualifying draw for 2022.

 

Not writing it off, but willing to sacrifice it if we can get a manager with a long-term plan to build a team around a core group of players who will be the spine of the team for the next 8 years.

 

We can't go from qualifying campaign to qualifying campaign picking 30-something Championship players and whoever is warming Celtic's bench.

 

For example, look at our defence. We can build a squad around Kieran Tierney, Andrew Roberston, Scott McKenna, John Souttar, Liam Lindsay and Callum Paterson. Use the next campaign whether it be Nation's League or Euro 2020 qualifying to get them to gel together, and we should see the benefits later. Replicate in all the other positions. As long as we continue to pick players in their late 20's with single digit caps, we'll never progress.

 

We haven't had a manager with a long-term plan in my living memory. As long as the next campaign is always the priority, we'll always be stuck with the safe option, filling our squads with dross like Russell Martin, Chris Martin, Gordon Greer, etc.

[wee toon red]

Not writing it off, but willing to sacrifice it if we can get a manager with a long-term plan to build a team around a core group of players who will be the spine of the team for the next 8 years.

 

We can't go from qualifying campaign to qualifying campaign picking 30-something Championship players and whoever is warming Celtic's bench.

 

For example, look at our defence. We can build a squad around Kieran Tierney, Andrew Roberston, Scott McKenna, John Souttar, Liam Lindsay and Callum Paterson. Use the next campaign whether it be Nation's League or Euro 2020 qualifying to get them to gel together, and we should see the benefits later. Replicate in all the other positions. As long as we continue to pick players in their late 20's with single digit caps, we'll never progress.

 

We haven't had a manager with a long-term plan in my living memory. As long as the next campaign is always the priority, we'll always be stuck with the safe option, filling our squads with dross like Russell Martin, Chris Martin, Gordon Greer, etc.

 

I think that might work in an ideal world but it's almost impossible to look at it beyond a campaign by campaign basis. You've only got 10 or so games each time so individual players' form, injuries, luck etc all play much more of a part at international level than they do in the club game.

 

Saying that, it should definitely be in Malky Mackay's job to look at the long term and for that reason a degree of integration between his job and the manager's is essential. The manager is really just a head coach anyway so I don't see much harm in the SFA, through Mackay, having certain stipulations for each squad selection to make sure we are always looking long-term.

[BobbyBiscuit]

I think that might work in an ideal world but it's almost impossible to look at it beyond a campaign by campaign basis. You've only got 10 or so games each time so individual players' form, injuries, luck etc all play much more of a part at international level than they do in the club game.

 

 

I think that used to be true of international football, I don't think it is any more. Too many players picked because of who they are (or who they play for), rather than for what they're doing at that time.

[RicoS321]

I think that used to be true of international football, I don't think it is any more. Too many players picked because of who they are (or who they play for), rather than for what they're doing at that time.

 

I don't think that's true of international football, just Scotland! Specifically Strachan.

 

I agree with Slim to an extent, but I think we can do both. Where a player is Grant Hanley, for example, you just ditch him and take in a younger player. Where a player is indispensable like Robertson then you keep him in the squad regardless (within reason). With the emphasis on long term over safe choices (picking the guy with most caps). I think we could easily have 7 or 8 places in the team occupied by players who'll be there for a long time without losing anything from or first 11.

 

--------Gordon(can't think of young 'keeper)--------

Tierney------Souttar----------McKenna----Robertson

-------------McGinn----Morrison------------------------

--Ritchie------------Armstrong-------------Fraser----

----------------------Griffiths--------------------------

 

That holding midfield role that Morrison has could easily see Shinnie for the long term. I was merely using examples of the older players by including Ritchie and Morrison (both of whom have had pretty reliable Scotland careers). Gordon could be replaced by Bain, although I don't think he's up to it - perhaps Gunn Jnr? Nae idea. The point stands though, that team would be as qualified to take us forward as the team that played Slovenia:

 

----------------Gordon--------------------

Tierney---Berra----Mulgrew---Robertson

Bannan---McArthur----Fletcher---Phillips

--------Martin--------Griffiths-------------

 

[Ten Caat]

Its typically Scotland that after having utter shyte receiving caps for the past 20 odd years we suddenly unearth 2 genuinely world class players and both of them play the same feckin position!

 

I honestly can't separate Tierney and Robertson as left backs, but obviously we can't play them both there. Given Tierney's greater height I think he will end up shoehorned into playing left centre back. The experiment playing him at right back, though not disastrous, certainly wasn't successful.

 

Just hope that whoever eventually takes over the reins.......and I certainly don't believe it has to be a Scot.....bins the old guard of Martin, Hanley, Berra etc and gives the likes of Fraser, Souttar and Christie a few games to see if they can handle the step up in quality.

[tlg1903]

Been reporting eck has got it

[BigAl]

Been reporting eck has got it

 

Please NO.

[Ten Caat]

Afraid it is true

[BigAl]

Afraid it is true

 

Why, just why ?

What a cluster fuck of clueless unambitious mother fuckers.

I absolutely despair

 

Nae a happy camper

[Madbadteacher]

Scottish Fuck-Up Assosciation

[Barcosente]

McLeish answered his phone then.

 

Not his fault of course, but a clear show of lack of ambition by the SFA board as predicted.

It says it all that the manager of a supposedly smaller country turns the job down, then a pensioner who hasn't managed a team, any team, for over 4 years is considered for the post.

 

To the "bored" of the SFA, there was only one option left for them to consider because any other options hadn't attended the "old boys club" at Largs.

 

This appointment says more about the makeup of the SFA than anything else.

They need a clear out and to start again.

There currently is no vision or visionary within the group, who are mostly all as grey as the hair on my head.

 

Celtic's Peter Lawell is a first class dick for sure, but he was correct that the SFA board needs a significant shakeup.

Lawell of course, has his own agenda, most of which would be unpalatable to the majority of Scottish football, so I think we can safely ignore who he'd choose to be on his board of green coloured puppets.

 

McLeish's appointment is the easy way out for the board of incompetence.

Surely even big Eck can shoot the fish in the barrel that has been put in front of him qualifying wise?