Scotland squad

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, OrlandoDon said:

Pretty sure bologna wont be very happy. Not sure Ferguson has played 90 plus mins for them in months?? They’ve been very cautious post injury. And we go again Sunday.

Nah, he's played a few 90 minutes since the turn of the year. The last two games too. Not sure he'll start in Sunday, might be Christie 

[OrlandoDon]

5 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

Nah, he's played a few 90 minutes since the turn of the year. The last two games too. Not sure he'll start in Sunday, might be Christie 

Good to hear. Was paying attention for this specific reason, but clearly not close enough. Mctom, gilmour, and Ferguson is a very strong three for us. Doak on the left, shady mo on the right!

[Jute]

U21s win 2-0 against Ireland in a friendly in Spain.

 

[Jute]

Fletcher Boyd starts for U17s tonight. 
 

Games available on line if you are a sad act with no social life like me. 

[RicoS321]

2 hours ago, Jute said:

Fletcher Boyd starts for U17s tonight. 
 

Games available on line if you are a sad act with no social life like me. 

Watched the last fifteen. Must have been about fifty free kicks. 0-2 a decent result though. Didn't see much of Boyd as he went off after I turned on. 

[Jute]

Thought Scotland played well without creating many chances in the first half. Boyd’s work rate was good. Scotland took their chances in second half including second by Cooper Masson who’s on Dons books. 
 

 

[Jute]

 

Christie for Ferguson only change. Get getting Christie into team but would have  looked at Gilmour before dropping Ferguson.

[RicoS321]

12 minutes ago, Jute said:

 

Christie for Ferguson only change. Get getting Christie into team but would have  looked at Gilmour before dropping Ferguson.

Nah, Gilmour is ace. I'd have dropped McLean. Although McLean gets his 50th cap tonight, which is impressive, he's been great for Scotland. Christie is a weird one, as Clarke sees him as someone who offers width, but he hasn't done that in years. Would be interesting to see him in his club role for Scotland. 

[RicoS321]

Game is live on BBC2, which is great, but we get five minutes of a build up. Meanwhile, over on BBC1, viewers in Scotland are treated to some English pish women's game. Surely they can switch up the programming so Scotland can turn England off? Dicks. Can anyone confirm whether viewers in England were given Scotland on their BBC1 on Thursday?

[BigAl]

You would have thought that in 2025 that our national broadcaster would be able to get the commentary in sync with the pictures, instead of knowing what happens from the commentary before I actually see it on my TV screen.

Real amateur stuff 

[BigAl]

Ach well, one each on aggregate

We go again 

[dons8321]

25 minutes ago, BigAl said:

You would have thought that in 2025 that our national broadcaster would be able to get the commentary in sync with the pictures, instead of knowing what happens from the commentary before I actually see it on my TV screen.

Real amateur stuff 

Turned over to BBC 2 where it's in sync.  Excellent commentary after about 10mins - "Scotland are forcing the Greek defence into unforced errors"...fuck the 17 y/o has just scored their 2nd.

[RicoS321]

30 minutes ago, BigAl said:

You would have thought that in 2025 that our national broadcaster would be able to get the commentary in sync with the pictures, instead of knowing what happens from the commentary before I actually see it on my TV screen.

Real amateur stuff 

In fairness, I've seen that before. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with only having five minutes on air l, and if there's a lag from the SD coverage on the other channel. 

Anyway, we're looking like the Dons in their shitey period. Lots of playing out the back and giving it away, with zero coverage back the way.

[OxfordDon]

36 minutes ago, BigAl said:

You would have thought that in 2025 that our national broadcaster would be able to get the commentary in sync with the pictures, instead of knowing what happens from the commentary before I actually see it on my TV screen.

Real amateur stuff 

6 minutes ago, dons8321 said:

Turned over to BBC 2 where it's in sync.  Excellent commentary after about 10mins - "Scotland are forcing the Greek defence into unforced errors"...fuck the 17 y/o has just scored their 2nd.

I ended up muting BBC TV, sticking the BBC Radio Scotland feed on and pausing it until it synced. Not sure the commentary is significantly improved but at least it doesn't sound like an intern with a time machine.

[dons8321]

9 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

 

Anyway, we're looking like the Dons in their shitey period. Lots of playing out the back and giving it away, with zero coverage back the way.

Aye was thinking the same thing. Ryan Christie has been anonymous. The Greeks have obviously learned from Thursday.

[dons8321]

3 down...at least Christie is anonymous any more.

[dons8321]

13 minutes ago, dons8321 said:

3 down...at least Christie is anonymous any more.

isn't 

[OrlandoDon]

Vey dons like performance. Creating very little, too slow and labored.

[BigAl]

It is bizarre how at this potentially late stage in my life I keep living through this recurring nightmare.

I suspect some of you youngsters will continue to live through it for many years after I am long gone.

There is a very good reason why I refused to purchase a ticket for this match 

[BigAl]

P S would love to hear from anyone that can highlight a single Scottish success this evening.

