International Aftermath

[Quentin Taranbino]

Steven Fletcher isn't great but he is the best we have in that position by quite a way. His scoring record is poor but his all round contribution is very good.

Over the three games against Germany, Poland and Ireland he had undoubtedly been one of our best players. And for that reason alone he should remain in that position until someone better comes along or he stops contributing

[Gordopolis]

Steven Fletcher isn't great but he is the best we have in that position by quite a way. His scoring record is poor but his all round contribution is very good.

Over the three games against Germany, Poland and Ireland he had undoubtedly been one of our best players. And for that reason alone he should remain in that position until someone better comes along or he stops contributing

Undoubtedly a skillful player, but as a no 9 is he providing enough?

Not in my opinion. Perhaps as an impact striker or starting off the main striker, but let's not blunder on with him as an automatic first pick till he gets to a 30 cap 1 goal record

[Quentin Taranbino]

I think so. Our current system doesn't provide our number 9 with a whole lot of chances. They mostly fall to our wide players or midfielders making runs through the middle.

If Steven Fletcher was getting lots of chances and missing them then I would agree with you but he isn't and instead is creating for others as it suits the current system. When you put a more natural goalscorer in that position in our system i.e C.Martin or Jordan Rhodes then it's unlikely to work as they lack that crucial link up play. Naismith isn't an out and out goalscorer and has the link up play which is why he is also able to successfully play that number 9 role for us when required.

[Gordopolis]

I think so. Our current system doesn't provide our number 9 with a whole lot of chances. They mostly fall to our wide players or midfielders making runs through the middle.

If Steven Fletcher was getting lots of chances and missing them then I would agree with you but he isn't and instead is creating for others as it suits the current system. When you put a more natural goalscorer in that position in our system i.e C.Martin or Jordan Rhodes then it's unlikely to work as they lack that crucial link up play. Naismith isn't an out and out goalscorer and has the link up play which is why he is also able to successfully play that number 9 role for us when required.

I agree in some respects, but I also think this will be our undoing/ceiling. Ekeing out narrow results from pieces of brilliance (fletch Anya vs Germany, Maloney vs ROI) is braw, but you cannot hope to pull something like that out of the hat every single game.

I'm not advocating a poacher number 9, but ffs we need a better return from our lone forward than we get from s Fletch

[Gordon EF]

Fletcher's on about 1 goal every 3 games across his Wolves and Sunderland career. There's no problem with his goalscoring. OK, 1 in 18 isn't good and I think everyone would accept he hasn't done well for Scotland in that aspect but he's not particuarly put up there as the focal point for goals with Scotland, despite being a lone striker. The three who play behind the striker will get more goals with Fletcher in the team than anyone else and I'm pretty confident he will start scoring more for Scotland.

[Quentin Taranbino]

I'm not advocating a poacher number 9, but ffs we need a better return from our lone forward than we get from s Fletch

Agreed a poacher number 9 doesn't fit our sytem. I think for me he gets until the end of the current campaign to get himself back in amongst the goals. Remember he is contributing to the goals (even if he isnt himself scoring them)

[Ira Gaines]

In the aftermath of this international break, Scotland got three points in a big qualifier.

So aye, job well done I'd say.

[Gordopolis]

Fletcher's on about 1 goal every 3 games across his Wolves and Sunderland career. There's no problem with his goalscoring. OK, 1 in 18 isn't good and I think everyone would accept he hasn't done well for Scotland in that aspect but he's not particuarly put up there as the focal point for goals with Scotland, despite being a lone striker. The three who play behind the striker will get more goals with Fletcher in the team than anyone else and I'm pretty confident he will start scoring more for Scotland.

I'd accept this if we had a goalscoring number 10 or wingers, but our squad has a pitiful goal tally. It is our weakness and I reckon its only right to look to fix it.

[RussellAnderson]

Looking forward I'd say we've learned that:

Chris Martin isn't up to scratch.

We could really do with Snodgrass back.

Mulgrew is very good in the holding role.

Fletcher isn't as good in the holding role.

Robertson is a star.

We won the right game though. A result against the guffs would have been perfect but the Ireland one was more important.

[Gordon EF]

I'd accept this if we had a goalscoring number 10 or wingers, but our squad has a pitiful goal tally. It is our weakness and I reckon its only right to look to fix it.

Yeah, if you look at most of these guys international records, it's not great. Most of that is Levein era though. We're doing well enough in this group so far. 4 goals in 3 games against Germany, Poland and Ireland isn't bad at all. The Germans have only scored 3 in their correpponding fixtures. With the players we have, we're never going to rack up huge wins against decent sides.

The problem is you give a guy who scores goals for his club a few games (Martin) and he looks out of his depth, then the cries come up to give the next guy scoring goals in the Championship a go. I'm all for guys playing well getting their shot but Fletcher is our best and most proven striker by some distance. I doubt Strachan will be losing too much sleep over our lack of goals so far. And chopping and changing guys who are actually getting us results sounds pretty mental to me.

[Gordopolis]

Yeah, if you look at most of these guys international records, it's not great. Most of that is Levein era though. We're doing well enough in this group so far. 4 goals in 3 games against Germany, Poland and Ireland isn't bad at all. The Germans have only scored 3 in their correpponding fixtures. With the players we have, we're never going to rack up huge wins against decent sides.

The problem is you give a guy who scores goals for his club a few games (Martin) and he looks out of his depth, then the cries come up to give the next guy scoring goals in the Championship a go. I'm all for guys playing well getting their shot but Fletcher is our best and most proven striker by some distance. I doubt Strachan will be losing too much sleep over our lack of goals so far. And chopping and changing guys who are actually getting us results sounds pretty mental to me.

