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Hanley and Martin have a fantastic defensive record for us.

I wouldn't say fantastic. I'd say okay, think it's 11 goals in 10 games. There's been 4 clean sheets - Croatia twice, Georgia and Ireland.

That's the two paired together. Doesn't count when they've played with a different defensive partner, ie Poland away, Nigeria etc.

I'm a bit annoyed that they're getting stick at all tbh but then that's scottish football fans for you.

What nation on earth doesn't have an opinion on their team?

Apart from North Korea, but then that's because they keep winning the World Cup and saving the planet from alien invasions.

Both could play at a higher level imo

Hanley - not a chance.

Martin - here's the thing. I'm no expert on English football, but I'm sure he started off as a right back at Norwich and played mostly there in the prem for them, only filling in at centre back on occasion.

I can tolerate Martin to be fair. I'm not his biggest fan but I'm not adverse to him playing either. It's Hanley whose selection depresses me as I refuse to believe he's the best we've got.

Against England, considering how inept Whittaker is, it may have been an idea to play Martin right back and go with Berra and Greer at centre back.

Would love to champion Mark Reynolds for a place but afraid I can't make a case for him at the moment considering his current club form.

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I wouldn't say fantastic. I'd say okay, think it's 11 goals in 10 games. There's been 4 clean sheets - Croatia twice, Georgia and Ireland.

That's the two paired together. Doesn't count when they've played with a different defensive partner, ie Poland away, Nigeria etc.

What nation on earth doesn't have an opinion on their team?

Apart from North Korea, but then that's because they keep winning the World Cup and saving the planet from alien invasions.

Hanley - not a chance.

Martin - here's the thing. I'm no expert on English football, but I'm sure he started off as a right back at Norwich and played mostly there in the prem for them, only filling in at centre back on occasion.

I can tolerate Martin to be fair. I'm not his biggest fan but I'm not adverse to him playing either. It's Hanley whose selection depresses me as I refuse to believe he's the best we've got.

Against England, considering how inept Whittaker is, it may have been an idea to play Martin right back and go with Berra and Greer at centre back.

Would love to champion Mark Reynolds for a place but afraid I can't make a case for him at the moment considering his current club form.

All fair enough if there were any alternatives but we've seen enough of a Caldwell-Berra partnership to know that this is the best defence we've had in years.

Plus it's frustrating after good performances v Poland, Ireland and Germany that now the 2 are being slated, despite the fact that the whole team were lacklustre.

You can refuse to believe it all you like but I'm afraid this is the best we have.

Hanley is only 22 as well, plenty of time to improve.

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We should be looking into signing someone like Hummels.

Scotland should just push the collective boat out and sign Hummels.

That would have happened in an independent Scotland.

Very true.....I'd also like to see us signing Diego Costa.

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I wouldn't say fantastic. I'd say okay, think it's 11 goals in 10 games. There's been 4 clean sheets - Croatia twice, Georgia and Ireland.

That's the two paired together. Doesn't count when they've played with a different defensive partner, ie Poland away, Nigeria etc.

What nation on earth doesn't have an opinion on their team?

Apart from North Korea, but then that's because they keep winning the World Cup and saving the planet from alien invasions.

Hanley - not a chance.

Martin - here's the thing. I'm no expert on English football, but I'm sure he started off as a right back at Norwich and played mostly there in the prem for them, only filling in at centre back on occasion.

I can tolerate Martin to be fair. I'm not his biggest fan but I'm not adverse to him playing either. It's Hanley whose selection depresses me as I refuse to believe he's the best we've got.

Against England, considering how inept Whittaker is, it may have been an idea to play Martin right back and go with Berra and Greer at centre back.

Would love to champion Mark Reynolds for a place but afraid I can't make a case for him at the moment considering his current club form.

Hanley will play at EPL level again (and he looked suited to it when he was there before).

As somebody else said, remember the ponderous and sometimes slapstick Caldwell-Berra partnership? Hanley and Martin are a solid stride better than those two.

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I didn't think our centre-backs were particularly bad at all last night. The first two goals were both errors by Robertson, though Hanley could maybe have done more with the first. I'm not too concerned about the third goal because that came when we were committing numbers to try and equalise.

Whittaker and Hanley seem to be easy targets, but both are capable players at our level. Whittaker had two superb games against Poland and Ireland.

I still think Greer is a bit better than Martin, but there's not a great deal between them.