Absolutely fucking woeful 

 

[Jute]

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

P S would love to hear from anyone that can highlight a single Scottish success this evening.

Absolutely fucking woeful 

 

Scotrail having me back in the capital for 8pm count?

Woeful performance tonight. Far too slow and in and out of possession. Changes should have been made at half time and Gilmour should not have been one of them. Clarke got starting line up and tactics wrong again which is becoming a recurring theme.

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

P S would love to hear from anyone that can highlight a single Scottish success this evening.

Absolutely fucking woeful 

 

The mascots did okay, and the laddie on sign language for the anthem. 

A really bad performance, the worst in a while. Up there with Germany and the Ukraine games. 

We do have a huge imbalance in the squad, but that's not exactly news. I was a bit concerned before the game, because I hate seeing a team play so negatively in the first of a two legged game. Greece would have been coming to Hampden knowing that they could beat Scotland comfortably, with a few tweaks to their approach (stop crossing it to our defenders). We are laboured all over the park, with an overload of central midfielders and a striker being asked to play the role of the other big lad that usually plays. Adams needs another player to play off of (very similar to Nisbet for us), or just don't bother. Christie can't play the role that he no longer plays for Bournemouth because he can't play it. Those are two managerial errors in my opinion. We struggle to build quickly from the back as Gordon can't kick it, and Hanley is playing on his wrong fucking foot (I don't think he played a single pass with his left tonight). McGinn cannot play deep, just fucking take him off. 

I think Clarke should perhaps step aside before qualifying gets under way. He's too loyal to too many players, and too rigid with his setup, struggling to change things in games other than personnel switches. I wouldn't like to see him get sacked, and he can still leave with his dignity firmly intact. It reminds me of late Craig Brown era Scotland. 

[dons8321]

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

P S would love to hear from anyone that can highlight a single Scottish success this evening.

Absolutely fucking woeful 

 

Flower of Scotland when the pipes were silenced and the stadium sang as one... obviously clutching at straws!  We should have won it on the first half on Thursday as we had 3/4 chances to put the game to bed before their coach realised they were actually in a game and reacted accordingly. Hopefully Clarke has taken on board the way they dominated us for 3/4 of the 2 games and can come up with a plan to neutralise them.

[Jute]

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

The mascots did okay, and the laddie on sign language for the anthem. 

A really bad performance, the worst in a while. Up there with Germany and the Ukraine games. 

We do have a huge imbalance in the squad, but that's not exactly news. I was a bit concerned before the game, because I hate seeing a team play so negatively in the first of a two legged game. Greece would have been coming to Hampden knowing that they could beat Scotland comfortably, with a few tweaks to their approach (stop crossing it to our defenders). We are laboured all over the park, with an overload of central midfielders and a striker being asked to play the role of the other big lad that usually plays. Adams needs another player to play off of (very similar to Nisbet for us), or just don't bother. Christie can't play the role that he no longer plays for Bournemouth because he can't play it. Those are two managerial errors in my opinion. We struggle to build quickly from the back as Gordon can't kick it, and Hanley is playing on his wrong fucking foot (I don't think he played a single pass with his left tonight). McGinn cannot play deep, just fucking take him off. 

I think Clarke should perhaps step aside before qualifying gets under way. He's too loyal to too many players, and too rigid with his setup, struggling to change things in games other than personnel switches. I wouldn't like to see him get sacked, and he can still leave with his dignity firmly intact. It reminds me of late Craig Brown era Scotland. 

That comment was on train coming back tonight. Much like Brown Clarke is failing to learn from mistakes and being to loyal to players who have served him well in the past but may be no longer up to the task. 

[RicoS321]

10 minutes ago, Jute said:

That comment was on train coming back tonight. Much like Brown Clarke is failing to learn from mistakes and being to loyal to players who have served him well in the past but may be no longer up to the task. 

Aye, an ageing McKimmie would have done the business at right back tonight.

Hanley is a sub for a league one team, but he started on his wrong foot ahead of a guy playing in La Liga every week. McLean also playing a league below Christie in the same position. Johnston getting minutes versus Ralston not. Gordon is really the only one that you'd want replaced, but where the options are much worse.

Like Brown, the players that he is loyal to do/did a job, and were loyal in return (McLean never misses a squad). However, that has to be balanced against the reward for your progression and effort between squads (minutes on the park, level of team), and I think both managers were off on that. Clarke will be looking at someone like Hanley and suggesting that he did very little wrong. However, doing little wrong is the bare minimum. McKenna would have advanced the ball forward, either carrying it from defence or moving it quickly. That's a net positive. Similarly Christie would have been better sitting than McLean, who did just okay. Johnston would have been rewarded for playing every week with his opportunity. Clarke is just too safe, and too slow to change. Clarke's peak team that beat Spain was top class. Brown's peak teams were very good too. Pragmatism and safety definitely works to a large degree. Until it doesn't. Knowing when to move on is a skill neither possess.