As mentioner b4 tho, Fletcher was not involved in our good run of results pre this campaign.

He's a good, tidy forward, but he's not vital, certainly not as a finisher.

I'd say we looked far more dangerous in the 4-4-1-1/4-4-2 vs Croatia at home with snodgers & naisy

[HoBNob]

Mulgrew starts ahead of Morrison as well going forward to next year he was sensational against Ireland.

His added physical presence for defensive set plays in a very small team and gravy delivery to the opposite box put him ahead of Morrison.

Mulgrew isn't as good as Morrison,

The fact he's a few inches taller than Morrison doesn't make up for the fact Morrison is quite simply a level far above him in receiving the ball and re-cycling it, against Ireland we were resorting to far more long balls than we did against Poland and I genuinely think it's because you didn't have Morrison in there. Maloney and Morrison both have an adequate delivery.

I'd argue the he isn't as good as a match fit Darren Fletcher could be as well.

Defensively he flatters to decieve as well, he goes square onto a man far to much which makes it incredibly easy to go past him, might get away with it in the SPL, no chance internationally.

[Guest]

I hope we don't play England again for years.

I enjoyed Wembley last year but wasn't too bothered about last night.

There is nothing to be gained from annual matches apart from a defeat and some coin for the respective FA's.

[La_Leyenda]

Darren Fletcher at the very least needs to look at getting a loan deal in January somewhere. I can't see him getting a game ahead of Daley Blind at Man U, and at the moment he's fourth choice behind Brown, Mulgrew and Morrison.

You could see from his 20 mins v Poland and in flashes against England (took a while to get going though) that he's still got it, but he's not playing in top gear and his lack of match action is showing.

Just hope he's not too proud to take a step down from Man U to save his career.

Elsewhere, I was one of Steven Fletcher's biggest critics after the Georgia game but thought he was excellent against Ireland.

Derby fans have actually been saying for some time that despite his scoring record they're not sure Martin will cut it for them in the premiership. Needs the ball played to his feet which as a lone striker isn't generally going to happen all that often.

May and Russell looked good together but how often are we likely to see two up front for Scotland (though next game is Gibraltar).

Berra in for Hanley please.

[newcastle broon]

As mentioner b4 tho, Fletcher was not involved in our good run of results pre this campaign.He's a good, tidy forward, but he's not vital, certainly not as a finisher.I'd say we looked far more dangerous in the 4-4-1-1/4-4-2 vs Croatia at home with snodgers & naisy

So do we go with

A) a striker playing for a very average premier side playing against multi million £££s worth of defenders every week in what is allegedly described as one of the best leagues in the world and doesn't hit the net 20 times a season.

B) inexperienced at international level lads playing a tier below and scoring for fun.

C) or someone who can store for fun for a team that will eventually run away with our biggest national league and is basically just a squad player.

D) or a Levein special of 4-6-0 formation cause certainly our best talent lies with an abundance o players in midfield position.

Personally I'd stick wi Fletcher for now though naismith has done well as you say playing in a similar position ??

[Duszek]

This Scottish team is well capable of beating teams of Ireland's level, but we simply don't have the players to compete with the top 20 sides. England strolled through the game.

The good thing is that we can qualify for Euro 2016 without needing to earn points against teams of that calibre. If we can stop Lewandowski scoring at Hampden, we will qualify.

[thisal]

Thought both teams stank

I thought England looked very good and very comfortable.

[thisGRAEME]

Ultimately, we could just about qualify for a playoff spot with the next two games. A win against Gibraltar and beating Ireland in Dublin puts us 6 points clear of them, with 12 remaining. You'd also imagine that Germany will be a sterner test next time around, so there's less points available there, and Gibraltar results take care of themselves.

It's hardly definitive, but 6 points from the next two games allows us to start looking up at Poland rather than down at Southern Ireland, and gives us a bit of breathing space. It's also worth noting that at this early stage, we're top of the third place rankings, so we've really got to keep the foot down all the way through.

[PrestersKTID]

Fletcher did look unfit but he should be in for more starts seeing as Daley Blind is out for a couple of months due to knee injury.

I would've liked to have seen Bardsley in at Rb in these games but wasn't to be.

Also im sure i heard Snodgrass say last night he was in for ANOTHER 7 months on the treatment table?

He offers direct running and good link up, plus is a good goal threat.

Agree that we definitely need to be scoring more goals. Mccormack i would've thought would fit into our system well but perhaps he's too much like naismtih.

Russell and May looked the part last night which is promising.

[Dunning1874]

Yeah, if you look at most of these guys international records, it's not great. Most of that is Levein era though. We're doing well enough in this group so far. 4 goals in 3 games against Germany, Poland and Ireland isn't bad at all. The Germans have only scored 3 in their correpponding fixtures. With the players we have, we're never going to rack up huge wins against decent sides.

The problem is you give a guy who scores goals for his club a few games (Martin) and he looks out of his depth, then the cries come up to give the next guy scoring goals in the Championship a go. I'm all for guys playing well getting their shot but Fletcher is our best and most proven striker by some distance. I doubt Strachan will be losing too much sleep over our lack of goals so far. And chopping and changing guys who are actually getting us results sounds pretty mental to me.

Some of the criticism of him has been over the top, but he's not done anymore to prove himself than Naismith has. With everyone fit I'd have Naismith starting at centre forward ahead of Fletcher.

Berra in for Hanley please.

Here we go, after a while without a cap people are starting to forget that Christophe Berra was an absolute bombscare for Scotland. He should be nowhere near the team.