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I didn't think our centre-backs were particularly bad at all last night. The first two goals were both errors by Robertson, though Hanley could maybe have done more with the first. I'm not too concerned about the third goal because that came when we were committing numbers to try and equalise.

Whittaker and Hanley seem to be easy targets, but both are capable players at our level. Whittaker had two superb games against Poland and Ireland.

I still think Greer is a bit better than Martin, but there's not a great deal between them.

The second goal is hardly his fault - the ball simply rebounds off his foot. Pure luck for England.

Agreed that it is clear that Martin and Hanley are our best options just now. Not awesome but better than the rest.

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CB has been a problem for years. Davie Weir probably the last quality CB we've had.

Problem for me is any replacements for Hanley and Martin are slower than a week in the jail. Berra, Greer.

Mulgrew can fill in but was missing when Lallana set up rooney late on.

Danny Wilson was tipped for the top but has stalled a bit.

How is John Souttar doing these days?

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If Robertson is to blame at the second goal for a ball cannoning off his legs at speed and heading to Rooney then Hanley is even more guilty for taking his eye off Rooney and leaving him unmarked to score that goal.

At the first, Robertson let Oxlade-Chamberlain get away from him but Hanley should have been in a position to clear the ball before it got through to him. He hesitated and looked around instead of just attacking the ball and clearing any danger, something any commanding centre back would have done. Even if Robertson had been back with O-C Hanley should've cleared it.

Hanley's not perfect but he's still young and learning. We need a commanding centre half to play along side him but unfortunately we don't have one at the moment.

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If Robertson is to blame at the second goal for a ball cannoning off his legs at speed and heading to Rooney then Hanley is even more guilty for taking his eye off Rooney and leaving him unmarked to score that goal.

At the first, Robertson let Oxlade-Chamberlain get away from him but Hanley should have been in a position to clear the ball before it got through to him. He hesitated and looked around instead of just attacking the ball and clearing any danger, something any commanding centre back would have done. Even if Robertson had been back with O-C Hanley should've cleared it.

Hanley's not perfect but he's still young and learning. We need a commanding centre half to play along side him but unfortunately we don't have one at the moment.

The second goal was all Mulgrew's fault.

He hits a sloppy pass which get intercepted and then has to run back and straight-arm the English forward. He got booked, and was lucky not to be sent of! At the free kick is was Mulgrew who 'passed the ball' for Rooney to score rather than hoofing it out the park.

The first goal was Robertson's fault. As O-C moved into the middle of the field from wide right, Hanley was gesticulating to Robertson to follow him in rather than staying wide. The diagonal ball into the box was beyond Hanley, but Robertson wasn't close enough to O-C to put him off the header, at least, which was just a glance! O-C was Robertson's man, but he was not on top of him.

The third goal was the defence's fault. As the ball runs towards the bye-line everyone thinks it is going out, but the English forward gets it, and cuts it back for a Rooney tap-in. Nobody was attacking the ball to stop the cut-back as they all thought it would go out.

Or goal was the best of the lot, with some decent interplay between Russell and Robertson, and not due to a defensive mistake!

:unsure2:

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I think Martin's excellent. Hanley I think is the least bad option, and you are going to get performances like last night from time to time, but I think it's our best partnership by a considerable distance. If the alternative really is John Souttar, then we're quite right to stick with these two.

And frankly, last night apart, we haven't had too many thumpings.

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The second goal was all Mulgrew's fault.

He hits a sloppy pass which get intercepted and then has to run back and straight-arm the English forward. He got booked, and was lucky not to be sent of! At the free kick is was Mulgrew who 'passed the ball' for Rooney to score rather than hoofing it out the park.

The first goal was Robertson's fault. As O-C moved into the middle of the field from wide right, Hanley was gesticulating to Robertson to follow him in rather than staying wide. The diagonal ball into the box was beyond Hanley, but Robertson wasn't close enough to O-C to put him off the header, at least, which was just a glance! O-C was Robertson's man, but he was not on top of him.

The third goal was the defence's fault. As the ball runs towards the bye-line everyone thinks it is going out, but the English forward gets it, and cuts it back for a Rooney tap-in. Nobody was attacking the ball to stop the cut-back as they all thought it would go out.

Or goal was the best of the lot, with some decent interplay between Russell and Robertson, and not due to a defensive mistake!

:unsure2:

I agree about Mulgrew and our goal anyway. He should have been off for the assault on the England player. Anyone that just takes a guy out with no intention to play the ball should be off imho.

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